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I" I~ I We are philatelic auctioneersl_ c= and specialize c ; . I ~ m providing i " a competitive market ~ for stamp collections and other philatelic properties I I ~ Over ·30 years experience i assures the maximum in results
Your inquiry is welcomed I I IRWIN HEI JIAN~ I Inc.
!==.=====:::. Serving American Philately Since 1926 - :..: 2 WEST 46th STREET £ NEW YORK 36, N.Y. Telephone: JUdson 2-2393 Suite 708 ~lllllllllClllllllllllllClllllllllllllrlllllllllllllClllllllllllllClllllllllllllClllllllllllllClllllllllllllClllllllllllllClllllllllllllClllllllllllllClll1111111111ClHllllllllllC•~ AUGUST, 1961 The American Air Mail Society A Non-Profit Corporation Incorporated 1944 Organized 1923 Under the Laws ~IJGff~Ic~ of Ohio \j PRESIDENT Official Publication of the Robert W. Murch AMERICAN AIR MAIL SOCIETY 9560 Litzinger Road St. Louis 24, Mo. SECRETARY Ruth T. Smith VOL. 32 No. 11 ISSUE No. 375 102 Arbor Road Riverton, New Jersey '.l'REASURER John J. Smith Contents ...... for August, 1961 102 Arbor Road Riverton, New Jersey A.A.M.S. Election Results ···---················ 334 VICE-PRESIDENTS 1961 ConvenUon Committee Announced 335 Joseph L. Eisendrath Proposed Convention Schedule ...... 335 Louise S. Hoffman Florence L. Kleinert The Navy Carries the Mail ...... 337 Dr. Southgate Leigh, Jr. The New 11-Cent Aerogramme ·····---···· 342 EDITOR - Other Publications 50 Years In the Navy Hydrographic L. B. Gatchell Office of Aviation ...... 343 ATTORNEY '.Dips By Julius ············----····· ...... 346 George D. Kingdom Collecting Air Mail Covers of Ecuador's DIRECTOR OF First Flights ...... ··-·· ... 350 FOREIGN' RELATIONS Balloon Posts Of the Siege of Paris Dr. Max Kronstein 1870-71 ·················································· 35·4 AUCTION MANAGER Samuel S. Goldsticker, Jr. Airs Of the Month ...... 356 DIRECTORS Foreign Pioneer Airpost Flights, Alton J. Blank 1909-14 ...... ··················· 358 Herbert Brandner Official Section 363 Samuel S. Goldsticker, Jr. Lester S. Manning Dr. Tomas Terry Earl H. Wellman· Horace D. Westbrooks EDITOR ADVANCE BULLETIN SERVICE Joseph L. Eisendral:h Herbert Brandner 350 No. Deere Park Drive, Hii:hland Park, Ill. 4036 Forest Ave., Brookfield, ID. ASSISTANT EDITORS SALES MANAGER Robert W. Murch Herman Kleinert Ernest A. Kehr L. B. Gatchell 213 Virginia Ave., Fullerton, Pa. DEPARTMENT AND ASSOCIATE EDITORS MEMBERSHIP DUES R. Lee Black, N. Pelletier, Florence L. Kleinert, Dr. Max Kronstein, Richard L. Singley, William $4~00 PER YEAR R. Ware, Julius Weiss, James Wotherspoon, John Dues include subscription to Watson, William T. Wynn. Frank Blumenthal, THE AIRPOST JOURNAL. Ap Samuel S. Goldsticker, Jr., J. S. Langabeer. plicants mu.st furnish two ref Published monthly at Albion, Erie Co., Pa., U.S.A. erences, philatelic preferred., At Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office least one must reside in Appli at Albion, Pa., Februarv 10, 1932, under cants home town. Applicants tne Act of March 3, 1879. under 21 years must be guar anteed by Parent or Guardian. The AIRPOST JOURNAL is not conducted for Membership may be terminated profit. The Editor, and all others, serve without by the Society in accordance compensation. Receipts from advertising, sub with its By-Laws. scriptions and contributions are applied to the betterment of the magazine and the promotion Correspondence concerning sub of aero-philately. scriptions. back numbers and The Editor and Officers of The American Air bound volumes, address changes Mail Society assume no responsibility for the and other matters and all re accuracy of statements made by contributors. mittances should be sent to the Every effort is made to insure correctness of Treasurer. All general commun all articles. ications and advertising should Subscription Rates: $4.00 per year, 35c per copy. be sent to the Editor. Advertising Rate Card available from the Editor AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 333 American Air Mail Society Election Results
In accordance with votes counted, the following officers have been elected to take office for two years effective with the 1961 business meeting at the September 22-24, 1961 AA.MS Convention in New York City.
President
Dr. James J. Matejka, Jr...... 156 votes Earl Wellman ... 1 vote Herman Kleinert ...... 1 vote
Vice-Presidents - 4 Elected Joseph L. Eisendrath ...... ( ...... 132 votes elected Herman Kleinert ...... 121 votes elected Samuel S. Goldsticker, Jr...... 101 votes elected Lester S. Manning ...... 98 votes elected Dr. Southgate Leigh ...... 95 votes Ellery Denison ...... 76 votes Ernest Kehr ...... 1 vote
Secretary Ruth T. Smith ...... 153 votes
Treasurer John J. Smith ...... 152 votes
Directors, 4 Elected - Four Year Term Expiring 1965 Robert E. Haring ...... ll3 votes elected Dr. Max Kronstein ...... ll3 votes elected George L. Lee ...... 106 votes elected Paul Bugg ...... 105 votes elected Roland F. Kohl ...... 88 votes N. Pelletier ...... 85 votes Alton Blank ...... 1 vote Robert W. Murch ...... 1 vote Horace Westbrooks ...... 1 vote Earl Wellman ...... 1 vote Harold Dermody ...... 1 vote Barry Kostenko ...... 1 vote Mrs. Grace Conrath ...... 1 vote
Election Certified by Robert W. Murch, President, July 12, 1961. PAGE 334 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL 1961 AAMS Convention Committee Announced • President Robert W. Murch announces that George D. Kingdom, past president, has accepted appointment as General Chairman of the September 22-24 Annual Convention in New York City. Also serving to help commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Garden City mail flight will be L. Bart Gatchell, Vice-Chairman, assisted by Harold J. Frankel, President of the Metropolitan Airmail Cover Club, Chapter #81, AAMS, Sam Goldsticker, William Alley, past president AAMS, Stuart Malkin, all of New York City. Additional assignments will be made from MACC members by President Frankel to assist in convention arrangements. Out of town Convention Committee members to date include George Lee of New Jersey, John Smith, George W. Angers, Joseph Eisendrath, Dr. James Matejka Jr., Mrs. Florence Kleinert, Arthur Schmidt, Grace Conrath, Louise Hoffman, and Richard Singley. Convention Hotel w.ill be The Lexington, 47th and Lexington, Aves., New York City. Advance registrations should be made at once and mention you are attending the American Air Mail Society Convention, September 22-~4, 1961. AAMS Members who plan to be in attt;:ndance can help the committee do a better job of planning if you will advise President Robert W. ·Murch, 9560 Litzinger Rd., St. Louis 24, Mo. IF YOU PLAN ON BEING PRESENT at the Convention. The Committee is hoping for a banner turn-out and the 50th Anniversary Com memoration on Sept. 23rd should have many interesting and philatelic innovations for those who sign up for the Garden City Trip and Banquet. COMPLETE hour by hour events and schedules of convention activities will be published in the September issue of the AIRPOST JOURNAL. Make your plans and reservations now for New York City, September 22-24th weekend.
Proposed Convention Schedule • AMERICAN AIR MAIL SOCIETY CONVENTION, SEPT. 22-24, 1961 LEXINGTON HOTEL, NEW YORK CITY In Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Fusi Air Mail Flight, Garden City, Long Island, to Mineola Inaugurated September 23rd, 1911 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1961 ll:OO .. A.M. Hospitality Suite Opens for AAMS Convention Registration at Hotel Lex ington, 47th and Lexington Aves., New York City AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 335 12:15 Noon Informal Dutch Treat Luncheon for Registrants
1:30 P.M. AAMS Convention Business Session and Introduction of Visitors and Regis trants. Meeting Room, Hotel Lexington. Proposed Visit to Institute of Aeronautical Sciences, Optional Sightseeing, Visitors Can Visit United Nations Post Offce, etc.
8:30 P.M. Convention Reception, Auction of Airpost Material, and Jamboree Refreshments Available. New England Room, Hotel Lexington.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMB,ER 23, 1961 9:30 A.M. Air Conditioned Buses Leave Hotel Lexington for trip to Garden City, Long Island, Site of 1911 Pioneer Air Mail Flight, with en route stops at Historical Aviation Sites.
11:00 .. A.M. Dispatch of 50th Anniversary Souvenir Mail from Garden City Post Office. (It is hoped mail will be dispatched via Special Helicopter Flight, Garden City to Mineola, recreating 1921 Route.)
12:00 Noon 50th Anniversary Luncheon at Garden City Hotel for Conventioneers and Guests. Special Philatelic Luncheon Folder for 50th Anniversary.
