Members
This section of the F.I.S.A. website contains news items provided by Member Societies :
  • AIDA - "Ali Dentellate" - Event - 2023 September

    The organization of the next "ALI DENTELLATE" event is well underway and the union between the AIDA, AFI and ANUA Associations is proving to be very productive.
    The Air Force General Staff really liked the project, so much so that they granted us their patronage and included it in the official events of the Centenary of the Italian Air Force. Furthermore, since both AFI and AIDA have always been federated associations, the event also received the patronage of the Federation of Italian Philatelic Societies (FSFI).

    With this message you are therefore invited to participate in the event.

    In summary, the following are planned:
    -- a series of conferences on Saturday 21 October, morning 09:00 - 13:00 (by invitation only, having only 35 places per Association), with presentations by some exhibitors.
    -- social buffet lunch (optional and upon reservation with advance payment) 1.00pm - 3.00pm.
    -- opening of the Philatelic (the 50th Aerophilately Day) and Numismatics (mainly medals) exhibition open to the public on Saturday 21 October 3.00pm - 7.00pm and Sunday 22 October 9.00am - 5.00pm.

    You can find further information on our website: www.aida-aerofilatelia.org

    Those who cannot attend the conference will be able to follow it via YouTube or Facebook streaming.

    The exhibition will feature over 70 frames on the Poste Italiane which bring together important collections recognized at a national and international level.
    There will be 6 noticeboards dedicated to numismatics, containing the Zanelli collection, official engraver of medals for the Armed Forces. This is an unpublished collection, never seen, donated to the SMA only recently after his death.

    In order to collect registrations (above all to quantify the number of seats for the conference and social lunch), and above all to provide the data for registration for the event requested by the SMA, you are requested to complete the attached participation form as soon as possible and return it to segreteria@aida-aerofilatelia.org.

    More info on the following pdf-files :

  • APCD - Aero-Philatelisten-Club Deutschlands - 2023 August
    • August 2023 - APCD 8/2023
    Tag der Aerofilatelie 2023
    Stacks Image 393
    • July 2023 - APCD 7/2023
    100 Jahre Aero - Philatelisten - Club Deutschlands e.V. (APCD)

    Am 12.9.1923 wurde der APCD gegründet. Aus diesem Anlaß organisiert unser Verein eine Sonderluftpost.

    LUFTHANSA LH 2518 München - Dublin 12.9.2023
    Geflogen wird mit A320 - neo.

    Es ist keine Rückflugpost vorgesehen.
    Sammlerpost (kein Einschreiben – maximale Größe C6 – ohne Einlage) kann eingeliefert werden bis zum 5.9.2023 an:

    Dr. Volkmar Mehlitz
    PF 1150
    DE - 06556 Artern

    Mit einzusenden sind ein frankierter Rückumschlag, sowie pro Beleg 0,75 € ( für APCD - Mitglieder 0,50€) Stempelgebühr. Es wird ein Bestätigungsstempel als Cachet verwendet.

    Zuleitungpost muß auf der Rückseite eine 0,10€ - Marke tragen.

    Vorgeschriebene Anschrift: (Name) c/o GPO DUBLIN 1 D01 F5P2 Irland

    Bitte vergessen Sie nicht den Absender!!!!

  • GWP - Gesellschaft der Welt-All Philatelisten - 2023 May
    • May 2023
    Ernst Leu, Chairman GWP, passes the torch to Christiaan Schmied

    Last month, Ernst Leu ended his carreer as President of GWP, the Swiss Astrophilatelic Society and handed over the presidency to Christiaan Schmied.

    Ernst Leu is a longtime astrophilatelist, with the heart at the right place and always fair towards astrophilatelic exhibitions and events, sometimes rather critical, but always with a smile : SMS or Space Macht Spass 😉 is still his slogan !

    In attachment you can read the article in the Schweizer Briefmarken Zeiting (June 2023) where Ernst hands over his presidency.

    Enjoy your retirement, Ernst !

  • IAPC - Internationale Aero-Philatelisten Club
    • May 2023 - APCD 1/2023
    75th anniversary start of the Air-Lift between Berlin and Frankfurt/Mainz

    Der IAPC wird im Verbund mit anderen Vereinen eine Jubiläumsausstellung zu75 Jahre Luftbrücke veranstalten. Anbei das Infomaterial mit der Bitte um Veröffentlichung auf der Webseite.

