HISTORY of AVIATION FIRSTS
everything about pioneer aviation & when possible commemorative stamps that have been issued
- first heavier than air flight – will eventually include balloon flights
- pilots and aircraft
- distance and route
HISTORY of AVIATION FIRSTS
All aviation firsts - first attempts, records etc. When possible photos, videos and commemorative stamps included
| Country | 1st Aviation Flight | Pilots | Commemorative Stamp | Stamp details & articles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Feb. 6, 1910 Longchamp racecourse in Buenos Aires Flew for 8 min & 45 seconds. Reached 60 meters in height and 40 km/hr ** This was Brégi's second flight, but his first one was not officially observed. Also 1st officially recognised flight in South America | Pilot Henri Brégi (1888-1917) (French) Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 26 Dec 21, 1909 (certified with a Voisin) Flying Voisin biplane with 50 hp Gnôme engine  | ||
| Austria | May 28, 1932 First successful Rocket Mail to deliver mail | Graz, Austria, Hochtoetch mountains to village of Semriach, a few miles away. Carried 300 letters in a 7lb canon ball shaped projectile that had a rudimentary rudder and wings. | ||
| Australia | Dec.5, 1909 First heavier than air flight (non motorised) Narrabeen, Australia Successfully flew 100 to 250 metres during a number of flights made that day.  | Glider pilot George Augustine Taylor (1872 - 1928) Flying The Taylor Glider  | ||
| Australia | Dec. 9, 1909 Victoria Park Racecourse in Sydney Flew a distance of 115 yards reaching up to 15 feet in the air. Speed: 36 mph. A dispute arose as to whether this was a successful flight. The Aerial League of the British Empire and a newspaper in attendance claimed the flight was uncontrolled (it ended in a crash). Others in attendance said it was a controlled flight. | Pilot Colin Defries (1884–1963) (British) Flying Wright Model A |  | 2010 Centenary of Powered Flight Designer: Ethos |
| Australia | March 18, 1910 Digger's Rest in Victoria, Australia Considered the 1st undisputed controlled flight Flew for 7 min 30 secs. for 9.66 km, and reaching 100 ft in the air. Houdini flew 18 times while in Australia. Although he kept an interest up in aviation, he never flew again. He had the Voisin shipped back to England, where it remained in storage for years before it did a Houdini & disappeared. It's unknown what happened to it, but the Smithsonian has an article about this Where is Houdini's Airplane? | Pilot Harry Houdini (1874-1926) Flying a Voisin British 60 to 80 horsepower ENV engine  Unknown if this film was his first flight or a later one. |  | 2010 Centenary of Powered Flight Designer: Ethos Harry Houdini's Australian Adventures |
| Australia | Nov 4, 1911 First cross country flight in New South Wales Distance: 29 kilometres 19 min flight reaching 3000 feet Penrith to Parramatta | Pilot William “Billy” Ewart Hart (1885-1943) Aerial League of Australia (License No 1) First licensed Australian pilot November 17, 1911 Flying a rebuilt Bristol Boxkite | ||
| Azerbaijan | 1931 First female pilot | Pilot Leyla Mammadbekova (1909-1989) A1932 movie Ismat (Honour), was made about her life. Mammadbekova worked as a stunt double for the actor who played her in the movie.  |  | 2009 Birth Centenary of Leyla Mammadbekova (1909-1989) Design: Mammadbekova and biplane Designer: Khasay Mirzoyev |
| Belgium | May 31, 1908 Ghent Aviation Show ** A few sources place this flight on May 8. A 1908 Scientific American article verifies Farman began his Belgium flights towards the end of May. DISTANCE: 700 meters | Pilot Henri Farman (1874-1958) (British-French) Flying Voisin biplane Passenger: Mlle P. Van Pottelsberghe de la Poterie (first woman passenger) ** reported in one source, not confirmed Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 4 January 7, 1909 (certified with a H-Farman)  Pilot Henri Farman 1909 Champagne Airshow seated at wheel of Farman biplane | ||
