1911 First Aerial Post U.P. Exhibition Allahabad to Patiala, cover franked with pair of 1/4r surcharges, backstamped on arrival (21 Feb) and signed by Stephen Smith, v.f. (The first official postal delivery flight between two towns took place on February 18, 1911, during the United Provinces Industrial and Agricultural Exhibition in India. The French pilot Henri Pequet carried mail from the exhibition location Allahabad to Naini, which is approximately five miles away. It took Henri Pequet and his biplane "Sommer" about 13 minutes to cover the distance) (Cat No. AAMC 1) (Image)

Est.US$250

1911 First Aerial Post U.P. Exhibition Allahabad to Firozabad, District Agra, cover franked with 1a and 1r KEVII, two additional stamps affixed (not canceled) on back, also a Registry label No.296, Allahabad (18 Feb) departure and Firozabad (20 Feb) arrival pmks, fine cover with two large circular bright magenta postmarks "First Aerial Post, U.P. Exhibition Allahabad 1911" , filing fold away from the stamps (on Feb 18, 1911, French pilot Henri Pequet carried the first mail officially flown by airplane. Pequet carried about 6,000 letters and 40 cards on his Humber biplane, for a distance of five miles, from the Allahabad polo field, over the Yamuna River, to Naini. All mail received a special cancel depicting an airplane, mountains and "First Aerial Post, 1911, U. P. Exhibition Allahabad.") (Cat No. AAMC 1) (Image)

Est.US$250

1911 First Aerial Post U.P. Exhibition Allahabad, large size special picture Post Card franked with 1/2a KEVII and addressed to Bombay, with Allahabad 18 Feb. departure and Bombay (23 Feb) arrival pmks, both on the address side, also dated and signed by Stephen Smith at bottom, autographed on the picture side by the French pilot Henri Pequet, a fine card, the first official Airplane Post in the World, believed to be one of only 40 signed by the pilot (Cat No. AAMC 1a) (Image)

Est.US$1,500

1913 Aerial Exhibition at the Royal Calcutta Turf Club, printed card, "Great Aerial Exhibition 8th January 1913. BY Messrs G. Verminck & M. Pourpe. A Souvenir from 20,000 feet ABOVE CALCUTTA. PRICE Re. 1". A small number of these cards were flown by Pourpe and Verminck during their four day aerial exhibition, and were sold to the public on the final day. The card bears the cachets "Consulat General de France/Calcutta" and "H.F.Bennett/Calcutta/Handwriting Expert", and is signed and dated "Stephen H. Smith, 26/5/27", all on the reverse. Small insect hole at lower right corner, otherwise fine. A rare item flown by these pioneer aviators, just six cards believed to have survived (also included is a page from the July 1927 Bulletin of Aero Philatelic Club of India which documents the discovery of these cards) (Image)

Est.US$1,000

1920 (23 Jan) Karachi to Bombay experimental air service first flight franked on back with single 8a and block of 4x3p George V stamps, canceled by the special "Karachi Air Post" datestamps, with "Bombay Air Post" 24 Jan 20 arrival alongside, minor cover flaws, otherwise fine (Image)

Est.US$150

1920 (3 Feb) Bombay to Karachi experimental air service registered first flight franked with 1/2a, 2a and 8a George V stamps, canceled by the special "Bombay Air Post" datestamps, with Registry label and "Karachi Air Post" 9 Feb 20 arrival pmks on back, fine (Image)

Est.US$150

1924 (14 Nov) Amsterdam to Batavia flight by the Dutch aviators Van der Hoop and Poelman, cover flown on the Calcutta to Akyab leg and posted upon arrival, franked with 1a George V stamp, typed inscription "By Aeroplane from Calcutta by kind consent of the Consul General of the Netherlands 13th Nov. 1924", numbered "11" and signed by Rev J. Fernandes, President of the Calcutta Philatelic Club and on reverse by Stephen Smith and A.Hales, the agent of the Imperial Bank of India in Akyab, minor cover tears at bottom, still v.f., only 25 covers flown (Image)