  • APCD - Aero-Philatelisten Club Deutschland
    • March 2023 - APCD 1/2023
    95th anniversary of the start of air traffic between Prague and Amsterdam

    On April 29, 2023, on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of the start of air traffic between Prague and Amsterdam, mail with an occasional cachet will be sent.

    Envelopes to Amsterdam must be addressed to:
    Klub moravských filatelistů
    poste restante
    Aankomstpassage 12
    1118 AX Schiphol
    Nederland

    Postage of 39 crowns or 1.70 euros

    Send shipments to the address: Klub moravských filatelistů
    P.O.B. 10
    790 70 Javorník u Jeseníku
    Czech Republic.

  • AAMS - Aerophilately 2022

    From November 4-6th 2022, Aerophilately 2022 took place at the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

    This was the third one-time all-airmail WSP philatelic exhibition, the last times beinig in 2007 and 2014.

    The show offered an exhibition of 40 airmail and astro exhibits from 34 exhibitors, outstanding dealers and three days of seminars and social events.
    The show was organised by Stephen Reinhard, Cheryl Ganz, David Ball, Pat Walters, and many, many other members of the AAMS.

    My personal comment : I counted 38 aerophilateic exhibits in the catalogue and only 1 on astrophilately !

    Stephen Reinhard provided me also a very nice booklet with writings about Aerophilately: " Mail in the Air ", published by the American Air Mail Society in conjunction with Aerophilately 2022.

    The booklet contains 7 stories on Aerophilately:
    - Pushing the Envelope : Pioneer Rocket Mail, 1928-1959, by David Ball
    - The Veil is Lifted : PAA builds a Seaport in the Jungle : Fisherman's Lake, by David Crotty
    - Restarting Pan Am's Commercial Transpacific Airmail Service After WWII, by William Fort
    - SCADTA and the 1934 Von Krohn Air Crash, by Alfredo Frohlich and Santiago Cruz
    - Canadian Airmail Services in 1932 : A Look Back to 90 Years Before Aerophilately 2022, by Chris Hargreaves
    - Collect Zeppelins and Join the Fun, by Jim Hill
    - Romance of the Flying Boats, by Jon Krupnick

    A Great Show, looking forward to the 2030 Edition !

    Stefan Bruylants

    Read: Mail in the Air
  • BFV Cosmos - Belgian Astrophilatelic Society
    • February 2023
    Jackie Lauwers-Bekaert honoured at 50th Anniversary of BFV Cosmos

    In February 2023, BFV Cosmos could finally celebrate the association's 50th anniversary (already 52nd at the time) after postponements by Covid pandemic in 2021 and 2022. On this occasion, our longest-serving member was celebrated : Jacqueline Lauwers-Bekaert.

    Jacky was Secretary in BFV Cosmos since its founding in 1971, always aside her husband, the late George Lauwers. She became Secretary-General of FISA in 1991 and continued in this role until 2013, after which she was given the title of Honorary Secretary-General in FISA.

    She remained secretary of BFV Cosmos until 2019. Now she was handed over the title of Honorart Member of BFV Cosmos with a lifetime membership.

  • GWP - Weltraumverkauf - Space Covers Sale
    • February 2023 - GWP

      Auction on Astrophilatelic covers

    Dear Space Friends. Not again. Yes already again a sign of the solidarity of the GWP among its / for its members.

    A member would like to pass on / sell his collection. As total package or after topics or at most with good evaluation of individual bids this can also be considered. The owner decides in the end. Not the GWP!

    List with 32 pages neatly listed has arrived today in my GWP mailbox. It has very many with original signatures and genuinely run covers! Also brands! Studies this please in all peace. They are really super covers.

    Because what costs nothing is known to be worth nothing. Appreciation is written here large by the owner. The GWP (Ernst) would look at most, that it delivery also directly from Germany would take place without customs clearance if you EU members and space friends also would bid and the surcharge receives. So please give a sign from everywhere, even if it is still so small (number of pieces). At the end it can possibly still bring luck.

    The listing was made after the catalog of 1986 in DM. The prices today are only guide prices. So make offers with your collector heart. And the GWP supports this and will not demand any obolus from you. Because this is still the gift (work) of the current president to you. My work is free of charge and your money will go 100% to the owner.

