Telephone & Fax 203 888 9237  

Aerophilatelic & Commercial Aviation Literature, Crash & Wreck Covers, First Flight Covers

Welcome to the Aerophil Aerophilately Home Page. My name is Ken Sanford. I am an aerophilatelist and a part-time dealer in Aerophilatelic and Commercial Aviation Books & Literature, and air crash covers. I have the world's largest stock of Aerophilatelic books - both new and used, and a large stock of air crash covers. Listed below are a few recent additions to my Book List, Crash Covers List & Helicopter Covers List

We can now accept payment by PayPal.  Enquire for details

Horseshoe Route Cover.  Small cover postmarked Alexandria, Egypt 9 Oct. 1942, addressed to New York, NY - USA.  Egyptian censor tape on left and U.S. censor tape on right.  Manuscript "VIA DURBAN" to indicate that it was to go by the "Horseshoe" route.  Nice clean cover.  $50.00

9 Oct 42 Horseshoe route cover

SPECIAL CLEARANCE

625A. AUSTRALIAN AIR MAIL CATALOGUE, 1990, 5th Edition. Edited by Nelson Eustis, published by Hobby Investments Pty Ltd. 307 pp.  We have a few new copies left.  Special clearance price.  $30.00 plus $3.75 surface postage.  Airmail is extra

World War II Mail from Switzerland to Great Britain, Canada & the United States - A Postal History Handbook, by Charles J. LaBlonde.  Published by the American Helvetia Philatelic Society. Totally revised and updated from published articles.  Extensive archival material.  Over 230 illustrations.  5 new appendices on interesting and related topics.  Expanded bibliography.  Separate postal rate overview & summary.  75% airmail, but from an integrated postal history perspective (rates, routes & markings).  Spiral bound to lay flat.  Out of stock, but we might be able to find a copy

Train Wreck Cover - On 11 September 1932, a Southern Pacific Railroad train derailed in the High Sierra Mountains of California.  Five railway mail clerks were carried 150 feet down a steep embankement in one of the mail cars that rolled down the canyon.  Small size window envelope (2cent stamped envelope + a one cent stamp) from New York, probably to Oakland, Calif.  Rubber stamp cachet "Received in bad condition at/Oakland, Calif." plus manuscript "From Train Wreck 9/12/32" (it actually occurred on the 11th) and then a rubber stamp "CLYDE E. SMITH/CARRIER #63 M./OAKLAND, CALIF.".  Backstamped Oakland Sep. 13.  Scarce. $50.00.  Scan or fax copy available on request

Items from fire, which destroyed the Burlington, Iowa Depot.  It is a check which was being mailed to a hospital services association, which was badly burned.  There are two mimemograph explanations from the Burlington Post Office, which explain why the check is badly burned. The original envelope in which the check was being sent, is gone.  Unusual items.  $75.00.  Scan or fax copy available on request

AIR CRASH MAIL OF IMPERIAL AIRWAYS & PREDECESSOR AIRLINES, by Kendall C. Sanford.  A new publication by the Stuart Rossiter Trust Fund.  See Book List

Volume One, Sixth Edition - AMERICAN AIR MAIL CATALOGUE. This 500 page catalogue contains revised and repriced listings of the following sections:

U.S. Pioneer Covers - 1910-1916
U.S. Governmental Flight Covers
U.S. Air Express Covers
Crash Covers
Airport Dedication Covers
Mexico First Flight Covers - 1917-1939

US$42.00 plus actual postage

SPECIAL CLEARANCE - 263. LES BALLONS MONTES - BOULES DE MOULINS, PIGEONGRAMMES, PAPILLONSDE METZ, Gerard Lheriter. Valeur Philatelique, Nice, France, 1989, 253 pp.Very good & concise history of the Paris Balloon Posts. Gives background on personalities of the Siege, separate chapters on the more spectacular flights like the "Ville d'Orleans" & "Le Normandie". Describes all the various markings & cachets, including their value. Gives departure dates & mail postmark dates for each balloon. Lists all the aeronauts & passengers, lists those balloons from which plis confies are known, lists rarity of covers from each balloon, and gives weight of mail carried on each, and value of covers in French francs, including value according to country of destination. All illustrations in color. Complete listingof all lettre journals published & values. HC, NEW. SPECIAL SALE PRICE $38.50

AIRMAILS OF NEW ZEALAND, VOLUME 3 - INTERNATIONAL AIRMAILS 1940-1970, by Robin M. Startup, June 1997. Details the international airmail services from wartime flying boat era up to the jet age, and is a sequel to Vol. 2. See Item 638 in Book List.