Est.US$500

1925 (19 Jan) Ambala to Calcutta, flight originated in Risalpur, cover franked with 1a George V, tied by Dharamatalla cds, endorsed "Per Aeroplane par Ambala", autographed by Wing Commander R.C.M.Pink, who also added "By Air", initialed by Maj.Wheeler and signed on back by Stephen Smith, hinge remnants on back, fine and rare cover, only 14 carried (Image)

Est.US$500

1925 (2 Feb) RAF Demonstration Flight, Calcutta-Risalpur, cover franked with 1a George V adhesive, with large violet "Calcutta-Risalpur Demonstration Flight, Calcutta 1925" flight cachet, also "Calcutta-Risalpur Air Flight from Calcutta" in green ink, addressed to Stephen Smith in Ambala, endorsed "Ft. Lt. Graham" (pilot) at top, arrival backstamp, two hinge remnants on back, v.f., only 35 covers carried to Ambala (Image)

Est.US$250

1925 (2 Feb) RAF Demonstration Flight, Calcutta-Risalpur, cover franked with 1a George V adhesive, with large violet "Calcutta-Risalpur Demonstration Flight, Calcutta 1925" flight cachet, addressed to General R. Ridgeway in Nowshera, endorsed "Ft. Lt. Graham" at top, arrival backstamp, two hinge remnants on back, v.f., only 64 covers (and 25 cards) were carried to Nowshera (Image)

Est.US$250

1925 (2 Feb) RAF Demonstration Flight, Calcutta-Risalpur, picture postcard franked with 1a George V adhesive, with large violet "Calcutta-Risalpur Demonstration Flight, Calcutta 1925" flight cachet, addressed to Nowshera, endorsed "Ft. Lt. Graham" (pilot) at top, arrival pmk alongside, h.r. on picture side, v.f., only 25 cards (and 64 covers) were carried to Nowshera (Image)

Est.US$250

1925 (5 Feb) Anglo-Indian Survey Flight by Alan Cobham, cover franked with 1a George V, flown from Calcutta to Akyab, endorsed 'Via Aeroplane from Calcutta", with blue Aeroplane cachet, initialed by Alan Cobham, with 6 Feb arrival pmk on back, hinge remnants on back, fine, only 34 covers flown (Image)

Est.US$250

1925 (7 Feb) Anglo-Indian Survey Flight by Alan Cobham, cover franked with 1a George V, flown from Akyab to Rangoon, endorsed "'By Aeroplane from Akyab to Rangoon" and autographed by Alan J Cobham, with 7 Feb arrival pmk on back, two hinge remnants on back, fine, only 49 covers flown (Image)

Est.US$250

1925 (8 Feb) Anglo-Indian Survey Flight by Alan Cobham, 1a postal stationery envelope flown from Rangoon to Akyab and onto Calcutta, cancelled at Rangoon with an Akyab cds on front, backstamped at Calcutta, initialed "AJC" (Alan Cobham), hinge remnants on back, v.f. and scarce, only 32 flown (Image)

Est.US$250

1925 (19 Feb) Anglo-Indian Survey Flight by Alan Cobham, cover flown from Calcutta to Karachi, franked with 1a George V and a red flight vignette, tied by Drigh Road cds, with Triangular Flight cachet and flight endorsement at upper left, Karachi arrival pmk on back, where it was signed by the Flight Engineer Arthur B. Elliott (who was killed a year later, when on a flight between Baghdad and Basra), hinge remnants, v.f., 68 covers flown (Image)

Est.US$150

1925 (16 Feb) Anglo-Indian Survey Flight by Alan Cobham, cover flown from Calcutta to London bearing an uncanceled 2a George V and the green flight vignette with triangular flight cachet and 3d charge mark of London E.C, a 3d postage due stamp applied at Kensington, 17 March Waldon Aerodrome Croydon arrival and signed on the reverse by Flight Engineer Arthur B. Elliott (who was killed a year later, when on a flight between Baghdad and Basra), hinge remnants, fine cover, only 121 carried (Image)

Est.US$200

1925 (12 June) Quetta to Hindubagh flood relief emergency R.A.F flight, 1a stationery envelope canceled at Quetta and backstamped at Hindubagh on the same day, vertical fold and roughly opened at top, otherwise fine and very rare, signed on the reverse by Stephen Smith, just 12 covers flown (Image)