2:00 P.M. Continue Bus Tour to Idlewild International Airport. Visit Air Mail Field Post Office, Pan-American Airways Historical Exhibit, etc. Return to Lexington Hotel about 5:00 P.M. 7:00 P.M. Reception and Cocktail Party, Empire Room, Hotel Lexington. 8:00 P.M. 50th Anniversary Banquet, American Air Mail Society. Installation of Newly Elected Officers headed by Dr. James J. Matejka, President, 1961-63. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24. 1961 Sightseeing. Officers' and Advisory Board Meeting. Adjournment. PAGE 336 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL The Navy Carries the Airmail By Rear-Admiral Jesse G. Johnson, U.S.N. (retired) NE article in one issue of the Airpost Journal i just not enough space to tell about fifty years of Naval Aviation and its connection >vith getting the 0 Airmail ervice started. That is what your editor asked me to do. I changed his request to get a slant on it about which we could possibly say a few things. If you want the whole history of Naval Aviation for bhe past fifty y:ears send Uncle Sam's Printing Office $2.50 and get one of the nicest books on this sub ject. It is an official government document loaded with pictures and an honest ver ion of how some of us flew in the flying branch of your Navy. Being a "Middler" myself (a naval aviator who came to be one after the pion eering days) I finished my 23 years of flying just before the jets began to make their debut. This story will be from the best information I have available and some of it comes from the lips of our earliest fliers. Your Editor says I had better start with the NC-4 flight. There was a letter carried on the NC-4 to the Azores and Europe but my former boss who has it now says it is in a trunk in his motlher's attic and he will get it out for me some day so we can have a photograph of it made for the Airpost Journal.
NC-3 with Damaged Wing Being Towed into Azores Commander Albert C. Read was Skipper of that flight. He is now Admiral Read. I just recently saw him at the fiftieth anniversary of Naval Aviation in Pen sacola; he plays golf every day and is a very generous person and sympathic to collectors. One of .his pilots toured the country after their famous flight. There AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 33!7 are many covers from the tour and there are many of his autogaphs sold at auction. His name, of course, is Walter Hinton. My favorite character in that flight was "Smoky" Rhodes, one of the great plane captains of our Navy. He would be called a flight engineer now. I have been shipmates witih him twice. When he was my plane captain he would get out on the wing when I would slo~ one Liberty engine down and hit that stuck valve with a hammer every time it was supposed to work while I was flying the other engine. I could see how he could keep Commander Read's engines mating in that famous NC-4 flight. My NC-4 cover was flown up the Mississippi River in the plane. I bought it at the American Airmail Society Convention in Cincinnati in 1938 and asked Admiral Read to sign it for me later. Please understand that while I learned to fly in 1924, it was not until 1935 that I began collecting Navy and Trans-Ocean Flight Covers. That makes me in the business of ferreting out earlier examples of mail which I wanted for my collection just like any other collector and I must say it is a grand and glorious feeling when you find something which fits right in with the material you are trying to collect. Another thing I would like to point out is that the Navy stuck to seaplanes, either on floats or with a hull to hold on to the old tradition· of using a boat or a ship at sea. By the same token the Army Air .Jf orce stuck to airplanes with wheels, although I have seen covers from the Philippines which mentioned that they were U.S. Army Seaplane flights. For a long time we were handicapped by the extra load needed to carry round our flotation gear for possible forced landing at sea. It was a good hull which Commander John Rodgers and his crew had under them- when he had ta land off Hawaii and it kept him and ihis great crew afloat for seven long days until they were sighted by a Navy Submarine operating in their area. The PN-9 was a great plane in its day. It broke many records and was the basis for further advanced designs for many years since. · Mail? They carried two covers I know about. One of them is illustrated here. Fr"ed Kessler described it as the greatest of all Trans-Ocean flight covers when it was sold by, him some years ago. The Pilot of PN-9 #2, Lieut. Allan Snody, was not as lucky as Commander Rodgers. He only got 200 miles west of our Pacific Coast when he had a forced landing. He must have had a bushel of covers with him in that flight. At least
PAGE. 338 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL this was a great attempt to span the longest landless leg of a trans-Pacific flight, which now is made in hours.
Adm. Lynn 0. McCormick, NATO Supreme Commander, receiving A.A.M.S. - U.N. souvenir album from first U.N. Postal Chief. Geo. W Angers (left) and Adm. Jesse G. Johnson (far right) in background Before the time of Commander Rodgers' flight, the Navy had what I feel was th first regular flight schedule between two cities. This was from Norfolk, Va., to Washington, D. C. and return. The line ran from 1918 to 1920. Examples of the kind of mail carried are in existence; I had a hard time finding one of them. Out in San Diego, California, the Navy cooperated with the early Army fliers at Rockwell Field. You will remember that the Army's ·Round-the-World Flight started from there. I was sorry to see the Army pull out of that Area when both they and the Navy required more room for their fields. Rockwell was the home of the earliest flying schools, operated by no other than the very famous early aviator, Glenn Curtiss. Later we made mass flights from there to Hawaii and now it is common just to go to Hawaii for any official r~ason necessary. Down on the Florida East Coast several of our older fliers went into the lucra tive bootlegging flying business with flights to the Bahamas. I do not say our pilots were mixed up in it while on active duty in the Navy but if you will look in the American Air Mail Catalogue in the Trans-Ocean section where most of the Navy flights are listed you will see #1001, January 10, 1919 ~assau to Miami when Lieut. CUIIl1l)ings gave Air Service between these two cities. Then you will see that the Navy flew from Key West to Havana, November 1, 1920. This ninety miles across the g_ulf stream was in the early days no place _for daring aviators to traverse. Witli all the tradition of the Spanish Main behind it and the bodgey of these shark- AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 339 infested waters it wa a long tfrne before this ninety miles became popular; now it is stopped by Mr. Castro. Over on the we t coast of Florida we have our main air tation at Pensacola for training budding naval aviators to fly. I remember when one class which had finished Hs ground training at Massachusetts Institute of Technology came to Norfolk for training early in 1918. They were sent on to Pensacola because our landing area in Hampton Road was frozen over with solid ice. In those earliest days of Naval Aviation (plea e excuse my repeating this phrase so many times) our fliers were taught by either the W right Brothers school or the Glenn Curtiss school which I have mentio .. ed previou ly. Then it wa hard for the Navy to think about anything else but battleships, cruisers, submarines and de troyers. In spite of this our older admirals aw the advantage of airplanes not only for scouting, but mostly for pot ting gunfire of our "invincible" battleships. I started you off on the Trans-Ocean Navy flight covers, and mentioned to look them up in the AAMS Catalogue. I append a short list of them which I have not mentioned in this article. Each flight has a story all its own and very worth while, too. Someday your president, Robert Murch, and I hope some air mail collector member from the U.S. Air Force will make a check li t of U.S. military flight covers. There were a few other types of Navy airmail delivery. One I knew well from my younger days was delivery of Fleet Mail when away from the home base. This could either be started by catapult or by just an ordinary flight from the parent ship. This _was the type of ship--to-shore and shore-to-ship airmail which we avj_a tors were happy to carry out because we, too, might receive some of the mail from home. Another and much scarcer Navy airmail was the ship-to-ship by airplane. My only copy of this was obtained when I was serving on the old U.S.S. Ranger
Early naval aviators: W. Richardson, photographer, and pilot, ·E F. Johnson. m AH-1 4 type ·airplane (official U.S. Navy photograph). ~AGE 340 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL en route to Peru in company with the old U.S.S. Saratoga. We were off the west coast of Mexico when word was passed that mail for the States would be flown to the Saratoga in five minutes. That was much too short a time to send any special mail. We had been at sea some time and I had written letters to three different addressees. In the very next mail I prepared letters to these addressees, asking them to send the envelope back to me. They did and as a result I have a nice example of this type of mail delivery. · On the same trip while off Peru, we had what I believe to be the first mass flight from sea-to-shore by airplanes of the United States to a location on another continent. This was from the Ranger to the Sima tampa Airport. We had mail on this flight. We also covered our Jupiter Rex (as distinguished from Neptunis Rex when Pollywogs first cross the equator by ship) flights across the Equator. Another type of U.S. Navy mail delivery is parachute drop mail, which you will find all over the lot. I am sure there are many Navy balloon flights where mail was delivered by parachute. We have the famous mail dropped over El Paso, Texas, by the great Dirigible, U.S.S. Shenandoah, and the two covers dropped from the U.S.S. Los Angeles over Orlando, Florida. These two were recently sold in the Harry Truby collection by Irwin Heiman. There was the flight where I dropped mail to Edmonds, Washington from across Puget Sound at Bremerton. If you were present at the American Air Mail Society Convention in Norfolk in 1954 you prob ably have one which was dropped for us at the NATO Headquarters there, even if it did land on the roof of the chapel. Jets and rocket airmail you will have to look up yourself because I have not collected then{ seriously. I must say, though, that the Navy has done its share and our sister service, the United States Air Force, has many record mail-carrying flights to its credit. The Navy's latest delivery was one of its now famous naval aviators, Commander Allan B. Shepard, to some few hundred miles off shore from Cape Canaveral at a record speed. I bet our Navy mail clerk forgot to cancel that letter! We were certainly lucky to have this happen to us during our first semi-century Hying of carrying the air mail for utility and for collectors.