CORSAIRVILLE, THE LAST DOMAIN OF THE FLYING BOAT, Graham Coster.  The story of the crash of the Imperial Airways “Corsair” in the Belgian Congo in 1939.  The complete story of the extreme effort to repair and fly the Short flying boat out, which took 9 months.  See Item 680 in Book List.

KATALOG DER DEUTSCHEN LUFTPOST, Teil 13: Erstflüge 1991-1999 - ohne Deutsche Lufthansa (Catalog of German Airmail, Volume 13: First Flights of airlines to/from Germany, except Lufthansa German Airlines), by Erich Haberer, 2000. See Item 647 in Book List.

KATALOG DER AEROGRAMME VON ASIEN 2000 (Aerogramme Catalog of Asia), Compilation of the previous catalogs of Aerogrammes of Asia, which were in separate volumes. This now covers the aerogrammes of all Asian countries from Abu Dhabi to Vietnam.  Brief description & value of each aerogramme. See Item 682 in Book List.

TURBULENCE ON THE GROUND - PANAM AND BEYOND, Ed Parrey.  Pub. by author, 2000.  Nostalgic trip out of the past.  The good and the bad at Pan American World Airways.  The reader will be able to see what happens primarily on the ground at various airports. It is at times funny, sad and romantic.  The action and adventures at those places are hectic, therefore part of the title "Turbulence on the Ground".  Entertaining, interesting, humorous, intriguing.  See Item 683 in Book List.

PAN AMERICAN'S PACIFIC PIONEERS, THE REST OF THE STORY, by Jon E. Krupnick. Pub. by Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., Missoula, MT - USA, 2000, 700 pp. 9 x 12 inch format. A pictorial history of Pan Am's Pacific First Flights - 1935-1946.  Most complete collection of rare survey flight & first flight covers are shown in color as well as aircraft photos, poster/baggage label/timetable art, etc. A fantastic book. An update of No. 633, which was published in 1997.  See Item 684 in  Book List.

WINGED COURIER, by Harry Klein. Pub. by Howard B. Timmins, Cape Town, South Africa, 1955, 130 pp. A history of aviation in Southern Africa. Excellent coverage of the early airmail services, including Union Airways, Imperial Airways, BOAC and South African Airways. Very good black & white photos.  See Item 732 in  Book List.

Links to other Aerophilatelic Web Sites

NEW Aerodacious - From the "Aviation top 100" Aerodacious: Web-Catalog of First Flights including Pioneer,
Government, CAM's, FAM's, JETs, Post-Deregulation, Canadian, World-Wide First
Flights - Lots More & Everything Air Mail - Covers, Stamps & Labels

Rudy Pinto's Aerophilatelic Blog - Miscellaneous aerophilatelic items connected with India

SCADTA Aerophilately

Faces of the Hindenburg - short profiles of the 97 people who were onboard the Hindeburg when it crashed

Zeppelin Study Group

The "Jenny" Stamp One Frame Exhibit

National Postal Museum - Hindenburg Crash Mail

Arago - Images of all U.S. Airmail Stamps

Aerophilately & Postal History

Hindenburgh crash mail

Benjamin Lipsner Airmail Collection – National Postal Museum

SE Air Mail Society - Chapter of the American Air Mail Society in the Southeastern U.S.A

Dick's Rocket Dungeon - Rocket Aerophilately

Boeing 747SP Flight Covers

The Canadian Aerophilatelic Society

The Harold G. Dick Zeppelin Postcard Collection

Mike Piggin Auctions - Worldwide Postal History with good selections of Air Mail, Maritime, Military, POW & Internees, Disaster Mail, etc.

The Pan Am Flying Boat Service via Wake Island - Stamps & Covers - Dirk H.R. Spennemann

FIP Aerophilately Commission - The international philatelic federations are united in FIP (Fédération Internationale de Philatélie). FIP sponsors international philatelic exhibitions and has created regulations for the judging of airmail exhibits at such exhibitions.

The Romanian Air Mail Service - Bibliography of articles on Romanian air mail services

Ephemeral Treasures - Aviation history and personal aviation experiences figure heavily on Bob Ingraham's Ephemeral Treasures web site. Most pages include illustrated images of contemporaneous stamps, covers, and postcards.

