Aviation Post Card Collection...

The first and most important air meeting of the world took place in France, in Reims - on the current "Base Aerienne 112". The calm weather and the flat terrain were perfect for the first flights. With an estimated crowd of 500.000 virtully every great name of the early aviation was present in the "Great Week of Aviation of Champagne", fighting for the total prize money of 200.000 french francs. In the list were names such as Bleriot, Delagrange, Farman, Latham, Lambert or Ferber. This postcard shows the early ace Hubert Latham flying his monoplan Antoinette, that put his name in many prize sheets. He took first place for maximum height (at 155 meters) and collected 10.000 FF. He also took 2nd place in the distance (154 km), 3rd in the circuit lap (10 km in 8 minutes) and 3rd in the speed record.

The Wright brothers Flyer biplan and Louis Bleriot's monoplan were very popular in the first aviation years, specially among young aviators who were unable to build their own planes. In this postcard, the early pioneer Molon flyes his version of the Bleriot monoplan, during the "Great Week of Aviation in Champagne, Reims" that took place from 22nd-29th of August 1909.

Another postcard bearing a local vignette, issued and used during the "Great Week of Aviation in Champagne, Reims" that took place from 22nd-29th of August 1909. In this postcard, the early pioneer Mignot flyes his version of the Vossin biplane, equiped with a 50HP Gnome engine.

Postcard showing Glenn Curtiss flying in the "Great Week of Aviation in Champagne, Reims" that took place from 22nd-29th of August 1909. In August 1906, Curtiss visited the Wright brothers and discussed aeronautical motors and their propellers, a subject of mutual interest. Because Curtiss made America's finest lightweight motors, Alexander Graham Bell persuaded him to join his Aerial Experiment Association in 1907 to build aircraft, succeeding with America's first "official" airplane flight on July 4, 1908, in AEA June Bug. In August 1909, Curtiss competed in the world's first air meet, the Grande Semaine d'Aviation flying contest at Rheims, France, organised by the Aero-Club de France. He completed a 10 km course at 46.5 mph (75 km/h) in just under 16 minutes, 6 seconds faster than runner-up Louis Bleriot and won the Gordon Bennett Cup. For this he became, after Bleriot, the No. 2 pilot in Europe. On May 29, 1910, Curtiss flew from Albany, New York, along the Hudson River, to New York City, to win a $10,000 prize backed by publisher Joseph Pulitzer. He covered 137 miles (220 km) in 153 minutes, averaging nearly 55 mph (89 km/h), then flew over Manhattan Island and circled the Statue of Liberty. Curtiss received the first U.S. pilot's license in 1911 (the Wrights were Nos. 4 and 5).

Postcard showing Paulhan flying in the "Great Week of Aviation in Champagne, Reims" that took place from 22nd-29th of August 1909. Louis Paulhan was a french pilot who in 1910 flew the "Le Canard", the world's first seaplane designed by Henri Fabre. In 1909, in Lyon, flying a Farman, he broke three records: Height (920 m), speed (20km in 19 minutes) and weight carried (a 73 kilo/160lb passenger). In January 1910 Paulhan was invited to America to take part in airshows and competitions, at the Los Angeles International Air Meet. In April of 1910, he won the £10,000 prize offered for flying from London to Manchester, a distance of 195miles/298km. The prize had been offered in 1906 by the Daily Mail for the first pilot to fly from London to Manchester within 24 hours.

Postcard shows Eugène Lefebvre, a pilot of just two months and trained by Orville Wright himself, flying a Wright-ariel biplane at the "Great Week of Aviation in Champagne, Reims". Eugène Lefebvre was born at Corbie (France) on the 4th October 1878 and died during a flight test at Juvisy on the 7 September 1909 and was the first pilot to die at the controls of an aircraft.

Small Aviation Meeting held late in 1909 in Anvers. The postcard shows Rougier flying a Voisin biplane, equiped with a Gnôme Oméga engine. Henri Rougier was born in 1876 in Marseille and earned his French license #11 on November 18, 1909 in a Voisin.

Postcard issued and used during the "Second Great Week of Aviation in Champagne, Reims" that took place from 3rd-10th of July 1910. The postcard shows Count Lambert (the first student of the Wright Brothers flight school) flying a Wright biplane - that along with Hubert Latham were the first world aviators that failed their attemp to cross the English Channel, that would be made by Louis Bleriot in the 25th of July 1909.

Another postcard issued and used during the "Second Great Week of Aviation in Champagne, Reims" that took place from 3rd-10th of July 1910, with a total prize money of 250.000 french francs. This one bears the official and rare cinderella/vignette, only sold in the event. The postcard shows early pioneer Olieslaegers flying his modified version of the popular Bleriot XI monoplan. With the new Anzani 3 cilinder engine and a 25 HP horse power, the new Olieslaegers monoplan weighted only 200 kg and could lift now more then 120 kg from the ground.

Another postcard bearing a local vignette, issued and used during the "Second Great Week of Aviation in Champagne, Reims" that took place from 3rd-10th of July 1910, with a total prize money of 250.000 french francs. This photo was taken on the 4th of July and shows aviator Marcel Hanriot in his monoplane. He was one of the younger early pioneers, and only 17 years old when he made his debut in the "Second Great Week of Aviation".

Postcard issued during the "Second Great Week of Aviation in Champagne, Reims" that took place from 3rd-10th of July 1910, with a total prize money of 250.000 french francs. This photo was taken on the 3rd of July and shows aviator Charles Watcher in an Antoinette monoplane, just one hour before his fatal crash at Champagne.

Postcard shows french pilot Emil Aubrun flying a Bleriot Monoplan in the "Second Great Week of Aviation in Champagne, Reims", were he finished second in the race competition, behind Leblanc.

Postcard with rare Cinderela/vignette from the "Great Aviation Meeting of the East 1910" that crossed several towns and cities in France, namely: Paris > Troyes > Nancy > Mezieres > Charleville > Douai > Amiens. It then return to Paris in the 18th of August 1910. The air race was won by Emil Aubrun. The postcard shows early aviator Alfred Leblanc in this adopted version of the popular Bleriot monoplan.

Postcard showing aviator Alfred Aubrun on shoulders, after he win at the "Great Aviation Meeting of the East 1910" that crossed several towns and cities in France, namely: Paris > Troyes > Nancy > Mezieres > Charleville > Douai > Amiens. Photo was taken in August 1910.

Postcard with rare Cinderela/vignette from the "Great Aviation Meeting in Nantes - 14th/21st of August 1910". This small and square stamp is considered the first non-official air mail stamp. It doesnt have any face value on it and could only e bought during the 7 days of the meeting, its not known any postmarked/used issue. The postcard shows early aviator Leon Morane on his own monoplan.

Postcard with rare Cinderela/vignette from the "European Circuit" that in 12 days crossed the cities of Paris > Reims > Liege > Spa > Utrecht > Brussells > Roubaix > Calais > London > Amiens and then returned to Paris at the 7th of July 1911. The Circuit started with 52 participants on the 18th of June 1911 and was won by french ace Andre Beaumont - he flew the 994 miles in 58h 38m, collecting 200.000 FF. The second place went to Roland Garros. More then 700.000 people saw this race all over Europe in the summer of 1911.

Another postcard showing Weymann in flight with his Nieuport monoplane when he was 3rd in the Paris-Liege air race.

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