U. S. Navy Trans-Oc;:ean Flights AAMS Cat. No. 1032 Aug. 1, 1925-MacMillan Arctic Expedition. U.S. Navy Polar Expedition - Commander Byrd and company. 1039 May 9, 1926-Byrd North Pole Flight - Floyd Bennett and company. 1044 November 23, 1926-Hampton Roads to Canal Zone, Comdr. H. T. Bartlett. ll89 October 5, 1933-U.S. Naval Flight Canal Zone to Alameda, Calif. 1200 January 10, 1934-First U.S. Navy Squadron Flight San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by Patrol Squadron Ten. 1209 May 25, 1934-Naval Survey Flight over Pacific Ocean, Lt. Jack Whitney, Pilot from U.S.S. San Francisco Hilo, Hawaii to Pearl Harbor. 1212 July 21, 1934-Mail delivered from U.S.S. Macon at sea to President Franklin D. Roosevelt aboard the U.S.S. Houston by autogyro. 1213 July 28, 1934-Mass Navy Flight San Francisco to Alaska and return. 1228 March 8. 1935-First Flight, Wake Island by yours truly, then Lt, Johnson. 1234 May 9-24, 1935-Navy Massed Flight Hawaii to' Midway and return. 1244 November l, 1935-Experimental Survey Flight Palmyra Island to Kingman Reef by Chief Aviation Pilot Jack Wilson. AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 341 1245 November 9, 1935-Navy Massed Flight HawaH to Johnston Islands via French Frigate Shoals and return. 1256 F ebruary 6, 1936-Coco Solo, Canal Zone to Gailapagos I lands and return. 1258 April 10, 1936-West Hawaii Survey Flight, Lieut. Charles Lee. 1270 October 30, 1936-First Air Mail French Frigate Shoals to Alameda (via Honolulu to Alameda by Pan American Airway). 1271 November l , 1936-Johnston Island to Pearl Harbor, Commander Fred. Boone. 1276 January 28, 1937-San Diego to Pearl Harbor, Patrol Squadron Six. 1300 March 1, 1938-Navy Search Flight for Lt. Chas. Signer. 1311 August 31 , 1938-Attempted non-stop Mass Flight San Diego, California lo Coco Solo, Canal Zone-delayed in Gulf of Fonseca. 1321 May 17, 1938-Ship-to-Shore via U.S .S. Ranger Squadrons from off Barnegat, New Jersey to Norfolk, Virginia.
The New 11-Cent Aerogramme The stamp on the recent 11-cent United States Aerogramme (air letter sheet), released June 16, .1961, at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was designed by Fran~ J. Crawford, Jr., of the Graphics Section of the Post Office Deparment. Featured in the design .of the stamp portion is the silhouette of a jet plane, flying to the right. The tail of the plane is superimposed on a globe, and the value " Ile" appears in the lower left corner. In the upper portion is "U S POSTAGE," and at the lower right "AIR MAIL." Printing is in red and blue on bluish colored paper. Alternate red and blue parallelograms appear around the edges of the face portion of the aerogramme, with "AEROGRAMME - PAR AVION" in red at the bottom of the address side. THE AIRPOST1 JOURNAL 50 Years In the Navy Hydrographic Office of Aviation May 8, 1961 commemorates the 50th boards and contained information on con birthdate of Naval Aviation. It was on ditions relating to air navigation. May 8, 1911 that the United States Navy During 1920 the Hydrographic Office purchased its first airplane. Because of began the collection of available material the many subsequent significant events relating to airports, seaplane anchorages which occurred during that year, the and maps and charts of aviation interest. Secretary of the Navy designated the This collection was the start of the pres entire year of 1961 as the commemora ent day comprehensive archives which tive period for celebrating the golden consists of information on airports, sea anniversary of the Navy's wings. plane anchorages, electronic aids to air The first Navy bird was a two-place navigation, airspace restrictions in areas biplane called the TRIAD. It proudly of interest to the Navy. Aeronautical carried a 50-horsepower pusher, water charts and publications published by cooled engine. It had side by side con foreign sources are also collected and trols and was used as a trainer. The maintained current. TRIAD was fitted for rising from or In 1925 the Hydrographic Office, alighting on land or water. It had a ca with the cooperation of the Lighthouse pacity for one passenger seated along Service, laid out the world's first marked side the pilot with double controls so seaplane airway between Washington, that ei1'her the pilot or the passenger D. C. and Norfolk, Virginia. The roofs could operate the machine. of the lighthouses were painted with dis Flights during the early years of avia tinguishing markers for the guidance· of tion were mainly of a local nature; there aircraft. The first strip-chart covering fore, there was very little demand or re t
NEW LAVA PRICE LIST Airlines, and KLM Royal Dutch Air W e have received a copy of Lava's lines. Ernest A. Kehr, chairman of the latest price list for Aerogrammes of the International Letter Writing Week Com World. This list, which is the 14th so mittee, served as editor of the souvenir issued, contains over 1000 different program, printed by KLM. aero grammes. The program \Vas held in front Ifs available to readers if you send of the International Arrivals Terminal a self-addressed legal-sized envelope with and Fountains of Liberty at Idlewild or Be postage. write to: Lava, Box 186, New 1 in the palm-decorated lobby of the Ter- New York 59, N. Y. 1 AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 345 TIPS BY JULIUS By JULIUS WEISS 502 E. 185th St., Cleveland 19, Ohio - The Staff of the High Commissioner • news of such service. for Refuge~s (U.N.) has created a set of Dill's service takes in polar flights, cards showmg some of the World Refu- first days of airmails (various countries) gee issues in original colors. There are and ship cancels, as well as special can four cards to a set, one each for Africa, eels. America, Asia and Europe, and many of Officials of Northwest Orient Airlines the airmails are shown on the cards. Braniff International Airways and North~ Readers interested in obtaining the east Airlines revealed plans recently for material may send us a stamped address- an ultra-modern passenger terminal at ed envelope and details will be sent. We Idlewild International Airport, New are in contact with the office of the High York. Three acres under one roof will be Commissioner for Refugees and are try- a radical departure from the floor plan ing to get some of the cards posted air- of many present-day passenger teminals. mail directly from some of the Refugee It is scheduled for completion in Spring, camps of the world. Many readers have 1962. asked us where and how to obtain such Nicaragua issued some fine airs ( 12 material and this may be a chance. Keep stamps) to commemorate the Thirteenth watching this column for further data. Regional Congress of the Junior Cham- Member Joachim Dill has started the her of Nicaragua and the International long-needed "Dill Reports the Recent Junior Chamber. These stamps are News". He covers most of the Euro- about the most artistic we have seen pean advance flights through his service from this country. The detail is clear, and his news letters come complete with the art is fine and the colors are full of stickers for various flights. The flight life-a must for the airmail collector. The cover collector merely places sticker on high value has but 50,000 copies (the envelope, plus his return address, and $5.00) · pronto, a gem is in the making. Speaking to dealers, we find quite an Joachim covered the Malev ( Hungar- upsurge in the airs of 'Latin America. ian Air Lines) flights into London and Brazil, Nicaragua and. Paraguay are on Turkey in April. These are difficult to the move as well as Colombia and Ar obtain, but thanks to this service we gentina. know of many American collectors who A cover posted May 13 at Luposta obtained this material. The cost of the (show in Austria) reached us in fine service is economical and details may be shape with a special cancel reading "In obtained by writing Joachim Dill, ( 13A) ternationale Flugpost Ausstellung". One Bad Neustadt/Fraenk. Saale, Martin Lu- of our readers in Austria may be able to ther Strasse 28, West Germany. Please supply those who may have missed this mention this column. one. A stamped, self addressed envelope will bring the further details. Many readers ask us where certain items may be obtained and this system Between May 26 and June 11 at a fair of Dill's seems to be the answer. The in Helsinki, Finland a special cancel was weekly and monthly philatelic press is used-picture of Uncle Sam's hat reading frequently far too slow. Dill does not plan "Helsinki - Helsingfors". to cut into the service of the philatelic There have been some fine stamps re magazines, but sends out advance news cently issued by British Colonies. Quite tips by air. a number of these stamps represent the We hope soon to tell about an Asian airmail to and from various parts of the service of a similar nature. Readers who globe. In many instances, a BOAC mod wish to take part by reporting news in ern aircraft is pictured. We have won their part of the world should contact dered for years why rro airmails have us. We shall be glad to make known come from Great Britain. A new form PAGE 346 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL of topicals can be started in the form of Bill began to collect airport dedi aircraft on stamps, the latest being two cations in 1930 and has collected them gems from Grenada. One has a face of since. He says, "It keeps me alive. When Be and the other 25c. I go home from a hard day at the plant and have a mess of butterflies, nothing gets me into shape better then a few hours with my dedication mail." Bill does much to aid that field. Each time he sees a new member listed as a " Regardless of whether you are buying or For more than a quarter of a century we selling, you will likely find The Depart have held monthly Mail Auction Sales ment Store of Philately able and willing whereby fine and unusual philatelic ma terial is sold by mail to collectors and to help you. dealers in all parts of the world. If you Your inquiries coupled