New Zealand International Air Mail Flights and Airmail covers

Postal Label Study Group - Publisher of  the Worldwide Airmail Label Catalog

Airmails of Siam - A Handbook, by Nils Ramm-Ericson

Hindenburg Crash Mail – The Scout Covers - An article about Scout franked Hindenburg crash mail from the Netherlands

The Flying Dutchman (De Vliegende Hollander) Airmail Society - The society for all aspects of Dutch aerophilately

Balloon Mail website - Balloons in Philately - History of ballooning.  Polish and Czech balloon mail since 1945.  World hot air & gas ballooning championships and Gordon Bennett Cup: Results & philatelic issues

Imperial Airways - The Golden Age of British Civil Aviation. A tribute to the airline, the aircraft and Croydon Airport

A to Z - Aerophilately and Airmails web directory that is part of a comprehensive site, providing resources for collectors - Also has a link to all aerophilatelic items for sale on eBay at any given time

Pan American's Pacific Pioneers - A great website covering all aspects of Pan Am in the Pacific - aircraft photos, covers, posters, baggage labels, and other Pan Am memorabilia

Astrophilatelie - Gesellschaft der Waltall-Philatelisten - World Space Philatelists

Stampdomain - Miscellaneous aerophilatelic information, links to aerophilatelic web pages

Sidney Fenemore - Postal History, Postcards, Crash & Wreck Covers

Mayo Postal History Air Mail Covers

Metropolitan Airpost Society - New York

John Dziadecki's Zeppelin Web Site

Jens Schenkenberger's Luftschiff Homepage

Contract Air Mail (CAM) Routes  - A list of which airlines operated specific Contract Air Mail (CAM) routes

Scout Air & Space Mail  - This special collection highlights the wonder of flight and Scout topical philately. Catagories include air flight, balloons, rigid airships, rockets, and even feathered flight.  This tribute to aerophilately is sponsored by Scouts on Stamps Society International http://www.sossi.org.  SOSSI specializes in the collecting, study, and enjoyment of stamps and other postal items celebrating the Boy Scout and Girl Scout (Guide) movements.

Symbols on Airmail Stamps - Website showing various sysmbols on airmail stamps.  Hosted by Justin Milliun, email:  jmilliun@ieee.org

M. Osborne Covers - First flight and airmail covers

Airmail Society of New Zealand

Baxley Stamps - Selling & Buying Ryukyu Islands FFC and other Asian First Flight Covers. See our Ryukyu Islands FFC price list

Henry Gitner Philatelists, Inc. – Email: hgitner@hgitner.com - Zeppelin & Airship covers and stamps & a huge stock of flight covers, first flights, catapults, rocket mail, etc.

Vernon Pickering - Philatelic Literature, including some aerophilatelic titles

Osborne-Kaufmann - Your American-European Stamp Connection

Bob Friedman - Email: covercnr@eaze.net - CAMs, FAMs, Jets, Airport Dedications

American Air Mail Society World's largest and second oldest aerophilatelic society.  Publishers of the monthly Airpost Journal, and numerous catalogs & books for the aerophilatelist.  The next AAMS meeting will be held at the ARIPEX Exhibition in Mesa, Arizona (near Phoenix)  from 22 to 24 February 2007.  See: http://www.aripexonline.com/

British Air Mail Society

Catapult Mail - Rate Study in Progress

Jim Forte - Worldwide Postal History & Airmail History

Irish Airmail Society

Bill Murphy/Irish Aerophilately

James Bendon Ltd. - Small selection of aerophilatelic books, which are now handled by Chris Komondy of Chester, CT - USA

Johnson Philatelics, South Africa - Interesting selection of crash covers,  philatelic auctions & British Africa aerophilately - Nice African covers

Shades Stamp Shop, Christchurch, New Zealand - Miscellaneous Flight Covers

Robert E. Lippert Stamps & Baron Mail Sales - Some 1st flight & air mail covers

The Aerogramme Society - Email: tomadami@hotmail.com

Aerogramme Society  - Another society for the aerogramme collector

Charles G. Firby Auctions - Lots of aerophilatelic material

Paul Roales's Rocket Mail Web Page

Joe Frasketi's Space Covers - Space and other Topical Covers

Internationaler Aero-Philatelisten Club "Otto Lilienthal"

Smithsonian National Postal Museum - Airmail in America

FISA - International Federation of Aerophilatelic Societies

Michael Rogers, Inc. - Philatelic auctions with lots of aerophilatelic material

Vietnam & Indochina Postal History & Air Mail Covers

The Airgraph website - Links to various books and resources on airgraphs

NEW Aircraft Photo Stamps - 174 aircraft images

NEW Aerophilately in Singapore

NEW Airmail Collector Auctions

NEW Aerophilately Postal History Resources

NEW The Pan Am Flying Boat Service via Wake Island - Stamps & Covers

NEW Southeast Airmail Society

NEW Aerophilately Auctions - Johannes E. Palmer

NEW Astro Postal History

NEW Rocket Aerophilately

NEW Indian Night Air Mail Service - January 1949

NEW Netherlands Airmail Covers For Sale

NEW Charles Lindbergh - U.S. Air Mail Service Pioneer

NEW The Development of Airmail in Bahrain

Links to Various Aviation Web Sites

The Golden Age of Air Travel -- Boeing Clippers

Thirty Thousand Feet - A large aviation directory with thousands of links to aviation web pages, aviation news, FAQs, and other sources of commercial, military, and general aviation information