| Canada | Feb. 23, 1909 Baddeck Bay, Nova Scotia DISTANCE: 30 m reaching speeds of 65 km/hr. Managed to reach 3 to 9 m in air. The original engine is in the National Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa. A replica of the Dart is in Ottawa's National Aviation Museum | Pilot J.A.D. McCurdy (1886-1961) (Canadian) Flying Silver Dart  1911 photo. Source: City of Toronto Archives Photo, Fonds 1244, Item 79. |   | Stamp one: 1959 Anniversary of flight Designers & engravers: Donald J. Mitchell (E), Harvey Thomas Prosser and Yves Baril (E) Stamp two: 2009 100th Anniversary of the flight Designers: Designers Crystal Oicle and Dennis Page of Trampoline Marketing Agency Artist: Michael Little Silver Dart Takes Flight |
| China | April 13, 1912** Jiangwan Racecourse in Shanghai This flight is generally thought to be the first official flight in China. The 1911 Hong Kong Flight predates it by a year. | Pilot Li Ruyan 厲汝燕 (1891–1944) (Chinese) ** name also recorded as Zee Yee Lee. Flying Etrich Taube Li Ruyan also designed China's first airplane Became first Chinese Pilot to obtain a Royal Aero Club certificate (No. 148) (Certified in a Bristol Biplane) Oct. 17, 1911  | ||
| China | First Flight school in China Sept 1912 The Nanyuan Aviation School in Nanyuan China (near Beijing). 8 French Gaudron biplanes were purchased for the school Possible this school started a bit later. | Established by Qin Guoyong and Li Ruyan 厲汝燕 Ruyan was the first flight instructor  Nanyuan Flight Training Ground May 1913 | the past and present of Beijing丨China's first airport, Nanyuan Airport | |
| Croatia | June 22, 1910 Military training grounds at Črnomerec, Zagreb | Pilot Dragutin Karlo Novak (1882-1978) Flying an airplane designed by Slavoljub Penkala  | ||
| Cuba | Feb. 17, 1910 Camp Columbia near Havana HEIGHT: 50 meters SPEED: 60 km/h | Pilot Albert Louis Cugnet (French) Flying Voisin biplane | ||
| France | Oct. 26, 1906 Issy-les-Moulineaux DISTANCE: 771 meters | Pilot Henri Farman (1874-1958) (British-French) Flying Voisin Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 4 January 7, 1909 (certified with a H-Farman)  |     | Stamp one: France 1971 Designer: Jean Pheulpin Stamp two, three & cover: France 2010 Designer: James Prunier |
| France | Jan 5, 1909 First passenger carried by a monoplane DISTANCE: 1/2 km Issy-les-Moulineaux | Pilot M. Welferinger Passenger M. Robert Gastambide Flying Antoinette IV  Antoinette IV | ||
| France 1st passenger carried by monoplane | January 5, 1909 A passenger carried for first time in a monoplane LOCATION: Issy-les-Moulineaux, Paris, France DISTANCE: 1/2 km | Pilot Welferinger Passenger Robert Gastambide Flying an Antoinette IV | ||
| Germany | August 18, 1903 Hanover, Germany Vahrenwalder Heide military training DISTANCE: 18 meters and managed to reach 1 m above ground According to a number of sources Jatho flew A replica of his aircraft was built for a flight in 2006  2006 replica of the Jatho aeroplane "Two Wing". Courtesy KDF Magazine 2006 | Pilot Karl Jatho (1873-1933) (German) Flying a Jatho pusher biplane with single-cylinder 9 h.p. Buchet engine. Founded Hannoversche Flugzeugwerke GmbH 1913. Business was bankrupt shortly after war broke out when Jatho failed to gain war contracts. The Jatho rarely gets mentioned in books/articles as a first flight. There is debate whether his first flight was a controlled one. He flew 18 m (60ft) his first "jump flight" . Jatho claimed to have flown a few flights prior to the Wright Brothers. However, there is no documentation or witnesses who came forward in 1903. The majority of historians don't accept Jatho's claims. A few witnesses came forward decades after the flight and claimed Jatho managed to successfully fly in August 1903, months before the Wright Brother. Doubt was cast on their late claims, It's thought the first attempts were little more than brief, uncontrolled hops, and not sustained fight.  | ||
