60 Years of Aviation

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Cachet: The cachet shows an early biplane drawn in green line art on the left of the cover, its double wings braced with visible struts and its propeller shown mid spin at the nose. The plane sits low with simple spoked wheels, capturing the look of aircraft from the 1920s. Below it a decorative plaque style banner reads "1920 Aviation in South Africa 1980 Lugvaart in Suid-Afrika" with "60 Years Jaar" set inside an oval at its centre, marking the sixty year milestone the cover commemorates.

Info card

HIGHLIGHTS OF 60 YEARS OF ORGANIZED AVIATION IN SOUTH AFRICA ★ 4 February to 20 March 1920: The first London to Cape Town flight by Sir Pierre van Ryneveld and Sir Quintin Brand ★ 15 February 1920: The first passenger flight from Cape Town to Beaufort West in a converted Handley Page bomber ★ February 1920: Establishment of the first Aero Club of South Africa ★ The formation of the South African Air Force COMMEMORATION OF THE FOLLOWING SOUTH AFRICAN AVIATION EVENTS: ★ 50th anniversary of the record solo flight from London to Cape Town by Capt. R.F. Caspareuthus (5 to 13 October 1930) ★ The municipal councils of Germiston and Johannesburg formed the Rand Airport Joint Committee on 14 November 1930. The Germiston Municipal Aerodrome became the Rand Airport, which served as the temporary headquarters of the South African Airways from 1 July 1935. ★ October 1980 marks the 30th anniversary of the first scheduled service by EL AL Israel Airlines between Israel and South Africa. ★ SAA entered the jet age on 1 October 1960, with the first flight by a Boeing 707 on its European routes. The early biplane that was depicted on the first South African airmail stamps issued on 26 February 1925 features on the special date-stamp and first-day covers to commemorate the past 60 years of organized aviation in South Africa. HOOGTEPUNTE VAN 60 JAAR SE GEORGANISEERDE LUGVAART IN SUID-AFRIKA ★ 4 Februarie tot 20 Maart 1920: Die eerste Londen-na-Kaapstad-vlug deur sir Pierre van Ryneveld en sir Quintin Brand ★ 15 Februarie 1920: Die eerste passasiersvlug van Kaapstad na Beaufort-Wes in 'n omgeskepte Handley Page-bomwerper ★ Februarie 1920: Stigting van die eerste Aeroklub van Suid-Afrika ★ Die stigting van die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugmag HERDENKING VAN DIE VOLGENDE GEBEURE IN SUID-AFRIKAANSE LUGVAART: ★ 50e herdenking van die rekordalleenvlug van Londen na Kaapstad deur kapt. R.F. Caspareuthus (5 tot 13 Oktober 1930) ★ Die munisipale rade van Germiston en Johannesburg het op 14 November 1930 die gemeenskaplike Randse Lughawe-komitee gevorm. Die Germiston Municipal Aerodrome het die Randse Lughawe geword, wat van 1 Julie 1935 as die tydelike hoofkwartier van die Suid-Afrikaanse Lugdiens gedien het. ★ In Oktober 1980 vind die 30e herdenking van die eerste geskeduleerde vlug van EL AL (Israel se nasionale lugdiens) tussen Israel en Suid-Afrika plaas. ★ Op 1 Oktober 1960, met die eerste vlug deur 'n Boeing 707 op die Europese roetes, het SAL die stralereeu betree. Die vroeë tweedekkervliegtuig wat verskyn op die eerste Suid-Afrikaanse lugposseëls wat op 26 Februarie 1925 uitgegee is, word uitgebeeld op die spesiale datumstempel en eerstedagkoeverte wat die afgelope 60 jaar se georganiseerde lugvaart in Suid-Afrika herdenk.

Additional information

This cover is postmarked on 3 October 1980 at Rand Airport, with a special "Sixty Years Aviation" cancellation. It commemorates six decades of organised aviation in South Africa, dating back to the first London to Cape Town flight completed by Sir Pierre van Ryneveld and Sir Quintin Brand between February and March 1920. The biplane shown on the cachet and postmark is the same aircraft that appeared on South Africa's first airmail stamps, issued on 26 February 1925, tying this 1980 commemorative directly back to the country's earliest airmail history.

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