    Please ask me and I will be happy to answer any question. But unfortunately no photos. You can look for yourself in the Göde catalog 1986. Since the effort is too big for me. I do not have the collection on site. I only received the list today by mail. But there are really good and partly very rare covers!

    Ernst Leu, President GWP

    SPN Space Covers Sale
  • GWP - Auction of astrophilatelic covers
    • January 2023 - GWP
    Auction on Astrophilatelic covers

    Every year our GWP astro-club Gesellschaft der Welt-All Philatelisten brings its auction of astrophilately covers in January. Ernst Leu again managed to bring a nice range of 130 covers in his auction, from Apollo to Space Shuttle, followed by a number of stamps and also Russian letters and autographs, even some flown letters. You can check it all out in issue 204 of SPN (Space Phil News) - in German, though.

    SPN 204 - Auction
  • AIDA - Italian Air Mail Society
    • May 28th 2022 - AIDA
    Aerophilately Seminar 2022

    The seminars that the Italian Federation organizes periodically are an important moment of presentation of the new exhibition trends and regulations, as well as of cultural growth and experience for exhibitors and jurors. For these reasons, after last year’s seminars dedicated to the classes of open philately and thematic philately and to today’s experimental philatelic section, the Federation returns to the field, promoting other formative meetings.

    This time it will be Aerophilatelia to be the subject of analysis and study, through the organization of a seminar dedicated to it. The appointment is for Saturday 28 May from 3 to 6 pm on the Zoom platform. Speakers will include Fiorenzo Longhi, FIP juror and former federal delegate for aerophilately, Flavio Riccitelli, FSFI juror and current federal delegate, and Ivar Sundsbø, Norwegian FIP juror, fresh from the experience of London 2022.

    Participation is open to all interested parties, who can request access information for the Zoom meeting by sending an email to luca.lavagnino@gmail.com

    The video recording of the event will later be made available to anyone on the federal YouTube channel. Close to the event, the AIDANews editorial team will send the link to participate by e-mail to all the members and all the contact persons of the Associations affiliated with AIDA.

    Redazione AIDANews

  • APCD - Aero-Philatelisten Club Deutschland
    • January 2022 - APCD 1/2022
    Umfrage nach der weltweit schönsten Luftfahrtbriefmarke – Ausgabejahr 2020

    Wir laden alle Philatelisten und alle an der Luftfahrt Interessierten zur Teilnahme an der traditionellen jährlichen Umfrage nach der schönsten Luftfahrtbriefmarke ein. Auf unserer Webseite haben wir eine Präsentation von 60 Postwertzeichen eingerichtet, die im Jahr 2020 ausgegeben wurden und in ihrem Hauptmotiv einen Bezug zur Luftfahrt aufweisen. Zur Einschränkung der Ausgabenanzahl haben wir in der Vorauswahl auf Agenturausgaben weitgehend verzichtet.
    Die Markenpräsentation enthält am Ende ein Formular zur Stimmabgabe, in das die Teilnehmer ihre Favoriten für die Plätze 1 bis 3 eintragen und über eine Schaltfläche zur Auszählung absenden können. Die Umfrage ist über http://www.arge-luftfahrt.de und die Schaltfläche „Umfrage" zu erreichen.
    Die Umfrage endet am 30.04.2022. Das Ergebnis wird danach auf der Webseite und in der Vereinszeitschrift LUFTFAHRT veröffentlicht. Den Redaktionen der philatelistischen Fachpresse und der Fachpresse für Luft- und Raumfahrt werden wir das Ergebnis im Mai 2022 zusenden.
    Über eine rege Beteiligung Ihrer Leser und Mitglieder an der Umfrage würden wir uns sehr freuen!

    Poll for the world's most beautiful aviation stamp - issue year 2020

    We invite all philatelists and all those interested in aviation to participate in the traditional annual survey for the most beautiful aviation stamp. On our website, we have set up a presentation of 60 postage stamps that were issued in 2020 and have a reference to aviation in their main motif. To limit the number of issues, we have largely avoided agency issues in the pre-selection.
    The stamp presentation contains a voting form at the end in which participants can enter their favourites for places 1 to 3 and submit them via a button for counting. The poll can be accessed via http://www.arge-luftfahrt.de and the "Poll" button.
    The poll ends on 30.04.2022. The result will then be published on the website and in the association's magazine LUFTFAHRT. We will send the results to the editors of the philatelic and aerospace trade press in May 2022.
    We would be very pleased if your readers and members would participate in the survey!

    Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) Motiv-Arbeitsgemeinschaft Luftfahrt e.V.
    Der Vorstand
    Dr. Thomas Müller Dr. Dietmar Steidel Jürgen Kuhn

  • CAS - Canadian Airmail Society

    Sunday November 7th. 11:30 am to 1:30 pm Eastern Time

    Please note this is the Eastern Time Change Day, and check what your equivalent local time will be.

    Cheryl Ganz will give a presentation on

    British Airship Post: The Dream to Connect the Empire.

    Cheryl was the Chief Curator of Philately at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum in Washington, DC; is a distinguished exhibitor who has won many awards including the 2018 Single-Frame Champion of Champions Award at the American Philatelic Society’s Ameristamp Expo in 2018; and a highly regarded speaker.

    Zoom details are:
    -- Topic: Aerophilately Study Group
    -- Time: Nov 7, 2021 11:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
    -- Join Zoom Meeting
    The meeting has been set up with a “waiting room” so you do not need a password.

    Cheryl’s presentation will be followed by a “social hour” for questions, discussion, show-and-tell, mystery covers and announcements.

    The meeting is being organized by The Canadian Aerophilatelic Society and the British North America Philatelic Society’s Air Mail Study Group.

    It is open to all, and you are welcome to pass an invitation on to other people who might be interested.

  • APCD - Klub Moravskych Filateslistu

    Tag der Aerophilatelie 2021 - Luftpost Praha-Basel - 05-10-2021

    Find all information here.

  • APCD - Kyffhäuserflug 19.6.2021

    125 Jahre Kyffhäuserdenkmal - 100 Jahre Kyffhäuserflug 19.6.2021

    Der APCD organisiert aus obigem Anlaß zwei Sonderluftpostbeförderungen auf dem Flugplatz Udersleben / Bad Frankenhausen. Sofern das Wetter und Corona mitspielen erfolgt am 19.6.2021 ein Flug mit der Wilga D-EWHV und einem Segelflugzeug DG 505 Orion.

    Sammlerpost (kein Einschreiben – maximale Größe C6) kann eingeliefert werden bis zum 16.6.2021 an:
    Dr. Volkmar Mehlitz, PF 1134, D - 06556 Artern.

    Auf den Belegen ist der gewünschte Flug kenntlich zu machen mit "W" für den Wilga - Flug mit "S" für den Segelflug.

    Pro Beleg ist eine Gebühr für die Stempelung und die Flugkosten von 1,00€ (für APCD - Mitglieder 0,75€ zu entrichten.

    Mitläufer sind möglich. Hier ist folgende Anschrift zu nutzen:
    APCD
    PF 1134
    DE - 06556 Artern
    Für die Mitläufer ist ein frankierter Rückumschlag mit einzusenden

    Nach dem Flug werden die Belege in Artern gestempelt und der Deutschen Post AG zum Versand mit beliebiger Anschrift übergeben.

  • AIDA - New website on February 18th 2021
  • APCD - 100 Jahre Flugverkehr Prag - Warschau vv : 24/04/2021

    Aus Anlaß des 100-jährigen Jubiläums wird am 24.4.2021 Post auf den Strecken Prag - Warschau und Warschau - Prag befördert.

    Prag - Warschau - Anschrift:
    Urzad Poztowy Warszawa 1
    Kiosk filatelistyczny
    ul. Swietokrzyczna 31/33
    00-001 Warzawa
    Polsko - Polska

    Frankierservice 39.- Kronen oder E / 1,60€
    Anschlußpost aus dem Ausland ist möglich, zusätzliches tschechisches Porto notwendig - wie vor.

    Warschau - Prag - Anschrift:
    Lukas Lenc
    Posta Praha 120
    Plzenska 130
    CZ-220 00 Praha 5
    Ceska Republika

    Frankierservice 6.-Zloty / 2,00€
    Rückumschlag erforderlich - Porto bis 50 Gramm 1,60€, bis 100 Gramm 2,30€
    Einsendeschluß: 15.3.2021
    Pro Beleg ist eine Servicentgelt i.H.v. 0,80€ zu entrichten.