| Germany First female pilot | Sept 8, 1911 Johannisthal, Germany (Berlin)  Miss Nellie Beese, the first German lady flyer who has From Flight Sept 23, 1911 | Pilot Nelly Bees Flying a Taube Bees was a sculptor Postcards commemorating this flight are available. | ||
| Greece | Feb. 8, 1912 Athens, Rouf / Ρουφ district 16 minute flight around the city of Athens Flew a second flight that day, carrying Greek PM Eleftherios Venizelos as passenger | Pilot Emmanouil Argyropoulos (1888-1913) (Greek) Flying Nieuport IV.G with 50-hp engine Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 614 September 8, 1911 (certified in Nieuport IV.G)  Pilot Emmanouil Argyropoulos (1888-1913) (Greek) | ||
| Hong Kong | March 18, 1911 Sha Tin, Eastern Territories. *** This flight is often listed as the first flight in Asia. The 1910 Japanese flight predates the Hong Kong flight by 3 months. | Pilot Charles Van den Born (Belgian) (1874-1958) Flying Farman biplane Spirit of Sha Tin (沙田精神號) Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 37 (certified in an H-Farman) Belgium license No. 6 The biplane is 的費文型雙翼飛機 in traditional Chinese. The Hong Kong Museum has a page on this flight & plane here. According to them the aircraft was a Farman, while other sites list the plane as a Faivin and Faiwan - mistranslations of Farman. |    | 2 stamps & one souvenir sheet 2011 Centenary of Powered Flight in Hong Kong |
| Hungary | Pilot | |||
| International: 1st nonstop flight across Atlantic & 1st International Airmail delivery | June 14 - June 15, 1919 St. John's, Newfoundland, to Clifden, County Galway, Ireland  The Daily Mirror's account of Alcock & Brown's flight, full of daring and breathless coverage | Pilots Alcock & Brown (British) Flying Vickers Vimy bomber Flew 3,040 km   | See International Airmail Flights | 1st Terrifying Atlantic flight, Alcock & Brown 1919 and Canada's sad little stamp commemorating Alcock and Brown |
| International: England to Australia | ||||
| International airmail Mermoz Line Toulouse - Dakar - Buenos Aires–Natal | 1928 World's longest airmail route Distance: 13,600 km Carried: 36 bags of mail  | Pilot Jean Mermoz (191-1936) (France) (still looking for names of other pilots on this flight) Flying Latécoère 25 monoplane  |   | 1937 Jean Memoz, commemorative issued a year after his disappearance France Designer/engraver: Gabriel-Antoine Barlangue Memoz disappeared on a flight from Dakar to Brazil. At approx 10:43 am he reported engine trouble with his Latécoère 300. The last message rec'd was "Right rear engine shut off". His plane went down approx 800km off the coast of Senegal in the Atlantic ocean. 2nd stamp - 1966 30th Anniversary of the Death of Jean Mermoz Senegal Design: shows the “Croix du Sud”, Mermoz's Latecoere 300 F-AKGF Designer: Pierre Opic |
| International flight First Cat to fly | 1910 The America airship flight - attempt at transatlantic voyage Leaving from Atlantic City Kiddo the tabby cat hitched a ride. Flight started October 15, 1910  | Flew for 72 hours, 1,622 km (1,008 miles) The America was abandoned off Bermuda after engine failure. Crew, including Kiddo were rescued by the Royal Mail steamship, just west of Bermuda | ||
| India | Feb. 18, 1911 Allahabad across theYamuna River to Naini 9.7 km First flight in India and First airmail flight in world | Pilot Henri Pequet (1888-1974) (French) Flying a Humber-Sommer Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: 88 June 10, 1910 (cerified in a Voisin) | See Airmail stamps for commemoratives | |