with your A.A.M.S. receive our catalogs, he sure to send your membership number will be welcomed. bid sheet in the current auction. If you do not receive these catalogs monthly, ask A large and varied stock of stamps, seals for the current one! and covers will he found as close to you as your mailbox. A complete line of albums, These auctions contain almost anything catalogs and supplements is maintained in philatelic, ranging from rarities to entire the Elbe, Scott, Minkus and White Ace collections and accumulations. Every sale features a special section on COVERS, line. You may send your orders for Cover Special of the Month usually running into several hundred sep prompt attention: all orders of $2.00 or 1923 Airmail Flight Cla.ssic arate lots. This may he a grand oppor more sent Postfree anywhere in The U.S.A. Here is AAMS #168 U.S. Gov ernmental Flight of Oct. 3, 1924 tunity for you, whether you are buying or Interesting covers are always available on using Be green U.S. Airmail selling! approval. As you know, you can't buy Scott C-4, postmarked Dayton, covers from a price list! You'll find un Ohio and flo1. to Cleveland, There is always plenty of action in a Long listing $15.00 n.. With 4 addi usual and even unique covers in Long's tional ·cachets, , this is a real Sale! All bidding is done via mail and if stock, available to you on approval on classic cover f r dressing up you're interested, we will be glad to hear your collection. Net $7 .50. request. Write today! from you! Life Member: 22 NOR'JfllB 2NBD S'Iro9 AAMS APS IELMIER Ro LO~G HHA\RRHSimIDRG9 IPA\o SPA PAGE 348 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 349 Collecting Air Mail Covers Of Eeuador~s First Flights By Dr. Roberto Levi-Castillo (ROLECAS) • EDITOR'S NOTE-This interesting series of ar ticles on Air Mails of Ecuador i-s written by Dr. Roberto Levi-Castillo, himself a most interesting personality. He has flown extensively over South America in all the various types of planes in use in the period since 1928 when he first flew. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Medical Corps of Ecuador and learned to fly at the Ecuador Air Force School in 1938. He recefoed his doctor(JJte in Chemistry and Technology at the University of Guayaquil in 1951. His collegiate career was interrupted for two years because of war service in World War II. He re ceived his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1958 Dr. Roberto Levi-Castillo and is currently head of the Zoology Depmtment at the University. He is co-owner and technical director of the l,argest chemical and pharma ceutical industry in Ecuador. He is weU known in the stamp world, being phil,atelic editor of El Telegrafo, Ecuador's oldest paper and part-owner of the same, He has exhibited at various intemaftional conventions and has received many a.wards. He has recently become a member of the A.A.M.S. The airpost story of Ecuador is quite out of proportion to 'its geographical size and a specialized collection, therefore, represents a bird's eye view of the history of heavier-than-air flight. It should comprise of official and semiofficial air stamps, pioneer cards and air mails, both civilian and military, national and foreign, re presentative of almost every Ecuadorian air mail achievement. This very short series of articles will not attempt to describe and list every stamp and cover that finds its place in such a collection; its scope is to familiarize the reader with the history of the air mails in the territory of Ecuador. Most readers will know that a cover comprises the air mail envelope and also the stamps of the period in which they were used, obliterated by a cachet or post mark giving date, details and locality from which the flight was initiated and its destination. A cachet. is located on the cover, giving details as to the flight and its destination, date on wh ich effected, type of machine, name of pilot (if possible) or object of the flight, name of the airline and if it was a raid, the name of the in dividual pilot and of the airplane. A very interesting detail often is the receipt cachet or postmark from the locality or city to wh:ch the cover was sent. Sometimes it reached its destination; often the persons abroad receiving a bundle of cover to have them postmarked and returned to Ecuador, just sent them back, without bothering to have them post marked in their own local post office. All covers had to be duly postmarked and no post office in Ecuador will postmark a cover, unless it is sent to its destination, in accord with the Postal Laws of Ecuador and of the Conventions of the Universal PAGE 350 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL Postal Union. It is interesting to notice that covers in Ecuador, once mailed, were always sent on to their destination: so all air covers that have genuine postal postmarks are beyond any doubt of genuine origin. It must be understood that the3e notes are _concerned only with first flight covers. The true aerophilatelist is a distinctive type of collector. He is more interested in the history and develop:nent of the flying mail than in "official" air stamps. The true aerophilatelist includes air stamps as a means to reveal some of the postal aspects, especially when their story or design is closely identified with an event or phase of aviation. The flown cover is an actual flight "experience", a real document of flight. Often the cover itself is the best way to describe the history of a flight. In Ecuador there is an abundance of rare material of flown covers, as special covers were prepared by a limited number of collectors and sometimes by now-extinct air mail societies. Some were flown in early flights; A great deal of su,ch material has been lost forever. The philatelic attraction of a collection of first flight covers of Ecuador may be developed to show such interesting facts as: ( 1 ) The air mail rates on the ·different routes of the succesive airlines that flew over and through Ecuadorian territory (as revealed by the denominations of the air stamps used and varieties foµnd, or ( 2) Increases or decreases in rate (often represented by a provisional surcharge) ·or the special postmark or cachet associated with the issue of a commemorative set of stamps. The air qovers of Ecuador can be divided into the following periods: (A) Pioneer Flights ( 1913 to 1928) ( B) "Sociedad Colombo Alemana de Transportes Aereos" ( S.C.A.D.T.A. covers) from 1928 to 1930. (C) "Poo American Grace Airways Inc." covers from 1929 to date (D) Military flights from 1922 up to date ( E) Civilian individual raids. ( F) "Sociedad Ecuadoriana de Transportes Aereos" ( SEDTA) flight covers from 1937 to 1941. ( G) Domestic Airlines from 1945 to date ( H) Foreign Airlines from Ecuador to other countries 1945 to date. (I) Jet Covers. In this article and those that follow, I base my descriptions of materials from my collection of flown air covers of Ecuador which I believe to be the best in ·existence here and abroad. It comprises the air mail history of Ecuador only. My grandfather Don Jose Abel Castillo y Albornoz, was the pioneer of Ecuador aviation as well as Ecuador aerophilately. He loved flown cards and covers and received most unusual flown covers as gifts from all sources. He placed them in his collection, only after he verified the authenticity. I inherited all his material and continued the collection, placing only the genuine covers with genuine postmarks, from the genuine sources of supply. I have written up my collection with facts taken from the original flight records and I have placed one cover on each page with the description and map route of the flight, no essential facts omitted as to the history of the flight or service. It is a true "precis" of all the details to be found on the cover such as the postmarks. cachets, stamps etc. giving careful consideration to the exact dates of the first flights. A collection of air stamps accompanies the cover collection to show the stamps in use at the time, but there is no substitute for the .true history of a flight as evidenced by a first flight cover. A true aerophilatelist must have as complete AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 351 coverage of all the known covers carried in the different first flights as possible. I include all covers showing different starting-point cities, different types of cachets for the same flight, or different colored cachets or postmarks used in the same flight. One frequently finds in a first flight cover, not only normal stamp issues, but unusual types, varieties, errors and rarities. In Ecuadorian first flight covers, this is not unusual, so that it happens on one cover there might be a set of stamps and on another of the same date, but another issue. There are certain stamps like the "Hospital Mendez" charity issue, that are true semi-postal issues and therefore not usually listed in air mail catalogues. These are very rarely seen on cover or used, because they were sold mostly to obtain funds for the building of the Hospital in Mendez, on the Amazon basin of Ecuador. A very limited quantity was issued to finance just the exact amount needed for the building. Therefore to find the air cover with the air set of this semi-postal issue, genuinely postmarked is a tme thrill and worth the price paid. There are many rare and elusive covers, which makes for the possibility of finding .forgeries of SCADTA covers made in Colombia, many years after the company left Ecuador. The fake covers can easily be detected by comparison with genuine material, because the color of the faded inks and the actual printing of the surcharge PROVISIONALES is "Sui generis." With the aid of a microscope or a very high-powered glass it is possible to see the details and de termine the nature of the cover. Many forged SCADTA covers from Ecuador have been marketed in the United States to people unfamiliar with known quantities of the surcharged stamps of SCADTA in Ecuador. Conterfeit covers are too numerous! It is much