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AEROPHILATELY
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PHILATELIC COVERS FLOWN IN VETERAN AIRCRAFT |
Aerophilately
is the study of (mainly) letters and postcards sent by air between
two points...by birds, kites, balloons, airships, airplanes and rockets.
Not the content, just how the missive was sent, when, why, how long
it took, vagaries en-route, and the like. Canada has been involved
for a long time…there is a record of a “KYTE MAIL” between Goderich
and Stratford, Ontario in 1848. The Franklin Relief Expedition off
the Northwest Territories used a balloon for messaging in 1853. Mail
by airplane really came into it’s own after WWI, in the West (northern
Prairies and the Yukon Territory), and for the gold mines of Northern
Ontario.
The
involvement of Canadian Warplane Heritage has not been quite so long,
but longer than most Members realize. The first envelopes flown (in
FIREFLY CG-BDH) were in 1976. The Museum’s involvement has been concentrated
on the production of illustrated envelopes – ‘covers’ in the jargon
of the aerophilatelist – flown in one of our historic airplanes, and
signed by the flight crew. The ‘flown cover’ has, from the outset,
historic/scarcity value (the airplanes will, inevitably, cease to
fly one day) and, if nothing else, is an unusual souvenir of the Museum
and it’s airplanes.
Illustrated
is an example cover:
Apart
from a short gap between roughly, 1976 and 1986, covers have been
produced regularly and now include 10 of the Museum’s airplanes; Avro
Anson, Avro Lancaster, deHavilland Tiger Moth, deHavilland, Canada
Chipmunk, Douglas DC-3, Fairey Firefly, Goodyear Corsair, North American
Harvard, North American Mitchell, and the Consolidated Canso (as pictured
above).
Production
has been on different dates with a variety of stamps, and for different
occasions. Most are currently available at the Museum, although the
earlier issues are now limited.
This
year’s issues (2002) include the Canada-Netherlands Friendship Festival
cover (Harvard’s), the Bill Randall Commemorative cover (Lancaster),
the Queen’s Golden Jubilee cover (DC-3 & mini-Spitfire), a new
cover for the Canso, and a Remembrance Day cover (Lancaster).
Most
of these covers retail at $5.00 inclusive, but some are $10.00 (mainly
those of the Lancaster with foreign stamps showing a Lancaster, and
this year’s Randall & Golden Jubilee covers). The ‘cream of the
crop’ is of course, the cover flown in our Lancaster C-GVRA and the
Battle of Britain Flight Lancaster PA474. Each cover is signed by
both crews, and contain a number of inserts. So far as is known this
is the only cover designed from the outset for flight in both the
remaining airworthy Lancasters.
The
60th Anniversary of the AVRO Lancaster
SPECIAL:
FLOWN IN BOTH AIRWORTHY LANCASTERS
IN U.K. AND CANADA
$25.00
including choice of Canadian or British Stamp
To
commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first flight of the Avro Lancaster
prototype and the first flight of the Canadian built Lancaster Mk.
X, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum and the Lincolnshire Lancaster
Association have been working with the Joint Services Charities Consortium
to produce a very special commemorative cover.
The
artwork especially commissioned from renowned aviation artist Tony
Theobald depicts the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's own "Mickey
the Moocher" over flying the city of Lincoln while above the
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum's Canadian built Lancaster is seen
over Toronto. The results of which are very pleasing to the eye and
pay homage to the last 2 remaining flying Lancasters.
There
are 2 versions available, the first was produced in the UK and the
second was completed by CWH. All the covers have been flown in the
2 Lancasters, the BBMF flying the covers during the Biggin Hill 60th
Anniversary of the Battle of Britain Air Display and the Canadian
Warplane Heritage Museum flying the covers not once, but twice over
Niagara Falls. Each cover is certified on the reverse and contains
2 inserts full of information.
The
UK version bears the 31p 1986 RAF stamp very aptly depicting MRAF
Sir Arthur Harris and the Lancaster and has been cancelled with a
specially designed British Forces Postal Service postmark commemorating
the first of the Lancaster prototype. The covers bear the two flight
cachets and have been signed by the two Lancaster crews.
The
Canadian version bears one of the aircraft stamps issued on the occasion
of the 75th Anniversary of the RCAF and cancelled with a pictoral
handstamp. They bear abbreviated flight details and once again have
been signed by the members of both crews.
| Please
click here
to purchase covers on-line. |
For
more information, contact philatelic@warplane.com
or (905) 679-4183, or fax (905) 679-4186.
To
view a complete list of covers available, please click here.
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