| Ireland | August 1910 First female designed, build and flown aircraft flown in British Isles. May be the first woman in the world. Bland Mayfly Carnmoney in Ireland  | Pilot/designer Lillian Bland |   | Stamp one: Centenary of Powered Flight series. Ireland 2003 Lillian Bland - First female aircraft designer 1910 Stamp two: Pioneering Irish Women series 2020 Lilian Bland, Aviatrix Designer Design HQ |
| Japan | Dec. 10, 1910 Yoyogi Parade Ground in Tokyo Note: On July 30, 1909, an imperial decree was issued to establish Japan's first official aircraft research institute, the Temporary Military Balloon Research Group. ... On April 11, 1910, Army Captains Kumazo Hino and Captain Yoshitoshi Tokugawa were dispatched to Germany and France to "learn how to fly an airplane" and "purchase an airplane." From Tokorozawa Airport History website While in France, Tokugawa (along with fellow pilot Captain Hino) purchased 4 airplanes: Henri Farman Biplane Hans Grade Monoplane Light Biplane Blériot monoplane | Pilot Baron Yoshitoshi Tokugawa 徳川 好敏 (1884-1963) (Japanese) Flying a Farman III First Japanese citizen to gain pilot's license. Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: 289 Nov 8, 1910 (certified in a Farman)  |   | Stamp one: 50th Anniversary of Japanese Aviation 1960 Design: Farman III & modern jet Stamp two: 100th Anniversary of Aviation in Japan (part of a souvenir sheet of 10 stamps) 2010 Design: Henri Farman Biplane |
| Japan | May 5, 1911 First Japanese designed airplane flown Tokorozawa Airfield Distance: 60 m Height: 4 m  | Pilot Narahara Miyoshi 奈良原三次 also listed as Narahara Sanji (1876-1944) Also designed the biplane Flying Narahara Type 2 pusher with a 50hp French Gnome Although Narahara was in the Navy at the time, he designed the aeroplane on his own time, using his own funds.  |  The History of Japanese Airplanes in 60 Years - (Sixty Years of Aviation) was published in 1972 and includes a section on the Narahara aeroplane. (book is in Japanese) |
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| Mexico | Jan. 8, 1910 Balbuena Military Field in Mexico City for about 1/2 kilometers reached 25 meters height ** also first flight in Latin America  | Pilot Alberto Braniff Ricard (1885-1966) (Mexican) Flying Voisin biplane with a DNV 60 hp engine Flew for 11 minutes Braniff trained in France with the Voisin brothers.   |   | 50th Anniversary Of Mexican Aviation 1960 2 values using same image Centennial of Aviation in Mexico 2010 Designer: Rodolfo Espíndola Betancourt |
| Netherlands | October 27, 1909 Etten-Leur to Breda | Pilot Henri Wijnmalen (1889-1964) (Dutch) Flying Wright Flyer Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: 220 Sept. 19, 1910 (certified in an H-Farman)  |  | Centennial issue was part of a larger set celebrating flight in the Netherlands. Issued 2009 Designer: Paul Mijksenaar |
| May 17, 2020 First KLM flight London-Amsterdam | Pilot Henry "Jerry" Shaw (1892-1977) (British ex: RFC) Flying DH.16 (G-EALU) Aero Club Certificate 4158 issued Feb. 1, 1917 | Shaw also flew for Aerofilms Ltd and Shell Oil | ||
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| Peru | Jan 15, 1911 Santa Beatriz to Lima | Pilot Juan Bielovucic (1889-1949) (Peruvian) Also used his Croatian name Ivan Bjelovučić Flying Voisin, possibly aType Bordeaux. Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 87 June 10, 1910 (certified with a H-Farman) *some sources claim American pilot Elmer James as the first to fly in Peru. However Bielovucic's flight is well documented and was observed by Peruvian dignitaries.  |    | Stamp issued Sept 15, 1937 airmail issue commemorating first Peruvian flight Centennial of Flight in Peru Issued 2011 Designer: Christian Alvarez Mendoza Croatia issued an stamp on the 125th Anniversary of his Birth 2014 Designer: Dubravka Zglavnik Horvat |