Est.US$1,000

1925 (12 June) RAF Hindubagh to Quetta flood relief emergency flight cover franked with 1a George V adhesive, canceled at Hindubagh, backstamped at Quetta on the same day, minor wrinkles, otherwise fine and very rare. Only 12 covers carried on this return flight from Hindubagh, organized after severe storms breached the railway line and damaged the roads (Image)

Est.US$1,000

1925 (13 May) Marchese de Pinedo World Air Flight from Calcutta to Melbourne, the right portion of a cover addressed to Australia, franked with uncanceled strip of 4x1/2a George V stamps, with the red cachet "Italian Consul General's (Melbourne) letter of 12-11-25 / No. 756 / 11 / Calcutta to Melbourne by Seaplane, 13/5/25", the reverse with the violet cachet "ITALIAN WORLD AIR FLIGHT" showing a plane over India, signed by the President of the Aero Philatelic Club of India and initialed by Stephen Smith. De Pinedo signed the covers on the left side, but later cut this left portion off after a promised charity donation failed to materialize. Also included two pages from the Aerial Club magazine, one with a sample handstamped cachet, both initialed by Smith, v.f., one of only 93 covers flown to Australia (Image)

Est.US$750

1925 (31 Dec) RAF Calcutta Flight Dropped Leaflet, announcement regarding "A Grand Military Searchlight Tattoo" (in red) aiding military charities, bold blue "Delivered by Air Over Calcutta, 31 Dec. 25, 10 AM" double-circle datestamp at top left, folded, with hinge remnants on back, fine. While 3,000 leaflets were dropped over Calcutta, most were attacked by birds while still in the air, only a small number survived (Image)

Est.US$250

1925 (31 Dec) RAF Calcutta Flight Dropped Leaflet, announcement regarding "A Grand Military Searchlight Tattoo" (in black) aiding military charities, bold blue "Delivered by Air Over Calcutta, 31 Dec. 25, 10 AM" double-circle datestamp at top left, franked with 1/2a George V, tied by KYD Street cds, folded, with hinge remnants on back, small stain, fine. While 3,000 leaflets were dropped over Calcutta, most were attacked by birds while still in the air, only a small number survived. This is one of only 12 leaflets that passed through the mail (Image)

Est.US$500

1925 (31 Dec) RAF Calcutta Flight Dropped Leaflet, announcement regarding "A Grand Military Searchlight Tattoo" (in red) aiding military charities, bold blue "Delivered by Air Over Calcutta, 31 Dec. 25, 10 AM" double-circle datestamp at top left, autographed by the Pilot, Lt. Brooks, folded, with hinge remnants on back, fine. While 3,000 leaflets were dropped over Calcutta, most were attacked by birds while still in the air, only a small number survived. This is one of only 12 leaflets autographed by the pilot (Image)

Est.US$500

1926 (2 Jan) Calcutta to Patua RAF flight, H.F.Bennett cover, franked 1a George V, tied by Patua cds, with a photographic "BY AIR" vignette depicting an elephant and aeroplane, violet "HAWASAE / BY AIR" cachet, hinge remnants on back, only 69 covers carried on this flight Brooks and Spence (Image)

Est.US$250

1926 (2 Jan) Calcutta to Risalpur RAF flight, 1/2a green stationery card, with a photographic BY AIR vignette depicting an elephant and aeroplane, violet "HAWASAE / BY AIR" cachet, plus oval "27 SQUADRON / ROYAL AIR FORCE", initialed by E.H Spence, hinge remnants on back, with "souvenir of Calcutta to Risalpur Air Flight" dated and initialed by Stephen Smith (Image)

Est.US$250

1926 (22 Jan) Karachi to Risalpur Emergency RAF flight, 1a stationery entire envelope, pen canceled, oval "27 Squadron Royal Air Force" and "Aircraft Depo. R.A.F.", dated and initialed by E.H Spence, hinge remnants on back, only 40 covers carried (Image)

Est.US$250