First Flights
First flights have a specific format with some small differences from a standard cover. The franking, date and origin are the same. Type of mail service includes the origin of the flight if different from the cancel on the cover, the airline conducting the flight if known, any special note about the flight, and the words "First Flight" or "Special Flight". The destination includes the word "to", the destination of the flight, even if different than where the cover is addressed to, and the destination if different the terminus of the flight. When there is a different destination from the flight, describe this in the form " terminus of flight onward to destination". Next comes the catalog number of the flight. You will always be told this. End the description with any condition notes. Unless you are given instruction otherwise, do not note the cachet. This is assumed by the word first flight and the catalog number.
1/6 Mercury and Hemispheres 1947 G.P.O. Sydney 110, N.S.W-Aust. Pan Am First Flight to Suva, Fiji. AAMS F19-35a.
1d Queen's Staircase Envelope 1929 Nassau, Bahamas First Flight to Miami, Fla. Onward to East Orange, N.J.
35c Lion Rampant and 1.50F Plane over St. Hubert 1931 Antwerpen Luhctvaarstatie, Anvers-Aeroport Printed matter Special Flight to Malmo, Sweden. Vandenbauw 61.
Please note how to handle a modification of the type of mail service.
50rp Convair 600 Air and 30rp Bell 47-J Helicopter Air 1960 Vaduz (Liechtenstein) Registered First Flight Zurich, Switzerland to Monrovia, Liberia. SLH RF60.11bL.
U.S. 3c Smithsonian Institution (3) with 1c Defense 1946 Memphis, Tenn. Binghamton Sta. Pan Am Test Flight Airmail to Paramaribo, Surinam. Returned with Surinam 25c Wilhelmina Paramaribo and reverse blue boxed hs P.A.A. Q Paramaribo.
Please note how to handle return flights and the 1946 Pan Am Test Flights.
