World’s first official airmail flies on Feb. 18
On February 18, 1911, the world’s first official airmail was delivered in India.
DISTANCE: 8.2 km
FLYING TIME: 13 min
Pilot: Henri Pequet
Aéro-Club de France Aviator Certificate: No. 88
June 10, 1910 (certified in a Voisin)
Aircraft: Humber-Sommer
Post mark used on mail and postcards delivered on February 18, 1911.
23-year-old French pilot Henri Pequet (1888-1974) flew his Humber-Sommer biplane a distance of 8.2 km in a 13 minute to successfully deliver the world’s first official airmail.
Henri Pequet ready to leave Allahabad on February 18, 1911 Image courtesy Air France Museum
He took off from the polo field in Allabad, flew over the Yamuna River, and landed at Naini. On board with Pequet was a sack holding 6,000 letters and postcards. Each piece of mail carried a special, one time only cancel that read “First Aerial Post, 1911, U. P. Exhibition Allahabad”
India has issued an extensive tribute to Pequet’s flight for the 50th, 75th & 100th anniversaries. If you are interested in beginning an airmail or aviation related collection, India is an excellent starting point. They have a lot of top notch designs and they are fun to chase down. The following stamps are from my collection. I really love India’s stamps.
50th Anniversary of First Airmail Flight
First stamp was issued in 1961 and featured the original aerial post mark.
The 1986, 75tth anniversary included a FDC cover, with the silhouette of Pequet’s biplane
The stamps were:
Humber Sommer Biplane and Later Mail Planes
Air India Airbus Industrie A300 Mail Plane
Designed by R. Pasricha
The 100th anniversary saw India Post pull out all the stops and issue a magnificent tribute to both Pequet’s flight and India’s storied airmail past.
The souvenir sheet, among my favourite airmail stamps, was issued in 2011 – 100 Years of Airmail. It came with four stamps:
Pilot Henri Pequet and Newspaper Headline and Postcard and Letter with First Aerial Post Cancellations (left and right)
Allahabad Fort & Map of Flight Path from Allahabad to Naini and Pequet’s Sommer Biplane Flying over River Yamuna (pair in the middle)
Designed by Sankha Samanta
The sheet was issued for the Indipex 2011 World Philatelic Exhibition held in Delhi.
India 100th Anniversary postcard with a special cancel and the Pequet stamp
FDC featured photos of the flight, illustrations and all four stamps
In 2012, Pequet’s flight made an appearance once again, this time for India’s Philately Day. Souvenir sheet was designed by Alka Sharma.
Head over to my pages devoted to Pioneer Aviation and airmail – or click the History of aviation & airmail menu above for more choices.