The first stamp to depict an aviator appeared in 1927 with an image of Charles Lindberg in helmet, goggles and leather flying jacket with the Spirit of St Louis being rolled to the airport. As the first pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, such recognition is deserved. There has, however, been a succession of pilots portrayed on
postage stamps which allows a brief history of the development of air travel to be illustrated.
1928 saw the first stamps depicting the Wright brothers. On December 17th 1903, near Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first controlled flights in a powered heavier-than-air vehicle. Although this claim to the aviation ‘first’ has been the subject to counter-claims and controversy continues to surround them, the Wright brothers, who always worked together, have been officially credited with the honour and this is represented with the issue of a 1928
postage stamp depicting the flight with the words ‘Kitty Hawk 1903’ clearly visible.
Wiley Post, the first pilot to fly solo around the world had his name etched in history with a
postage stamp in 1979. He was recognized for his work in high altitude flying and for assistance in developing one of the first pressure suits. In the same year, Octave Chanute was portrayed on a
postage stamp in recognition for his series of articles published in 1894 which were the first organized, written records of aviation history. Chanute developed the ‘strut-wire’ braced structure which would be used in biplanes of the future.
In 1980, Glenn Curtiss, had images of his invention the ‘Jenny’ etched on
postage stamps. Curtiss was contracted by the US Government in 1917, to build planes for the war effort. Although the inventor of a motor for the dirigible, his major invention was the Jenny which was widely used as a trainer for pilots in WW1 and later by barnstormers. Images - of the Jenny flying air to air and of spectators looking up to the sky represent the impact he had on aviation – and are seen on
postage stamps.
Elmer Sperry and his father, Lawrence, were shown on postage stamps in 1985. The issuing of such
stamps celebrated their individual contributions to aviation history. Samuel Pierpoint Langley was however, also creating history at this time. Langley is definitely the best known. He was an astronomer, physicist, the inventor of the balometer and a true pioneer of aviation. Through his experiments on the ‘lift and drag’ of wings, he became the first to achieve sustained unmanned flight of a heavier-than-air vehicle which flew 900metres along the Potomac River. For his services to aviation, he was portrayed on a 1988
postage stamp.
The first female to gain a US pilot’s license and also the first female to fly across the English Channel was Harriet Quimby. Her impact on women’s roles in aviation helped to break down stereotypes in the first decade of flight. In 1991, she was recognized with her image on a
postage stamp.
Eddie Rickenbacker’s portrait on a 1995
postage stamp highlighted his significance as a WW1 fighter pilot. At 16, he became a car racing driver and set a number of speed records. After volunteering for service in WW1, he was awarded the Medal of Honour for shooting down 26 enemy planes.
Aviation has certainly had a huge impact on civilization today. We are grateful to our aviators for the significant contribution they have made to society. They truly do deserve to spread the importance of their achievements. What better way than on a
postage stamp?
Please visit our online shop for a large
stamp collection to purchase.