easier to complete a stamp collection of air stamps of Ecuador than to complete a First Flight Air Mail Cover Collection. This is because in the past no importance was given to actual flown covers. A .few collectors prepare their own covers in advance, and on the inaugural date only their covers were flown and immediately placed in their own collections. Very little material was sent abroad. To fill up empty spaces in a first flight cover collection 6f Ecuador is a task that is really depressing and disheartening as those who start late are unable to find the material which is in the hands of a few local collectors who only release their treasures at death, or after selling them at real high figures. Some material can be obtained once in a while at auctions at unbelievably high prices, because of the scarce supply and high demand. I was lucky to inherit my grandfather's covers and his friends, so I was able to continue his collection and maintain it. It is truly a pleasure to have rare material and unusual covers of historical first flights. Many of them never come on the market and therefore it is a thrill to find an elusive cover, or set of covers, in some auctions or offered abroad. A true air mail collection should stress the importance of the number of air covers and the variety of types, postmarks and cachets, rather than the number of error stamps and "official" or semi-official stamps. Sometimes they are plain for geries sold at high prices by dealers who ignore the origins of the most spurious issues of Ecuador. It is interesting to learn of the existence of persons who are "Experts" on Ecuadorian air mail material, yet who are unfamiliar with the circumstances under which such a material was issued.There is NOT a single issue that has not been issued by an Executive, Legislaitive or Ministerial Decree. All Decrees are located in the "Registro Oficial" (Official Government Gazette) and any issue not duly re corded there, is not legal, nor was ever legally used to carry the air mails in Ecuador. PAGE 352 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL All flights in Ecuador since 1913 have been recorded by the Ecuadorian press. The best way to find out whether a date is correct for a particular flight, is to go to a public library and ask for the collection of "EL TELEGRAFO," the oldest and largest daily in Ecuador, continuously published since 1884. One finds there photo graphs and all details on the special raids and flights effected in Ecuador, because its founder, Don Jose Abel Castillo Y Albornoz, was very careful to record them, as to all special .flights he was a witness and many times the sponsor. South America saw a great variety of flights. Probably the most interesting and rare were the ones within Ecuador. Here was begun the first INTERNATIONAL air mail between two countries in Latin America, the flight between Tulcan ( Ecua dor) and Pasto (Colombia), made by my grandfather'.s airplane "TELEGRAFO I". on March 6th, 1921. The true history of the conquest of space by heavier-than-air aircraft in Ecuador is recorded in air covers; so any air mail collection of Ecuador without them is in complete. The history of aviation in Ecuador is colorful, full of stoicism and bravery, sacrifice, blood, sweat and tears, all recorded in air covers that have in the cachets notes of glory and of mourning, such as the case of the "crash covers" saved from aviation accidents and duly cacheted and sent to their destination. The era of the Jet is beginning in Ecuador. A Boeing "707" Intercontinental of "Air France", started the modern era in Quito, on June 24th, 1960. A year later PANAGRA made the first trial flight into the new jet airfield of Guayaqulil, and once more the city of Guayaquil became the main airport of the jets of all the air lines serving tlie western coast of South America. The feats of the past and of the present and future are recorded in air co vers. There is no substitute for a good collection of flown air covers, with the true flavor of sacrifice and history pertaining to Ecuador. No good air mail collection can be complete without them. THE PHILATELIC STORY OF FLIGHT by Frank R. Gracey Number 29 left Men were beginning to work toward the idea of a practical flying machine. Several men devised unsuccessful flying machines, one of which was kept aloft by a balloon attached to it. In 1811, Thomas Walker of Hull, England, designed a · flying machine with a sail. But this refused to fly. Number 30 right Other men were working along the lines of the dirigible. One of these was Leppig, who constructed a long balloon, from which hung a fin propellor, worked by hand by means of complicated ropes. This was not a practical apparatus, but it was another step toward the eventual perfection of it. AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 353 Balloon Post Of The Siege Of Paris, 1870-71 By LOUIS A. CHAINTRIER Translated by DR. EVERETT E. THOMPSON and GEORGE W. ANGERS Chapter 31 - Ville d' Orleans The 28th postal balloon was sponsored • length, because of the very exceptional by the Administration of Telegraphs. (It interest that it presents through the pre was so named in commemoration of the cision of its details and the accompany part played since the beginning of Octa- ing impression that it gives of this per ber 1870 by the City of Orleans, chief iod of the life of that time. town of the Department of Loiret, which "Bordeaux, December 24, 1870. My was taken by General Von Wittich on Commandant: On November 16th last October 11, 1870, then reconquered by you placed in the service of the Govern the French under the command of Gen- ment of the National Defense eight men eral d' Aurelle de Paladines at the end of the Corps and on the 18th two of our of the battle of Coulmiers (November 9, comrades ( Bionbar and Chapouil) de- 1870) but lost again during the night of parted by balloon with the task of report December 4-5 after the action at Loig- ing the news of the outskirts of Paris, ny). crossing the Prussian lines at great risk. It contained 2300 cubic meters and You have done me the honor of allowing was piloted by Paul Rolier, a civil engin- me to be Number 3 and on November eer who had offered his services to the 24 you informed me that I was to be Government as a volunteer aeronaut.. prepared to leave that same evening. The passenger was Leonard Bezier, a The departure took place from the volunteer from the Department of the Nord station at 11:40 p.m. in the bal Seine and bearer of important instruc- loon called City of Orleans, containing tions from General Trochu to be deliv- 2300 cubic meters and piloted by Paul ered to the members of the Delegation of Rolier, a civil engineer. I carried some Tours. On December 27, 1870 he left provisions that if absolutely necessary Bordeaux as the bearer of dispatches for could last 24 hours and dispatches of the the Government of the National Defense government, in addition to a cage con at Paris-but he was unable to complete taining 6 pigeons with which I immedi his mission. ately became friendly; also about 250 ki- The postal consignment comprised: lograms ( 552 pounds) of private dis ( 1) four sacks of private correspondence patches and 10 sacks of ballast. weighing 230 kilograms ( 508 pounds): Midnight: We le.."t with a moderate ( 2) a basket containing 6 pigeons, three south-southeast breeze, consequently fly of which belonged to Deshayes and three ing to the north-northwest, that is to to Vauris. These two pigeon fanciers say about in the direction of Saint Val lived on Rue du Vert Bois in Paris. ery sur Somme. The balloon, that had The departure took place from the risen rapidly to a height of 800 meters Nord station on Thursday, November 24, ( 2600 ft.), commenced to descend, and 1870, in a night without a moon and we were forced to sacrifice about two wit,h a light south and southeast wind, and a half sacks of sand to get up to at 11 :40 p.m. The adventures, fantastic 1000 ( 3280 ft.) or 1200 meters, a height for the time of this flight, were related at which we were safe from bullets since in the report that Leonard Bezier made some shots· were unsuccesfully fired at to his commander, Pierre .Deschamps us. (who 24 days later was to leave Paris 12:30 a.m.: We reached 1400 meters wi!!1 the 27th postal balloon, the "Da- ( 4600 ft.); everything is tranquil, a night vy ) . of great calm. Thanks to the enterprise of Gounouil- One a.m.: We were at 2700 meters hou of Bordeaux, to whom this singular ( 8800 ft.) and we maintained this alti~ document was entrusted, the author is tude until daylight. happy to be able to give it here at 2:30 a.m.: Far below us extends a PAGE 354 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL thick mist that for us hides completely chance and had painfully to haul in the any view of the earth, and a noise that cable. I can compare only to that of a moving 11:45 a.m.: A large vessel to the east railway train that makes us think we sees us and fires a distress signal. are near a railway line, but this noise 11:55 a.m.: A schooner, the last that persists until the day and troubles us we were to come across in our journey, in fact it concerns us more especially signals us; the sailors are on the deck that we do not hear the whistle of the making signals and maneuvering in order locomotives that usually precedes the to bring aid to us. Holier pulls on the noise of trains at a great distance. rope that connects with the valve; we 6:15 a.m.: Dawn begins to break, the descend swiftly to a few meters above balloon has descended again to a height the level of the sea. But then only do we of about 1400 meters, we get a view of realize the dizzy speed of our flight, for the land to the horizon, and from below the period of about three minutes in the sound of the sea reaches us. which we had descended was enough to The sea for us is death The continu carry us more than eight kilometers ( 5 ous sound that made us think it was a miles) away from the schooner. Then railway line was that of the waves. it