First Contract Airmail Flight
On February 15, 1926, the first contract airmail flight was made between Michigan and Ohio. Three stamps were issued for this service during its first two years.
Airmail
Happy Birthday Lucky Lindy!
Aviation pioneer Charles Augustus Lindbergh was born on February 4, 1902, in Detroit, Michigan. He was the first person to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean and helped to promote and expand aviation and airmail.
America’s First Airmail Coil Stamp
The first US Airmail coil stamp was issued on January 15, 1948, in Washington, DC. Only a few more coil stamps would be issued over the next 30 years, but the DC-4 SkyMaster would appear on more than a dozen postal items.
China Clipper Inaugurates Trans-Pacific Airmail
On November 22, 1935, the China Clipper made its first airmail voyage across the Pacific Ocean. The first-ever transpacific airmail journey, it carried over 110,000 pieces of mail.
Twin-Motored Transport Plane Airmails
On June 25, 1941, the US Post Office Department issued the first in a new series of Airmail stamps picturing a twin-motored transport plane. These stamps would carry mail across the US and around the globe throughout World War II.
Canada’s First Airmail Flight
On June 24, 1918, Captain Brian Peck made the first airmail flight in Canada. It would be another decade before the service became official and Canada would issue its first Airmail stamps.
The Civil Aeronautics Act
On June 23, 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Civil Aeronautics Act, creating the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The CAA was tasked with investigating accidents, recommending ways to prevent future accidents, and setting airline fares and routes. It eventually became the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Happy Birthday to Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Hammond Curtiss was born on May 21, 1878, in Hammondsport, New York. He designed the planes flown by most American WWI pilots, which were also used to carry the first airmail deliveries.
Trans-Atlantic Airmail Service
On May 20, 1939, the US Post Office inaugurated its official trans-Atlantic airmail service to Europe. The new Yankee Clipper service flew from New York to France in 26 hours.