| Peru | Jan 25, 1913 First flight over Andes Achieved height of 3200 m setting a record. Went on to be commander of Peru's air force | Pilot Juan Bielovucic (1889-1949) (Peruvian) Also used his Croatian name Ivan Bjelovučić Flying Hanriot 80hp monoplane ** some sources claim Elmer James was the first to fly over the Andes. ** Some sources list Alejandro Velasco Astete as the 1st Peruvian to fly over Andes. However Bielovucic was born in Lima, Peru and held Peruvian and French citizenship. | ||
| Portugal | May 1, 1910 3 km in a 6 min flight Campo Pequeno bullring, Lisbon to Monsanto Forest Park | Pilot Julien Mamet (1877-1932) (French) Worked as a mechanic for Blériot Flying Blériot XI Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 87 June 10, 1910 (certified with a H-Farman) | ||
| Russia (Imperial) First female pilot | September 1911 and received license in1912. Her successful flight was noted in the 1911 Sept. Flight magazine  Russian Princess Schaikowski [and] Aviator Abramowitsch | Pilot Princess Helene Shakhovskaya Flying Wright Flyer Continued flying lessons with the Wright Bro company. Gave up flying in 1913 when on a flight, her instructor was killed in an accident. When war broke out, she was coaxed back to flying Also first woman to fly a military mission for Russia. 1914 flew recon missions. She was a member of the 1st Field Air Detachment in the North West Front. Details of her life post war are murky. She may have been arrested and imprisoned by the Bolsheviks and or Tsar. Another story claims she was a member of the early secret police for the Bolsheviks. Many of the stories seem to be nothing more than inuendo. Killed herself in 1920 at the age of 31. | ||
| Singapore | Mar. 16, 1911 Farrer Park, Kallang, Singapore at the old Serangoon Road Race Course Took place at the 1st air meet in Singapore | Pilot Joseph Christiaens (1882-1919) (Belgian) Flying Bristol Boxkite biplane One of 6 pilots invited to the 1910 St Petersburg Airshow with a H-Farman. He won 3 titles: Longest mount of time in air, 4hrs, 59m & 53s Also won fastest speed and greatest number of passengers. |  | 100 years of aviation in Singapore - Old racecourse first flight Designer Chua Ban Har Part of a 5 stamp set showing aviation at various stages. |
| Soviet Union | June 17-20, 1937 1st transpolar flight From Shchelkovo Airport, Moscow to Vancouver, Washington, USA by way of the North Pole | Pilot Valery Chkalov, co-pilot Georgy Baidukov, and navigator Alexander Belyakov ANT-25 single-engine monoplane Special thanks to Twitter user @StartWithTheArt for this one |   | Feb. 25, 1938 4 stamps (2 of each) Tracing flight over the North Pole |
| Spain | Feb. 12, 1910 Barcelona, Spain over the Hippodrome of Can Tunis A few sites list Eduardo Barrón as the first to fly in 1909 - Voisin biplane for 40 seconds. However, he didn't gain his aircraft license until 1911. Prior to that he was a balloonist for the military and posted in Northern Africa from 1909 and 1910. | Pilot Julien Mamet (1877-1932) (French) Worked as a mechanic for Blériot XI Flying Blériot Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 18 Jan. 6, 1910 (certified in a Blériot) | ||
| Sweden | July 19, 1909 Malmö Racecourse Reached 40 meters and speed of 60 km/hr | Pilot Henri Brégi (1888-1917) (French) Flying Voisin biplane with 50 hp engine Prince Carl of Sweden was a passenger on a flight Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 26 Dec. 21, 1909 (certified in a Voisin) | ||
| Sweden | 1910 Stockholm | Pilot Baron Carl Cederström (Swiss) (1867- 1918) Flying Blériot monoplane 1st Swedish pilot to gain a pilot's license and 1st Swedish pilot to fly in Sweden. Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 74 May 2, 1910 (certified in a Bleroit) |  | Flying history in Sweden Issued 1984 Designer & engraver: Ingalill Axelsson | Zlatko Jakuš (E) |