was that, perceiving the impossibility 6:30 a.m.: Lost in space, deprived of of being saved by a ship, we decided to every instrument that enables us to de ascend again and as there were no more termine our position and of knowing than about two and a half sacks of sand where we are, and with a wind driving left to us we had to save them for a final us always to the north, we prepare a supreme effort. So we decided to sacri message for France. fice the very heavy sack of private dis 10:30 a.m.: "To the Governor of Par patches, weighing about 60 kilograms ( 130 lbs.), and the balloon ascends to is: We are out' at sea with no shore vis 3700 meters ( 12,136 ft.). ible and without hope of aid. At the mercy of God. Holier-Bezier." We learned later that this precious We wished to entrust this last fare container was recovered by the Norwe well to one of our poor little messengers, gian schooner that followed us in the but the fog was getting thicker every hope of being able to save us. minute, so we gave up this plan and 20 minutes after noon: A very heavy sadly restored our pigeon to its wicker fog envelopes us so that we can scarcely prison. see our balloon, the lowering of the tem 11:30 a.m.: To die fighting in the perature is excessive, and we suffer from midst of the numberless tensions of bat the cold. Our hair, our mustaches, and tle,· of the noise of cannon, of the especially our eyelashes are no more than clankillg of arms, of the wailing of the little icicles; the hoarfrost falls steadily, wounded and cries of triumph and des and I am obliged to give up my coat in pair, suffocated by gunpowder-the feel ordered to cover · and protect my poor ing of the struggle is surely a more pigeons. simple matter than to see a frightful Holier tries to hoist himself on· my death, distant but certain, come slowly shoulders in order to completely close upon you. Always at the same height, the lower part of the balloon, as the many ships pass in view below us but gas was congealing and forming a fine our signals and cries for help are futile; shower of snow that fell ceaselessly on we are neither seen nor heard; or the our .heads; he was successful, but as the great speed of our flight does not allow gas was dilating and mounting with the sailors to come to pur aid. This last force toward the upper part of the bal supposition is the more probable. We loon, Holier fears that an explosion might were then much lower than before and be caused by the closing of the valve. the aeronaut had the idea of letting the 1:00 p.m.: The fog was steadily in guide rope hang at its total length ( 120 creasing and unfortunately for us the meters) with the hope-senseless one! cold seemed to grow more bitter every that a ship passing below us could seize minute, so then with one accord, believ it and stop the balloon; we had no such ing ourselves completely lost, we made AUGUST, 1961 PAGE ·355 the resolution to blow up the balloon. I ONLY TWO PLATES do not pretend, my commander, to jus USED ON 15c AIRS tify this act of despair, that is, of weak ness, but I must give you a true account The 1959 United States 15c air and he did not wish to suffer too long a mail stamp, now to see little use with time. I gave a last thought to my dis- changes in international air mail rates, was printed from only two plates, ac tant fatherland, to my wife, and to my cording to a recent announcement from three little children. The aeronaut made the Post Office Department. Plate 26482, several attempts to light some matches, certified Sept. 30, 1959, received only but our clothes, our shoes, everything 185,983 impressions. The other plate, that he rubbed, was so wet that he could #26483, certified a week later, was used to produce 272,050 impressions. As not light a single match. I regained a there were 200 stamps to each plate, the little assurance and we said to each oth total issue available was 91,606,600 er, 'God does not wish to abandon us'." copies. Airs of the Monlh Described and Illustrated through courtesy of Nicolas Sanabri·a Co•• Inc. 521 Fifth Avenue, New York 17, N. Y. PAGE 356 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL BULGARIA: Belka & Strelka, the Russian space dogs, are shown with rocket (#80) CHILE: Spain to Chile charity set in aid of earthquake victims ( # 287-288) COSTA RICA: #276 of the Industries issue of 1954 has been overprinted and sur charged to mark XV World Baseball Championship ( #344-345) CUBA: Symbolic design marks 15th Anniversary of the United Nations ( #254-255) Small imperf souvenir sheet completes the set ( #256) GUATEMALA: Red Cross set overprinted on #252-255 ( #291-4) LEBANON: 15th Anniversary of United Nations ( #434-6) Imperforate souvenir sheet ( #437) MALI: Tourist set shows views ( #9-11) NICARAGUA: 13th Regional Congress of the Junior Chamber of Commerce ( #619-630) PARAGUAY: 150th Anniversary of Independence ( #341-6) ROMANIA: Set including one imperf value honors Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin ( #167-9) RYUKYU: Provisional overprints on postage set ( #19-23) U.A.R.: Syria - Evacuation Day ( #41) Welfare of the blind ( #42) URUGUAY: Visit of Pres. Gronchi of Italy ( #240-242) VENEZUELA: Additional values to complete the recent Census set ( #925-931) 400th Anniversary of San Cristobal ( #932-3) AIR MAIL ENTIRES envelopes JET FLIGHTS postal cards letter.sheets ARCTIC Finest Stock In the World e THE NEW ISSUE SERVICE PLUS • ANTARCTIC the outstanding specials that characterize this service • TRANS-POLAR ATTRACTIVE PAGES FOR MOUNTING FLIGHTS THE AIRMAIL ENTIRE TRUTH newsletter. Send as many Sc - At Moderate Prices - stamped & addressed No. 10 en velopes for as many ,copies as you ASK FOR A SELECTION TODAY wish to receive. AUTHORIZED AGENT FOR THE WALTER R. GUTHRIE GODINAS CATALOGUE P. 0. BO-X 390 LAVA TUSCON, ARIZONA The Distributor of the Barbados Error A !lox. 186 New York 59 AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 357 Foreign Pioneer Airpost Flights 1909-1914 B. The Air S:ta:tionery for :the Pioneer Airpos:t of :the World 11909-1914) V. The Stationery of :the In:terna:tional Aviation Exhibition (ILA) Frankfurt M. 1909 By Dr. Max Krons:tein Frankfurt on the Main was one of Europe's• and especially Germany's earliest aviation centers with an established airship port in early days. The world-famous first overland flight of the Zeppelin airship-the Model 4-from Lake Constance along the Rhine River ended in Frankfurt and was celebrated in Germany as one of the historical events of the period. On the return flight the airship crashed at Echterdingen on August 5, 1908; this was the start of a great national movement for the further promotion of the airship. This reviewer remembers the flight well, re calling when the airship passed the town in the very early morning hours and he remembers the horrible shock when the news came of the sudden crash en route from Frankfurt to the home base on the Lake of Constance. Frankfrnt organized the first International Aviation Exhibition ILA for the period of July 10 to October 10, 1909. For the occasion a large hall was constructed which is still in use in Frankfurt. An airship port was established, and Graf Zep· pelin, as well as Major von Parseval and other airship constructors, promised the appearance of their dirigibles. For the demonstration of airplanes a "nearly ideal aviation field"-as contemporary reports describe it-was built near the city. It was 1400 yards in length and 800 yards in width. It is interesting to review the aviation industry of that period. There were various exMbition groups covering the industry: 1 ) Balloons, including the making of the balloon fabrics and their impregnations, and the baskets for the aeronaut and the ropes of the balloons; 2) the motor balloon, its propellor, its navigation and gondola; 3) the Military aeronautics, such as free and captive balloons, balloon sheds, filling devices and anchorages, 'guns to be car ried on board, etc.; 4) the signal devices for :balloons, with electric signal devices,~· wireless telegraphy, and carrier-pigeons; 5), the gas fabrication and compression; 6) Aeronautical Science, including books, air photography, cartography, meteorology, astronomy, kite stations, etc.; 7) Fine mechanical and physical devices, optics and photography; 8) Equipment for. the aeronauts, such as cloth, oxygen apparatus, bas ket-lights, flags and parachutes; 9) Aeroplanes and kites; 10) Motors, including parts, special work machinery for motor production, bearings and transmissions; and 11) Subjects of art related to aviation. In order to attract participation the exhibition fees were extremely low, such as $5 per square yard, including insurance, with lower rates for exhibits larger than 10 squa~e yards. All clubs belonging to the Federation of International Aeronautique were exempted of all fees, and no fees were charged for airships and airplanes and their models, which were suspended and did not require any floor space. All ex hibitors and their staff received passes to the exhibition throughout the period of the show. The International Honor Committee included names such as Graf Zeppelin, Captain Amundsen of Stockholm, the great explorer of the Arctic; Comte de la Vaulx, Paris, one of the best known French aeronauts; and F. C. Bishop, ·President of the Aero Club of America. Special airship sheds were built for the Zeppelin airship, the Parseval airship, PAGE 358 THE AIRPOST JOU'.RNAL the Riedinger kite balloon, the Clouth motor balloon and the Dr. Gans-Fabrice-Cal otte balloon, with a special $2500 prize (the "Zeppelin A ward" ) being offered for the smallest airship, making at least five one~hour flights from the Exhibition Grounds. Frankfurt itself was the regular center of German aviation activities, the home of one of the largest German Balloon Clubs ( whose special balloon cards might be discussed at another occasion), the home of Germany's first technical aviation journal, Oskar Ursinus' "Flugsport". It was no surprise when on the opening day, July 10, 1909, the