by Chaz Hinkle, contributor to
747SP.com
Over the years, many significant
events have been celebrated with the issuance of special commemorative postage
stamps, postcards and envelopes. These events range from Olympic games, to
Worlds Fairs, to Presidential Inaugurations.
Unique among these are letters that
are carried on specific and significant aircraft flights. Known as "flight
covers," these letters are carried onboard the actual flight they commemorate,
and are hand cancelled with the date of the flight.
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The
"original" SP flight cover, from the maiden SP flight on July 4, 1975.
These were made
available to Boeing employees for purchase at 25 cents each.
Chaz Hinkle Collection |
Because of it's frequent
history-making flights, a number of flight covers have been produced featuring
the 747SP. In fact, the earliest flight cover featuring the 747SP is from
it's very first flight on July 4, 1975. That flight carried a special
cache of hand cancelled letters in the cargo hold, commemorating the type's
maiden flight. After the flight was over, the letters were made available
for sale to Boeing employees for 25 cents each.
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First
flight cover commemorating the first regularly scheduled passenger
service
from New York to Tokyo, dated 26 April, 1976.
Chaz Hinkle Collection |
Particularly prolific in their
production of flight covers were Pan Am and South African Airways. Both
airlines frequently carried a cache of flight covers whenever opening a new and
particularly long distance route. Pan Am produced a flight cover to
commemorate its first non-stop passenger service from Los Angeles to Tokyo on
April 25, 1976.
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One of
the few covers that identifies the specific aircraft on
which it flew... In this case Clipper Liberty Bell (N533PA).
Chaz Hinkle Collection |
Just a few days later Pam Am would produce another cover,
this one going around the world on the historic flight of N533PA from New
York - Delhi - Bangkok - Tokyo - New York. It was at this point that
Pan Am was very aware of the record breaking abilities of the SP and took
every opportunity to demonstrate the plane's "long legs."
SAA produced its first flight cover
even before the SP flew in scheduled service for the airline. ZS-SPA
carried a cache of flight covers on it's long distance delivery flight from
Everett to Cape Town on 23-24 March, 1976. The 747SP opened many new long
distance routes for the airlines, and there are any number of flight covers
commemorating these flights.
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Kemp-air
flight cover #27a: Delivery flight of ZS-SPA, March, 1976.
Note the postmark is a week after the actual flight.
Courtesy: Terrence Devine |
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Kemp-air
flight cover #30: April 1, 1976.
Note how these Kemp-air covers bear a striking resemblance to the
cover issued by Boeing for the inaugural SP flight.
Courtesy: Terrence Devine |
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SAA
flight cover #10: Johannesburg to Frankfurt, August 3, 1976.
Chaz Hinkle Collection |
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The SP
probably affected the flight offerings of no airline more profoundly
than SAA.
This cover pays tribute to the start of service to JFK.
Chaz Hinkle Collection |
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Postmarked November 5 and 6 of 1976, this cover commemorates SP service
to Vienna.
Chaz Hinkle Collection |
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Dated
April 1st of 1977, this letter flew on board the first scheduled
passenger flight
from Cape Town to London...
Chaz Hinkle Collection |
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...Followed up the next day by this one heading the other direction...
from London back to Cape Town.
Chaz Hinkle Collection |
Other airlines producing covers
include United and Iran Air. All told, there were around a dozen or so
flight covers produced that specifically commemorated the 747SP by name.
Obviously, it's unlikely any more will be produced at this point as the 747SP is
in the twilight of it's life.
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Johannesburg to Sydney, January 6, 1977.
Chaz Hinkle Collection |
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First
Flight Cover: Buenos Aires, December 3, 1978...
...And the return flight the following day.
Courtesy: Terrence Devine |
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Another
commemorative South America cover, signed by the flight crew: June 6, 1982.
Courtesy: Terrence Devine |
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Perhaps the last SP flight cover ever issued,
NamibAir Windhoek to Frankfurt inaugural, April 25, 1990.
Courtesy Trevor Abbott |
If you have a 747SP flight cover
you'd like to share on this page, please CONTACT US to
make arrangements for posting!
This day in 747SP history:
Date |
Reg |
Airline |
Livery |
Name |
Event |
Airport |
Notes |
 |
| 1985 |
7Q-YKL |
Air Malawi |
|
Mulanje |
Other |
LHR |
Aircraft departed for Johannesburg. |
| 1993 |
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
Special airworthiness certificate issued, plane classified as "experimental" in order to comply with FAR as a result of flight deck and interior modification work performed by Page Avjet Corporation of Orlando. Plane now registered in Oman, but flying in US airspace. |
| 1996 |
ZS-SPB |
SAA-South African Airways |
|
|
Returned |
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