This issue commemorates two important events: the Centenary of Aviation in the Canary Islands and the Centenary of the Baskonia Sports Club and Baskonia Mani Taldea of Basauri (Vizcaya).
published July 14th, 2013
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To commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Wideawake Airfield the Ascension Island Post Office is releasing a souvenir sheet featuring two classic aircraft, one from the 1940’s and one from the new millennium. Before work started on the airfield this area was home to Booby and Sooty (Wideawake) Tern colonies, hence the hill on the right side being called Booby Hill and the airfield called Wideawake.
published October 21st, 2012
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used into the 1950s both as a front line fighter and in secondary roles. It was produced in greater numbers than any other British aircraft and was the only Allied fighter in production throughout the war.
The Spitfire was designed as a short-range high-performance interceptor aircraft by R. J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works (since 1928 a subsidiary of Vickers-Armstrong). Mitchell continued to refine the design until his death from cancer in 1937, whereupon his colleague Joseph Smith became chief designer. The Spitfire’s elliptical wing had a thin cross-section, allowing a higher top speed than several contemporary fighters, including the Hawker Hurricane. Speed was seen as essential to carry out the mission of home defence against enemy bombers.
published September 30th, 2011
Royal Mail is issuing a miniature stamp sheet and prestige stamp book on 9 September 2011, as a tribute to the pioneering aviators who made philatelic history through the UK’s first aerial post service a century ago.
Gustav Hamel’s 15-minute flight from Hendon Aerodrome to Windsor Castle on 9 September 1911 was part of the celebrations of the coronation of King George V. It was the first of 16 aerial post flights carrying commemorative postage to mark the coronation. The flights took place until 26 September 1911 and are recognised as the world’s first scheduled airmail service.
Now exactly 100 years on, Royal Mail marks the event with a miniature sheet, featuring a border that replicates the design of an original publicity poster for the inaugural flight. The four-pane prestige stamp book written by Peter Lister, President of the British Air Mail Society includes a pane comprising four 50p Windsor Castle stamps, re-issued from the 2005 set of high-value definitives stamps printed by intaglio.
published June 26th, 2011
On 1 April 1918, the Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS) merged with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to form the Royal Air Force (RAF) and with this merger, some 238 motor boats moved to the RAF Marine Craft Section to support their newly acquired flying boats and for limited Search and Rescue operations. At the time, there was little specialist equipment and certainly no central organisation to support aircrew lost at sea, with their rescue being very much reliant on passing naval or merchant ships.
Despite many discussions about Search and Rescue at sea taking place in the 1930’s, it was not until the Battle of Britain, where more than 200 aircrew were killed or went missing in the seas around Britain, that there was a more consolidated and combined effort between the Services to create an efficient and effective Air Sea Rescue Service.
In February 1941, the Directorate of Air Sea Rescue was formed. Their remit was not restricted to home waters but also included Malta, the Middle East (where their forays included searches in the desert) and at one point, Singapore.
published April 19th, 2011
Isle of Man Post will issue a set of 6 stamps in honour of a former Liverpool telegram boy who became the Island’s most influential cartoonist.
Between 1933 and 1962 newspaper cartoons by Harold ‘Dusty’ Miller (1898-1964) captured political and social issues in a way that text alone could not. Some cartoons would remain topical for generations. Occasionally he bordered on morale-raising or conscience pricking propaganda but mostly visualised public sentiment. Miller won a scholarship to Liverpool School of Art when 13. Financially unable to take advantage of it, he became a telegram message boy, at 14, for Liverpool Post Office.
published April 5th, 2011
A remarkable stamp sheetlet to commemorate the centenary of the powered flight in Hong Kong will be released on the 18 March 2011 (Friday).
The first powered flight in Hong Kong was launched on 18 March 1911 when Charles Van den Born, a flying pioneer from Belgium, took to the sky at Sha Tin, the New Territories in a Farman biplane, heralding the beginning of their aviation history. This year marks the centenary of powered flight in Hong Kong. Hongkong Post issues a stamp sheetlet to commemorate this milestone.
Their thriving aviation industry is an important pillar of Hong Kong’s economy. Air transport has made the world a smaller place with convenient movement of people and goods. It contributes significantly to the rapid development of tourism, industry and commerce, bringing tremendous opportunities to their city.
published March 4th, 2011
This stamp issue marks the retirement of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) most prominent aircraft – the F-111 “Pig”. After 37 years service, this stalwart of aviation combat is being replaced from 2010. The aircraft represent a range of military functions and capabilities and includes F-111’s replacement.
F-111
The F-111 “Pig” is a twin-engine, swing-wing aircraft that can take off and land at relatively low speeds. The aircraft gets its nickname from its ability to hunt at night with its nose to the ground due to its terrain-following radar. The aircraft was introduced to the RAAF in 1973.
F/A-18F
The F/A-18F Super Hornet is the new strike fighter that replaces the long-serving F-111. The Super Hornet, is a battleproven aircraft with a multi-role capability. It has exceptional manoeuvrability and a limitless angle of attack.
Wedgetail
The Wedgetail functions as a surveillance aircraft and entered Australian service in 2009. It has sophisticated (read more)
published March 2nd, 2011
The 50th anniversary of America’s first manned spaceflight is being commemorated with the issuance of two stamps. The stamps go on sale May 4.
One stamp salutes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Project Mercury, America’s first manned spaceflight program, and NASA astronaut Alan Shepard’s historic flight on May 5, 1961, aboard the spacecraft Freedom 7.
The other stamp draws attention to NASA’s unmanned MESSENGER mission, a scientific investigation of the planet Mercury. On March 18, 2011, MESSENGER will become the first spacecraft to enter into orbit around Mercury.
These two historic missions—Shepard’s Mercury flight and MESSENGER’s orbit of Mercury—frame a remarkable (read more)
published January 1st, 2011
On the 18th October La Poste released a set and miniature sheet featuring different people who have made a difference to the Aviation World as we know it today.
Aviation is wothout a doubt one of the 20th Century most important anniversary and on the French stamps the following people have been featured; Farman, Delagrange, The Wright Brothers, Latham, Védrines and a lady named Elise Deroche, all of who have been rightly honoured with (read more)
published October 27th, 2010
New issue on August 23, 2010
A project for the first international mail flight with electric propulsion will be made in 2010 from the Principality. A century ago, Monaco was the starting point of the first aircraft flying over the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps with the support of Prince Albert Ier.
published August 13th, 2010