Chairman, Dr. L. Gans, greeted an impressive group. Special attractions were spread over a long period of time, in order to maintain interest. One of the highlights was the three day visit of Graf Zeppelin with his Airship Z II; ·on July 31, August 1 and 2. In these three days about 150,000 persons attended the exhibition and the field and they paid close to $25,000 entrance fees. The great aeronautical events of this particular period played their part in increasing the public interest, as for example on July 25, when Bleriot made his historical first flight across the Channel between France and England. Bleriot himself was one of the pilots scheduled for participation at the ILA Aviation Week la~er during the exhibition. Preliminary airplane flights took place in August and September. They in cluded fli~hts .by the biplane of the French Baron de Caters, the German August Euler and others. The main aviation week was set for October 3-13, to allow the best known aviators to participate within a very heavy international schedule of competitions. Only a few days earlier Berlin had its international aviation week (Sept. 26 - Oct. 3) with men like Latham (who had failed in July in his attempt to cross the Channel), Farman and Rougier participating. Bleriot and DeCaters· were present, but suffered motor defects, propellor breaks and the other troubles "fashionable" in these days. The Chilean, Emilio Edwards, crashed on that occa sion, but was saved, To give an historical view on the actual status of the aviation in that period, it might be helpful to review the prizes offered at the ILA week and their winners. Two prizes for the Longest Total Flight Time, offered by the city of Frankfurt, were won by the Frenchman De Caters ( $10,000) and Bleriot ( $2,500), with the French Latham, the Danish aviator Nervo and the German Euler also participating. The "Dr. Gans-Fabrice" prize for at least one 10 minute flight and the most additional flights of at least 5 minutes each, was won by De Caters ( $2,500). The prizes for the most flights of at least 30 seconds each (the "von Goldschmidt-Rothschild Awards") were won by the French De Caters ($1,250), the German Euler ($500) and the Danish aviator Nervo ( $250). Two prizes for the best high altitude flights were offered by Krupp von Bohlen-Halpach and were won by Bleriot ( $2,500) and De Caters ( $1,250). Prizes were offered for the fastest flight over a 200 yards straight route (De Caters, $1,250 and Euler, $250) and for the slowest flight on such a route ( Nervo, $750, and De Caters $250). There were also daily prizes for the greatest speeds and distances. Here the French Rougier also was among the winners. Total winnings of De Caters was $12,000 and Bleriot $6,000. Other airplanes and models, such as Carl Jatho's Model IV plane and a model of a "six plane" Pega-Plane, were shown ;rt the exhibition. These did not fly. AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 359 Germany's be t known airmail pilot of 1912, Hans Grade, did not participate, as he was competing for one of the year's most difficult competitions, the $10,000 "Lanz Prize" which he won on October 30 at Berlin-Johanni thal for a flight of an "all German parts" airplane over a figure eight shaped route covering a length of 2.5 kilometers. For the great ILA show and all its historical events the German Postal Admin istration released the fast official pecia] cancellation for a German aviation event other than the special cancellation at the International Balloon Competition at BerUn Schmargendorf, October 10-11, 1908). This cancellation, i1llustrated here, reads: "Frankfurt ( M) - date and time - I.LA .. " These letters LL.A. occ'ur between two stars, as shown here, or without uch two stars. According to the most recent German (Sieger ) Airpo t Catalogue, the cachet with stars is the rarer one of the two. The Postal 5 Pfennig Postage Stamp was imprinted on three "official" exhibition postal cards, which made them postal stationery card . Their address side was im printed, as hown. On the reverse side the three cards, the "Official Card No. 1 and No. 2 and No. 3" had varying designs, also as illustrated. The design of the card No. 3 is the same as was used on a multicolored gummed and perforated vignette. Beside the e po ta] stationery card , there were other ILA card which can be fou nd with the ILA cancellation on the po tage stamp. One f these cards showed the Zeppelin Airship Z II over the exhibition hall. These ILA card , despite their pecjal cancellations, are not flown items. No card have been reported, which might have been flown by the Zeppelin Z II when it left Frankfurt for Cologne. This flight was quite eventful. For two days the airship ran into heavy weather and had to turn back to the Exhibition grounds, be fore the flight to Cologne could be completed. The Berezowski Airpost Catalogue of 1930 described a card form on a yellowish cardboard which was to be used on route from Friedrichshafen to Cologne n July 31, 1909. This was actually carried on the fJight from Friedrichshafen via Heilbronn and Heidelberg to the ILA in PAGE 360 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL Frankfurt. Another flight through heavy storms was completed successfully. The form which this handbook describes is evidently from a mint copy as no dropped copies are known to this reviewer. It reads, "The finder of this card is a ked to be so kind and to give. _one section of this card to the po toffice immediately. If he sends this section to us, he will receive a personal thank from his Excellency, the Graf Zeppelin. "Luftschiffbau Zeppelin G.m.b.H. Friedrichshafen." I have found thi- card. Place...... Time ...... I have posted the other half at...... Address ...... Another form reported in the same handbook ha a similar text a:id is printed on blue cardboard, for use during a circuit of Cologne on August 5, 1909, immedi ately after the visit at the ILA. The handbook stated that very few cards have ever been reported. The 1956 edition of the Sieger Zeppelin Post Catalogue hows a photo of another card dropped from the Z II on the fl ight of July 31, 1909. This has a dark red seal vignette of the Zeppelin Company, with a Heidelberg postal cancellation. Heid elberg is situated en route from Friedrichshafen to F rankfurt. Why this postal cancellation has the delayed date of September 19 is not disclosed. It might indicate that the card was not found until the later date. There i a hand inscription on the card from the July 31 flight, reading "by the newest ar;.d most modern mea.1s of transportation". No reference is made to the ILA visit later that day. The Zeppelin Z II had the production number L.Z.5. It was lost a few months later, when it crashed near Weilburg on April 25, 1910. A few pieces of its balloon covering stHl exist; one of them is in the collection of this reviewer. It is interesting to note that this is from a construction period before the aluminum-coated balloon covering of the Zeppelins and its successors had been introduced. The Frankfurt International Exhibition with its special postal cancellation and its postal stationery wa an interesting stepping stone in the great development of contemporary aviation. AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 361 NOTES ON COVERS, '29 GORDON BENNETT INTERNATIONAL BAL· LOON RACES FROM ST. LOUIS Rir In the November, 1951 issue of the Airpost Journal, we told the story of the 1929 Balloon Races and of the auto Post graphed balloon covers. One of these was illustrated there. Stamps President Robert W. Murch has now made a very interesting discovery: the winning balloon, GOODYEAR No. 8 Are Frequently Offered .(USA ), with Ward T. Van Orman and In Our General Sales Alan MacCracken as pilots, had flown Fully Illustrated, over 384 miles in 26 hours of flight. accurately described They carried special balloon covers, is sued by the St. Louis Junior Chamber of auction catawgues, gratis Commerce for the September 28, 1929 starts. By May 14, 1930 these bad not And when you -·come- to sell, write yet been delivered. for our booklet, "Modem Methods of Philatelic Selling", explaining clearly Inquiry to the sponsoring Junior all the advantages of selling through Chamber of Commerce disclosed that Van Orman had informed them on Oc H. R. HARM ER, I NC tober 18, 1929 that the pilots had been The Caspary Auctioneers forced to throw the covers overboard 6 West 48th St., New York 36, N.Y. near Lebanon, Indiana, during very bad f weather conditions of the day. The newspapers in that town carried news items about these covers, but by spring, 1930, nobody had received them. Either the bag was not found, or the finder did not understand that he was supposed to AIR POST NEW ISSUES deliver the bag at the postoffice for re despatch; the covers might have remain ed uncancelled as souvenirs for the find OF THE ENTIRE ers. It would be interesting to learn if any of our members who might have one of WORLD the Van Orman covers in his collection would let us know it. We need to know whether the covers have a postal cancel lation or not and - if so - from what PAMPHLET UPON REQUEST place and date. Dr. Max Kronstein Nicolas Sanabria Co. Inc. A. MEDAWAR, PRESIDENT 521 Fifth Ave., New York 17, N. Y. PAGE 362 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL HOW FAST IS FAST? New York-Mexico 4h 17m 11/14/60 Montreal-Chicago lh 48m 6/26/60 .Afr France holds 57 speed records for WITHIN SOUTH AMERICA commercial flights. Among them: Bogota-Quito Oh 57m 9/30/60 NORTH ATLANTIC Quito-Lima lh 47m 12/16/60 New York-Paris 5h 37m 12/ 3/60 Sao Paulo-B'nos Aires 2h 25m 10/ 5/60 Paris-Anchorage 9h 03m 3/ 9/60 NORTH PACIFIC Anchorage-Tokyo 6h 57m 8/25/60 MIDDLE ATLANTIC Tokyo-Anchorage 6h Olm 10/14/60 Pointe a Pitre-Paris 7h 23m 11/22/60 WITHIN EUROPE Lisbon-Santa Maria lh 48m 91 5160 Paris-Hamburg lh 06m 12/ 1/60 SOUTH ATLANTIC Paris-Madrid lh 42m 11/15/60 Rio de Janeiro-Dakar 5h 34m 2/19/61 Lisbon-Paris lh 50m 7/27/60 Dakar-Rio de Janeiro 6h 19m 10/12/60 WITHIN AFRICA WITHIN NORTH AMERICA Brazzaville-Douala lh 31m 11/23/60 Mexico-New York Sh 28m 41 2/61 Dakar-Robertsfield lh 40m 10/ 3/60 OFFICIAL SECTION ~MERICAN AIR MAIL SOCIETY MONTHLY REPORT From the Secretary Ruth T. Smith, 102 Arbor Road, Riverton, New Jersey August 1, 1961 . NEW MEMBERS 4833 Davis, William R., 6705 Spring Rd., Richmond 28, Va. 4834 Ladner, David F., 1205 Main St., Springfield, Mass. 4835 'Mancero Jaramillo, J. Humberto, P. 0. Box 4967, Guayaquil, Ecuador 4836 Loring, Howard W., 113 Lexington St., Watertown 72, Mass. ·4337 Ernstein, Ralph, 6124 Teesdale St., No. Hollywood, Calif. 