| Thailand | Feb 2, 1911 Royal Racing Track in Bangkok This was part of a flying tour Van den Born took of Asia, that included Indochina and Vietnam *** The Hong Kong flight is often considered the first Asian flight, but a notice in Aerophile dated March 1, 1911 announced this flight. As well the 1910 Japanese flight predates the Hong Kong flight by 3 months. | Pilot Charles Van den Born (Belgian) (1874-1958) Flying Farman biplane Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 37 (certified in an H-Farman) Belgium license No. 6  The aviation week, patronized by the King of Siam, opened at the beginning of February in Bangkok. Van den Born executed some very successful flights. The first Siamese passenger was Prince Ramphenspetche, military governor of Bangkok. Appeared in Mar 1911 Aerophile | After this flight the King f Siam, H.M. King Vajiravudh was so impressed with this flight, he arranged to send 3 soldiers to France to learn how to fly.  First Flight Raak Bin A movie was made about these pilots and their time in France |
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| Ukraine | May 2, 1910 Kiev Polytechnic Institute Reached 100 meters in height and a speed of 60 km/h | Pilot Pyotr Nesterov (1987-1914) (Russian) Flying Farman III biplane |    | 3 commemoratives: Russia 2012 Designer Roman Komsa USSR 19663 P.N. Nesterov (1887-1914) and Nesterov's Loop Designer: Valery Pimenov Hungary 1962 Nyesterov's Nieuport Biplane Not specifically about the first flight, but a Nyesterov commemorative about his famous loops Designer: Kékesi László |
| United Kingdom | Aug. 29, 1911 First woman to pilot's certificate | Pilot Hilda Beatrice Hewlett (1864 - 1943) Royal Aero Club Certificate: No 122 (certified in a Farman III biplane) Her Farman was called The Bluebird Studied aeronautics in France in 1909 Started a flying school in Brooklands (with Gustav Blondeau) and the Hewlett & Blondeau Aircraft company Among her most notable students was Thomas Sopwith.  Photo from Hewlett's pilot's license | ||
| United States | Dec. 17, 1903 Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA 1st officially recognised flight in world | Pilot Orville Wright (1871-1948) (American) Flying1903 Flyer Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 14 January 7, 1909 (certified in a Wright Flyer)  |         | Over 130 stamps from around the world have been issued featuring the Wright Bros and the Wright Flyer. The ones picked here are from France and the US, the two countries the Wright Bros were connected to. USA issued 1928 for the International Aeronautics Conference Issue - 46th anniv. of the Wright Brothers’ 1st flight, Issued 1949 AIRMAIL stamp ___ Wright Brothers & Flyer A and Shed Issued 1978 AIRMAIL stamps (reused in the later --- The Brothers were included in the 1998 Celebrate the Century sheet ____ First Flight of Wright Brothers, Cent. Issued 2003 ___ USA & France Joint issue Aviation Pioneers issued 2010 Designer for both issues: James Prunier |
| September 16, 1910 First woman to fly solo in the USA | Bessica Raiche (1875-1932) Retired from flying to become a physician. Bessica and her husband Francois built the aircraft she flew - a "Wright type" biplane. Was awarded a gold medal by Aeronautical Society in October 1910, They later formed the French-American Aeroplane Company. |   | ||
| June 15, 1921 First black pilot and first African American woman to gain a pilot's license | Bessie Coleman (1882-1926) Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 18310   |  | This is the only stamp featuring Coleman. From the Black Heritage series Issued April 27, 1995, by USPS One coin was issued by the US mint in 2023. Read more about Bessie here Bessie Coleman |