U.S. and Worldwide Stamps and Postal History
April 12-13, 2016
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #141 United States - Air Post Flight Covers 1919 (July 8) return flight from New York to London, via the "R-34" airship to Clifden, Ireland, franked with 3c violet, Hempstead July 9 and London R-34 (July 13) arrival pmks, backflap tears, otherwise fine; also with corresponding Keystone View Company stereoview card (some tape reinforcements at bottom left). According to Wikipedia the R-34 left Britain on 2 July 1919 and arrived in Mineola, Long Island, United States on 6 July after a flight of 108 hours with virtually no fuel left. As the landing party had no experience of handling large rigid airships, Major EM Pritchard jumped by parachute and so became the first person to reach American soil by air from Europe. This was the first East-West crossing of the Atlantic and was done two weeks after the first non-stop Atlantic crossing by Alcock & Brown. The return journey to Pulham in Norfolk was from 10 to 13 July and took 75 hours. A rarity  | Price Realized $2,400.00 |