4838 Perrin, Fred F., 8 Sheldon Lane, Highland Park, Ill. NEW APPLICATIONS Whiteley, Philip W. (Dr.), 1245 E. Colfax Ave., Denver 18, Colo., Physician, Age 65 AM PC HC FF GF CAM FAM RP CC OF Z lD By: R. T. Smith Robbins, Marvin H., 4246 Wyricote Rd., S. Euclid 21, Ohio. Real Estate. Age 0. AM AU UC GF lD X By: R. T. Smith Rood, David V., 4535 Douglas Ave., So., Minneapolis 16, Minn., Dealer, Age 22. AM AU U20 UC PA FF GF CAM FAM CC OF DC Z lD APS By: R. T. Smith Deterling, Eddie, Jr., P. O. Box 326 Schulenburg, Tex., Insurance, Age 34. AM SC U20 UC PC HC FF CAM FAM RP CC OF Z CC 1D APS By: R. T. Smith Steinschulte, Thilo, 55li5 North Dr., Alexandria, La., Architect, Age 34. Zeppelin covers and stamps of Germany, X By: R. T. Smith RE-INSTATEMENTS 3489 Asseo, Julio, Bex 7000, Havana, Cuba 2823 Moreyra, Ricardo J., Calle 194, No. 1512, Biltmore, Havana, Cuba. RESIGNATIONS 4493 Weiss, William G., 418 Cortelyou, Brooklyn, N. Y. 1975 Kessler, Alicia,- 500-5th Ave., New York, N. Y. 4492 Lyles, Earl, 262 Arthur St., Shreveport, La. : DECEASED , LM79 Prinzing, William J., Waco, Texas · 4764 Karvosky, Ronald J. (A/2c), APO 239, San Francisco, Calif. 1758 Montes, Leon, Port au Prince, Haiti CHANGE OF ADDRESS 4384 Hester, John F., 89-55 - 21lth St., Queens Village 28, N. Y: 4167 Carter, Ruth N., Rm. 606, 79 Milk St., Boston 9, Mass. 4644 Swanson, Carl L., Jr., 20602 Lorain Rd., Apt. BS, Fairview Park 26, Ohio 3643 Keller, C. R., (Dr.), 16 Dunbar Rd., Hilton 1, N. Y. 2366 :waldie, Gordon, 16 Rosedale Rd., Apt. 617, Toronto 5, Ont., Canada. 4790 Clark, Gordon, 256 Broadmeadows, Columbus, Ohio 2941 Reichenthal, Harry, P. O. Box 6138, Lps Angeles 55, Calif. LM54 Wellman, Fred, 1112 S. W. 4th Ave., Apt. C, G&inesville, Fla. 3183 Wilson, Anne C., (Mrs.), The Lido, Apt. 1402, 790 Washington St., Denver, Colo. AUGUST, 1961 PAGE 363 PIA FIRST AIR MAIL SERVICE Benjamin B. Lipsner, first United States FROM KARACHI TO N·EW YORK Air Mail Superintendent, for bringing this to our attention. On June 16, 1961 Pakistan Internation al Airlines established direct jet air mail service from Karachi, Pakistan, to New LIST OF P.A.T. AND B.A.T. PILOTS York, New York, and first flight covers IN 1929 were carried on the flight through special arrangements as there was not time to For collectors of C.A.M. and crash cov ad vise collectors of the flight. ers the following list of pilots in service These covers are the regular small on September 15, 1929, may be useful. size air mail envelopes with removable Cities indicated are the pilots' home labels addressed to PIA in New York. base. Each cover bears one stamp at the 1 Pacific Air Transport, Oakland Munici Rupee denomination and one stamp at pal Airport, Oakland, Calif.: annas denomination. The covers are 4 Chas. R. Bowman J. C. Johnston postmarked in Karachi on June 16, 1961, Harry C. Crandall H. C. Miller with a special postmark, and are back J. R. Cunningham E. L. Remelin stamped on June 16, 1961, at 10:00 p.m. F. A. Donaldson A. D. Starbuck by the Airport Mail Facility, Idlewild. H. G. Donaldson Grover Tyler Also, a special cachet in green ink has Al Gilhousen R. B. Virden been affixed to each caver. Only a limited number of covers were Boeing Air Transport, Inc., Chicago, dispatched ·and the expenses incurred in Ill.: arranging for these covers were extremely E. H. Lee G. I. Myers high in view of cable costs, long dis D. L. Behneke C. C. Coppin, Jr. tance telephone calls, and so forth. It L. F. Duncan is necessary, therefore, to charge one Boeing Air Transport, Inc., Omaha, dollar per cover to offset the expenses in Nebr.: curred in providing these covers. R. J. Johnson R. M. Cochrane Persons desiring these covers should A. R. Leckscheid H. C. Munson send their remittances of $1.00 per cover, J. H. Knight R. L. Wagner and a self addressed envelope large L. L. Bown - C. V. Pickup enough to permit enclosures of the cov H. A. Wheaton ers, to Philatelic Department, Pakistan Boeing Air Transport, Inc., Cheyenne, International Airlines, 30 Rockefeller Wyo.: Plaza, New York 20, New York. They H. T. Lewis F. R. Yager will pay the return postage. E. D. Woodgerd E. J. Eschleman E. W. Maroney R. W. Meskimen OUR SLIP IS SHOWING W. 0. Bunge J. W. Cable J. G. Murray D. E. Broughton In the announcement in the July issue, Boeing Air Transport, Inc., Salt Lake on page 291, reference was made in the City, Utah: \ Post Office Department's first aerial mail H. A. Collison J. L. Eaton route which was incorrectly described A. R. Thompson G. L. Boyd as beginning with the flight at Garden Hugh Barker J. W. Sharpnack City. This, of course, is incorrect as the H. G. Boonstra A. R. DeGarmo regular official route was that between E. J. Greer C. R. Parmalee Washington, Philadelphia and New York Boeing Air Transport, Inc., Reno, Nev in 1918. The word "route" in this article ada: should have been official flight. R. H. Ellis B. H. Winslow Mail was carried a few days earlier R. T. Freng N. W. Potter by Calbraith Rodgers on his historic Boeing Air Transport, Inc., OaHand, cross-country venture. _Earl Ovington was Calif.: sworn in as a carrier but the route was C. K. Vance H. W. Huking not officially designated as a mail-carry R. J. Little R. P. Parshall ing route. We are indebted to Captain G. H. Willingham PAGE 364 THE AIRPOST JOURNAL AAMS EXCHANGE DEPARTMENT APJ ADS BUY - SELL - WANT LISTS RATES: FOUR CENTS PER WORD per insertion. Minimum charge one dollar. Remittance must accompany order and copy: The UNITED NATIONS AIRPOST JOURNAL. 350 No. D eere Park Drive, Highland Park, Ill. NEW 30c STAMPS OF 6/5/61 Ceremony Program AAMS EXCHANGE ADS Single 30c cancelled on front 13 Mint Blox 4 U.S. Commems or equiva (limited) . $1.00 lent for 1 kit 10" x 50 ft. Phila Tex Cel also lulose Acetate make-your-own-mounts. Adhesive and instructions included. Ar Brochure with 30c Mint single better, · 5319 N. Bernard St., Chicago 25. & First Day - Geneva de- *377 sign 1.25 EXCHANGE W anted: First Flights , Aera Brochure with Mint Imprint Stationery, U.N., Foreign Flights, Covers. Bloc of 4 Of 30c stamp and Will give Indonesians, Souvenir Sheets, FDCs, Maximum Cards, F .F. Covers. K . D. First Day cover with single 2.50 Lim, Gondangdialam3 35, Dj a k ~rta, Indon esia ( 4816) . *375 Order from . . . EXCHANGE India and Sikkem Rockets Ruth T. Smith for your U.S.A. Surplus Rockets. List for 102 Arbor Road Riverton, N.J. 4 cents. Capt. Wm. H . Peters, R et., Inter lachen, Florida. *375 BEAUTIFUL Collection 13 R F covers plus 7 without surcharge - what am I of FIRST 119611 EDITION fered, Charles Pincus, 973 East 28th S t., Brookly n 10, N. Y . WANT C .A.M.s No. 94W6-S9-El0-Ell and many others. Cash or trade CAMs. \\'rite UNITED for detailed want list. Charles J. Strich ard , 4275 SW 87th Ave., Miami 55, Florid:i. CAN SUPPLY FDC and FFC of Australia STATES and Whole World. Eugene Stanley, Phil atelist, 29 Clarke St., Elwood, S.3, Vic toria, Australia. STAMPS SOUVENIR Sheets on First D ay Covers, exchange for Costa Rica F.D.C. Ernesto Quiros, Sr., P.O. Box 1261, San Jose, Costa Rica, Central America. 160 Pages • Nearly 2000 Illustrations Brand new edition of America's most widely EARLY CANADIAN Pioneer Flight covers used U.S. & B.N.A. Catalog - published by wanted. Also Canadian crash covers. the world's largest stamp firm . A complete Semi-official airs, Canadian "CA" Sc adt~ for trade. Ed Richardson, 303 Pin Oak, illustrated listing of all major U.S. issues, LaMarque, Texas. U.S. Possessions, and British North America, including up-to-the-minute prices. Also spe WANTED: First Day cover Lincoln Credo with 4c Liberty Lincoln cancelled on same cialties, Confederate States, United Nations, cover. Tra de or Purchase. Ferris D. "Americana" , etc. PLUS : The U.S. Stamp White, 10340 S.E. Harrison St., Portbnd 13, Identifier .. . ". a comprehensive illustrated Oregon. booklet which enables you quickly to distin AM BREAKING UP U.S. Plate Block Col guish between rare and common "look-alike" lection. Will trade for other ite m s, or sell stamps. All this and Dmvtro B v kovetz, Jr., P.O. Box 2913, Phil more, in one BIG volume! !::>I:¢ adelphia 26 , Pa. Send for your copy NOW! ;;J ~ EXCHANGE: L a rge quantity of FDC and FFC. \Vant same in m aterial b efore 1930. . H. E. HARRIS"' & CO. Any catalog bas is acceptable. R. Ernstein, , Cala'log Dept., Boston 17, Ma}Sf,_,,, 6124 Teesdale Ave., No. Hollywood, Calif. THE AIRPOST JOURNAL RICHARD K. STRITE THE WORLD'S FOREMOST DEALER IN UNITED NATIONS PHILATELIC MATERIAL offers for sale a siiperb collection of UNITED NATIONS AIR LETTER SHEETS This collection was formed a.nd m eticulously cared for by Mrs. V. Cali of Baldwin, New York and ctlthoiigh never exhibited - is a sure prize winner. This collection contains all known varieties of the eight print ings of the United N ations Air Letter Sheets, including the "Inverted Imprints" and "Missing I mprints" types. A lso in cluded are the rare First Day Cancellations of the Thira and Seventh printing. There is a total of 44 pieces in this superb collection - six frnmes of beauty that are sure to bring awards to its owner. Particulars on request to principals only ...... price $1975.00 RICHARD K. STRITE A 86 LEHIGH STREET WILLISTON PARK, N. Y. We have the world's largest stock of United N ations specialized material and will glcidly quote prices against your want list. For the latest information on United Nations First Flights read the United Nations Philatelic News - Samp le on request