    Einsendeanschrift:
    Klub moravskych filatelistu
    Post Box 20
    CZ-790 70 Javornik u Jeseniku
    Tschechische Republik

  • Zoom Day of Aerophilately : November 1st 2020

    ZOOM DAY OF AEROPHILATELY Sunday, November 1st - 11.30 to 1.00 or 1.30 EST

    We now have a full agenda for our Zoom Day of Aerophilately:

    1. Introductions: all participants will be invited to introduce themselves, and say a bit about their collecting interests and current projects.
    2. Optional show-and-tell: participants are invited to describe a cover flown as close as possible to November 1st in any year.
    3. Presentations:
      • A collection of November Air covers. - Simon Claughton
      • The American Export Airlines crash at Botwood on Oct. 3, 1942 - Ken Sanford
      • FAM No. 2: Seattle‒Victoria. Recent Findings. - Gray Scrimgeour
      • The First Trans-Canada Flight 1920, and its commemoration 2020 - Dave Bartlet
    More Info
  • Aeropex 2019 in Adelaide : Catalogue available

    The Adelaide Aeropex committee and accord judges have been working hard. The exhibition was oversubscribed but we have made arrangements to get extra frames to the venue and accepted every entry received by the closing date. The Drill Hall will be full!

    The attached file is the catalogue. It is not your normal catalogue, arranged in stamp exhibition classes etc, but is intended to be a visitor's guide and will be free for all visitors.

    In addition to this, the catalogue will also be incorporated into the next edition of the Australian Stamps Professional Magazine, a special Centenary Airmail edition that will be on sale at newsagents throughout Australia for two months from mid October through to the exhibition on 6-8 December.

    It will also serve as a promotion for the show and I invite you to place it on any websites you can for downloads and to spread the news wherever there may be an interest.

    Best wishes from Adelaide!

  • APCD - Deutschland : LZ 129 "Hindenburg"

    Dr. Volkmar Mehlitz, President APCD, is working on a publication to document all passenger and crew lists of the 63 flights of the LZ 129 "Hindenburg". Research in the Archiv des Zeppelinmuseums showed that the lists are not complete and a lot of Crew- and Passengers lists are missing.

    The following information is missing :

    • Review on the flights LZ 129: 22-25. and 43-47.
    • Crew list and passengers list for flights : 10. 11. 14. 16. 17. 28. 30. 33. 41. 43. 45. 52. 53. 59. 60.
    • Passengers lists : 7.-9., 18.-21., 26.-28., 30., 33., 39.-41., 43., 45.-46., 51.-52, 54.-55., 60.-62.

    If anyone can help Dr. Volkmar Mehlitz with copies of these lists, please send to : Aero-Philatelisten-Club Deutschlands e.V. (APCD) c/o Dr. Volkmar Mehlitz Franz – Schubert Str. 41 D – 06556 Artern Germany Tel.: +49 3466 302 525 (dienstl.) Tel.: +49 3466 300 525 e-mail: aerovm@web.de Web: http://www.aero-phila-club.de

  • Australian Air Mail Society : Australian Air Mail Catalogue - 07/08/2019

    Plans are under way to release a new edition of The Australian Air Mail Catalogue for release at Aeropex in December of this year.

    Tom Frommer and Charles Leski have been updating the last edition, published in 2008, but are always conscious of corrections and new entries to be made. Such a catalogue is a work in progress that is continually evolving. Collectors and researchers with details of changes and additions to the catalogue are invited to send them to Tom Frommer, Charles Leski or Martin Walker by the end of September 2019 so they can be verified and considered for inclusion in the new edition.

    If sending changes please quote the current AAMC number and the details of the change. For new entries please send the details as found in the catalogue for other flights. eg, date of departure, the names of the pilots and crew and the aircraft used, the route flown including stops, and if known, the number of covers carried. Scans of the cover at min 300dpi will also be helpful.

    To encourage new contributions to the catalogue Charles Leski is generously offering a 50% discount off the retail price of the new edition to all contributors who suggest corrections or additions that are adopted. Details of how to order the new edition will be released later in the year.

    Tom Frommer - frommer@pcug.org.au Charles Leski - Charles@leski.com.au Martin Walker - saphilatelist@gmail.com

  • American Air Mail Society : President Lee Downer passed away - 28/07/2019

    It's a sad day for the American Air Mail Society with the passing of President Lee Downer. Despite his battle with a brain tumor, Lee continued to take his duties seriously and worked tirelessly in his final days and months to implement programs and changes to help carry the AAMS into the future.

