RAF 90th Anniversary

Stamps issued by Isle of Man to commemorate 90th Anniversary of the RAF.










Air Display stamps issued by Great Britain.

Aviation First Day Covers

View some aviation related first day covers here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22512826@N08/sets/72157605228228012/

Click on the link or paste on a browser.

Airmail Stamps

Many countries started issuing airmail stamps as transporting of mail by air started gaining popularity. Postal administrations charged a premium for Airmail service and so special airmail stamps were issued to cover the higher rate.

The honor of issuing the first airmail stamp goes to Italy.



An existing Express Delivery stamp was overprinted and issued on 22nd May, 1917 for the first official airmail between Rome and Turin.



The first airmail stamps were issued in the US on 15th May, 1918 when the first official airmail between Washington, Philadelphia and New York was inaugurated. The basic rate per ounce for transmission by air was 14c "air fee" and 10c for the special delivery fee. For this purpose a 24c stamp depicting the Curtiss Jenny was issued. Since this was a new service the stamp was issued in a distinguishing bi-colored format, in the patriotic colors - red, white and blue.

This stamp has become one of the most famous US stamps as one sheet of 100 stamps was sold with the center inverted and is well known as the "inverted jenny". A single mint (unused) stamps was sold for $977,500 in an auction on 14 November 2007.

As the airmail fee dropped, a 16c denomination was issued on 11 July 1918 and a 6c stamp was issued in December that year when the special delivery fee was dropped.


Issue of airmail stamps became the norm from then on as countries started airmail services within their countries and then to countries round the globe. Not all stamps had any "aviation" motif on them but all bore the word "airmail" "correo areo" "par avion", 'postes aerienne" or similar inscriptions in the language of origin. In most cases all mail sent by air had necessarily to be franked with airmail stamps. Airmail etiquettes (labels) were also issued but letters could be also be inscribed "by airmail" or equivalent as use of labels was not compulsory. To start with Some countries just overprinted existing stamps with the word airmail or a plane.

A few stamps overprinted with airplanes for use on airmail letters.

AERO-PHILATELY

Hi!

I am an aero-philatelist. I find that there are very few website devoted to this branch of philately so I thought blog which will help popularize this branch of philately.

Aero-philately is a branch of philately specializing in the collection of philatelic items relating to airmails. Aero-philatelists study the development of airmails and tell the story of the development of aviation through stamps, covers postmarks etc.

A selection of stamps with aviation theme.

The scope of aerophilately includes:

• airmail postage stamps, both official and unofficial


• stamps depicting various aspect of "aviation" eg. aircraft, airlines, airports etc.


• other types of labels (such as airmail etiquettes)


• all kinds of mail transmitted by air


• postal markings related to air transport


• first flights and other "special" flights covers


• rates and routes


• mail recovered from aircraft accidents and other incidents (crash covers)

An aerogramme flown on a special balloon flight in France.

Besides the study of airmail transport by fixed-wing aircraft, the fields of balloon mail, helicopter mail, dirigible mail, zeppelin mail, missile mail, and rocket mail are active subspecialties. Astrophilately, the study of mail in space, is a related area.
I'll explain the various nuances in future posts, with pictures etc.

Please contact me if you are a fellow enthusiast or want to know more about aero-philately.