The 'AirNet' Website - Over 20,000 aviation & flight simulation links

Airline Postcard Swap Page - On this site you will find a swap list of mainly airline issued postcards, including a picture of every swap card available

Airmail Pioneers -This website is dedicated to the men and women of the U.S. Air Mail Service, a little-remembered organization that laid the foundation for commercial aviation worldwide.

www.flyingclippers.com - FlyingClippers.com aims to recreate the days of Pan American Airways and their Fabulous Flying Ships and aviation’s Golden Age 1934-1946. Here you will learn about the 28 planes that changed the way we travel and think about the world. Includes information on the China Clipper and Boeing B-314 and a shop for related items.

De Havilland Comet web site - Lots of information about the world's first commercial jetliner, including a discussion forum

Ross-Barrett Historical Aeronautics Collection - 5,000 books & photos relating to man's history of flight. Denver Public Library

Navy Lakehurst Historical Society - A society for people interested in the history of the airship base at Lakehurst, New Jersey

Pan American Heritage Web Site - A great site for ex Pan Am employees and anyone interested in the world's greatest airline.  Add your name to the guestbook, post messages, and look up Pan Am historical information

Pan Am Archives at the University of Miami - Photos of classic Pan Am Aircraft. To download, put cursor on photo, right click the mouse, and save to hard drive in normal manner. You must have an image viewer program like Paint Shop Pro to view them

Pan Am Historical Foundation - Pencil sketches of Pan Am aircraft by Robert Taylor & Watercolors of Pan Am aircraft by John McCoy from the "Famous Flight" series, which you can download.

Pan Amigo News - for former Pan Am Employees

Papers of G.U. "Scotty" Allan - National Library of Australia MS4911 Papers of G.U. "Scotty" Allan - Famous Australian pilot

Aviation History Online Museum - Aircraft photos available for download

Igor Sikorsky Web Site

Amelia Earhart Web Site

Charles Lindbergh Website

China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) Website

Links to General Philatelic Web Sites

NEW PhilaGuide - The Golden Guide for Philatelists - Links to various websites, such as auctions, philatelic experts, postal authorities, stamp agencies, stamp dealers, exhibitions & shows, libraries, philatelic words & terms, postage rates and more

NEW just4stamps.com - Links to various philatelic websites,  such as auctions,  philatelic bureaus,  specialist societies,  forums, thematic links and more

Collector's Target - A library of hot links to all sorts of philatelic websites Worldwide

Collector's Target  - Information on new stamp releases in various countries Worldwide

Worldwide Postal Rates - Canada & Great Britain rates available now, and more to come

CollectStamps.About.com - Net Links to dealers and a customer oriented Stamp Buyers Guide.  Some dealer links have postings of material available

AskPhil - Ask various questions about numerous philatelic subjects.  This website was introduced with philatelic information in five major categories, as follows:

- "How To" Articles
- Planning Your Philatelic Estate
- Salm Foundation Reports
- The "AskPhil" Reference Library
- Public Philatelic Auctions - Lots of information about auctions, including worldwide philatelic auction houses

NEW Wreck & Crash Mail Society  - If you are interested in Air Crash, Shipwreck or Trainwreck covers, you should be a member of this growing society.  The next Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Tuesday 11 May 2010 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in London, England, during London Festival of Stamps 2010

Wardrop's Philatelic Links - to 100s of Philatelic websites

Stamp Shows - Listings of upcoming shows

American Philatelic Society (APS)

JJF's Philatelic Links - Philatelic links of all kinds

StampFinder.com  - Philatelic Yellow Pages - find philatelic web sites fast

Stamp Auction Central - A listing of most of the major philatelic auctions, and upcoming auctions, many containing aerophilatelic material

Stamp Today Directory - Free daily stamp and philatelic news online from hundreds of news sources around the world

Book List

Crash Covers List

E-mail your order for books or crash covers, giving your full name, mailing address, e-mail address and fax number, to following address: 

 or Fax 203 888 9237 - Hit "Send" immediately -- don't wait for fax beep

All prices are in U.S.$ - Postage & handling at actual postage cost.  Payment must be by US$ check or money order payable on a U.S. bank, or in equivalent UK pound check. Please make check payable to "Ken Sanford".  Sorry but we don't accept credit cards, but we do accept PayPal payment in US$, UK£ or Euros (€).

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