    One of those duties was preparing the digital version of the Airpost Journal for email circulation. Although the email had my name on it, the message was Lee's. That job is now mine. I just spent about three hours on the phone with Constant Contacts' technical support and hope I got this right. I expect I can get it sent out this month and hope I can remember how to do it again next month.

    Lee will be missed but I know through recent communications that David Ball is stepping into the president's role. I hope we'll all support him as he assumes the duties.

    Vickie Canfield Peters, Editor of the AIRPOST JOURNAL

  • Canadian Airmail Society : First Non-stop Flight Across Atlantic - 06/06/2019

    The Canadian Aerophilatelic Society celebrated The First Non-stop Flight Across the Atlantic by producing commemorative postcards which were flown across the Atlantic exactly 100 years later.

    The front of the cards features the famous image of Alcock and Brown taking off from St. John’s, Newfoundland, on June 14th 1919.

    The cards were:

    • franked with a specially designed Picture Postage stamp showing Alcock and Brown

    • cancelled in St. John's, Newfoundland on 14th June 2019

    • flown from St. John's to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on WestJet Encore Flight 3423, and from Halifax to Dublin, Ireland, on WestJet Flight 50 driven from Dublin to An Clochán (Clifden) and postmarked on 15th June 2019

    • numbered from 1 to 196 as were the letters carried by Alcock and Brown.

    Cards can be purchased from Dave Bartlet - dave.bartlet@shaw.ca (1955 - 9th Avenue NW, Calgary AB, T2N 4N3 ).

  • AS.IT.AF : Italian Astrophilatelic Society now member of F.I.S.A - 24/04/2019

    During the 49th F.I.S.A. Congress in Berlin, on Saturday April 27th, F.I.S.A. warmly welcomed the Italian Astrophilatelic Society AS.IT.AF as the 6th astrophilatelic society within F.I.S.A.

    Thanks to the magnificent work of its President, Mr. Umberto Cavallaro, AS.IT.AF became a leader in European astrophilately within ten years.

    AS.IT.AF publishes a magazin, Ad*Astra, every three months, in Italian and in English, available as printed copy or as pdf file. Besides this, Umberto Cavallaro has published several books on astrophilately, the latest was "The Race to the Moon", appreciated worldwide for its content.

  • Australian Air Mail Society : Planning Aeropex 2019 - Update 11/2018

    After the sad and premature demise of Ross Wood, the AuAMS is still organising people to fill the huge gap he has left. The new editor of The Australian Aerophilatelist will be Darryl Fuller. The new Australian delegate to the FIP Aerophilately Commission will be David Collyer in Sydney.

    This year is the 50th anniversary of the Australian Airmail Society and as part of their celebration we are hosting the Annual South Australian Philatelic Congress on the weekend of 6 & 7 October 2018.

    Next year, the Australian Airmail Society and the South Australian Philatelic Council will again join forces to host a special aviation themed philatelic exhibition here in Adelaide on the 6th to 8th December 2019. This will be known as Aeropex 2019 and celebrates the centenary of the first England to Australia Flight by Ross and Keith Smith. This will be held 6-8 December 2019 here in Adelaide. We have already organised some judges in overseas countries to collect and bring exhibits to Adelaideand hope to finalise the last few at next week's FIP Congress in Bangkok. When this is done the promotion of the exhibition will commence in earnest.We expect to put on a show with 300 - 350 frames of aerophilatelic, astrophilatelic and other philatelic classes with exhibits with aviation related subject matter.Eg airmail rates in postal history, aerogrammes in postal stationery, story of flight in thematics, etc etc.

  • Canadian Air Mail Society : Obituary Donald Holmes

    Donald Holmes will be known to many aerophilatelists as the author of Air Mail: An Illustrated History 1793-1981. This beautifully illustrated, thoroughly researched book, was an attempt to introduce the general public to the fascination of aeropostal history, by means of a coffee table style book. Although published in 1982, it is still widely regarded as the best one volume history of the early air mail flights and services around the world.

    Donald was also a regular contributor of letters and articles on a wide variety of topics, to the American Air Mail Society's Airpost Journal, and the Canadian Aerophilatelic Society's Canadian Aerophilatelist. In the years after this book was published, Donald moved from the U.S.A. to Scotland, then to England, to France, and then back to England. Donald was interested in not just the “facts” of history, but the significance of different events in the development of aviation and air mail.

    One of his particular interests, was the relative importance of the Wright Brothers’ flights at Kitty Hawk on December 17th1903, and Wilbur Wright’s flight at Le Mans in France on August 8th 1908:

    • the Wright Brothers first flights in December 1903 received little attention at the time. - There was in fact great scepticism as to whether they had actually flown. In 1906, for example, the Paris edition of the Herald Tribune carried an article on the Wright Brothers with the headline “Flyers or Liars?”. In 1908, when there were delays before Wilbur Wright’s first demonstration flight in France, the press often referred to them as “Bluffeurs”.

    • it was the August 8th 1908 flight from Les Hunaudieres race track at Le Mans, when Wilbur Wright amazed the crowd with his ability to make controlled turns, that turned the Wright Brothers into international celebrities. - The Paris daily newspaper Figaro wrote that, “It was not merely a success, but a triumph; a conclusive trial and a decisive victory for aviation, the news of which will revolutionize scientific circles around the world.” When they returned to the U.S.A. in 1909 there were two days of festivities in Dayton.

    Nowadays, however, the first flights on December 17th 1903 are frequently regarded as one of the most significant events of the 20th Century, but Wilbur’s flight on August 8th 1908 receives little attention. In a “Letter to the Editor” in the May 1999 Air Post Journal, Donald wrote that: “It seems to me that this easy to remember date 8.8.08 has been short changed in our awareness. This flight –Wilbur’s first flight in France – was the one that awakened the world to the importance of what happened at Kitty Hawk in 1903.” During his years in France, Donald became very involved with the Centenary celebrations for the 1908 flight being organized in Le Mans, and in the group Aero-Retro which built a replica of the Wright Flyer III that flew as part of the Centenary celebrations.

    As part of the Centenary commemoration, and to try and raise awareness of Wilbur Wright’s flight at Le Mans, Donald wrote a second book: Wilbur’s Story - a Personal View of the Role of France in Wilbur Wright’s Life. It is profusely illustrated with reproductions of old postcards, etc, and provides a thoroughly researched and highly readable account of the events before and after Wilbur’s flight on 8-8-08.

    Donald was elected to the Aerophilatelic Hall of Fame in 2005, to honour “his dedication to aerophilately and aeropostal history”.

    He is survived by his wife Lesley, and his daughter Carolyn.

    Chris Hargreaves

  • American Air Mail Society : AAMS on Face Book

    Dedicated to the documentation, preservation, advancement and promotion of aerophilately worldwide through education, study, research and services.

    Dear AAMS Member,

    Thank you very much for your loyal membership in the American Air Mail Society. You are the Society’s most important resource, whether you collect, conduct research, write, exhibit or sell. To those ends, the Society wants to provide you as much support as possible; as efficiently as can be done. Over the last quarter century, tremendous changes have been made in the information technology and social media we all use. To remain relevant, the Society must keep up. Our Board recently approved the first steps; improving our website and the delivering an on-line version of APJ. After finishing those website improvements, we will then look at various options to deliver our amazing catalogues. I will keep you advised of our progress.

    In addition, as a first step into Social Media, AAMS has created a Group on Face Book. This trial initiative should allow faster dissemination and better sharing of relevant information, as well as provide a channel for feedback from you. I am surprised at the number of interesting events and articles, relating directly to our hobby, that come to my attention each day. I think you might be interested in some these as well. Once we understand the power to facilitate, collaborate and inform, I think you, and many other members, will help fly us to new capabilities and uses.

    On Face Book, search in “Groups” for American Air Mail Society. Please read the Group Rules and answer the simple questions posed. Once accepted into the Group, feel free to use the power of Face Book to keep us all informed on what you are doing and thinking about aerophilately. When you do request to join, bear with us. We are learning the ins and outs of managing the Group, so it might take a few days.

    I realize that many of you are not using Face Book, so I will ensure that significant information is also passed through more traditional means. After a suitable test period, we will evaluate the pros and cons to decide on the long-term future. Your opinions are essential to the plan. Let me know what you think.

    Warmest regards,

    Lee Downer