FIRST FLIGHT COVERS

They They Tell the Story of Northwest’s Trail

            Interested in First Flight Airmail and other covers? Those fancied-up envelops marking, for the most part, the inauguration of various Northwest Airlines flights and services.

            Here’s a good one addressed to Mr. J. M. Golding, 2833 Elston Ave., Chicago, IL. Its value and significance is almost beyond comprehension. It’s postmarked Minneapolis, MN, l:00 PM, June 7, 1926. On the front of the envelope is a large stamp which reads “First Flight Inauguration, Contract Air Mail, Chicago-Twin Cities. Minneapolis, Minn., 2:10 PM, June 7, 1926”. The back stamp reads “Chicago, IL, June 8, - 8:30 AM, 1926” and another stamp, “June 8, 10:30 AM, Logan Square Station.

            Northwest Airways?…No…. This pre-dates Northwest…. Charles “Pop” Dickinson, a Chicago aviation enthusiast, garnered the first Twin Cities-Chicago government airmail contract and this envelope was on one of his first two Twin Cities-Chicago flights, June 7, 1926.

            Dickinson’s two planes left the Twin Cities the afternoon of June 7. One crashed about four miles south of Mendota shortly after takeoff killing pilot Elmer Partridge. The mail was rescued, however and was put on a train. The other plane, piloted by Billy Brock, made it to Chicago okay and this first flight inaugural envelope was with him. (See related story).

            This is only one of scores of interesting and significant first flight covers at the NWA History Centre. Some of the others;

            First Flight, Northwest Orient Service, July 15, 1947, Shanghai, China

            First Flight, Taipeh, Formosa (now Taiwan), Northwest Airlines, June 30,             1950.

            First Transcontinental Flight. Northwest Passage. Northwest Airlines, June 1,             1945.

            U.S. Airmail. First Flight. New York to Anchorage. Jan 1, 1947.

            First Flight. Airmail. Chicago-Twin Cities-Seattle. Northwest Airlines, Inc.             7:30 PM, May 2, 1935.

            First Flight. Night Airmail Service. St. Paul to Chicago. August 1, 1929.             Cachet by Northwest Airways, Inc. To commemorate the First Airmail Flight,             Chicago to Winnipeg. Feb. 1, 1931. Northwest Airways, Inc. AM

            Dedication Air Terminal. Minneapolis Municipal Airport. Port of Northwest,             Minneapolis. Cachet by Northwest Airways, Inc. Sept. 30, 1930.

            Inauguration Aeroplane Service. Northwest Airways. First Flight U.S.             Airmail. March 8, 1930. Madison, Wis. Rock River Route.

            First Flight Airmail. Duluth, Minnesota. May 30, 1931. Route AM-9. (Again             on June 1, 1940).

            Three envelopes addressed to Col. L. H. Britton, NWA, St. Paul Airport, from,             Pembina, Grand Forks and Fargo, N.D. inaugurating Northwest’s Pembina             Route extension dated Feb. 8, 1931. On the envelopes are handwritten             notations 161 pounds 413 pounds and 158 pounds, apparently indicating the             total weight of the airmail carried on each segment.

            30th Anniversary Coast-to-Coast Ford Tri-motor Flight, St. Paul, October             12, 1956.

            For kickers, some other cities with Northwest First Flight covers include             Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Green Bay and Appleton, Wis. Dated Dec. 15, 1928,             Janesville, Wis. And Elgin and Rockford, Ill, March 8, 1930, Bismark/Mandan,             Valley City and Jamestown, N., D. June 2, 1931. Dickinson, N.D. Oct 21,             1933. Yakima, Wash. Aug 20, 1937. There are many more.

            A cachet of particular interest is marked “Memorial Dedicated to Charles W. ‘Speed’ Holman, St. Paul, Minnesota, May 15, 1932. “Cachet sponsored by St. Paul Association of Commerce and St. Paul Aviation Club”. 

            May 15, 1932 was the first anniversary of Speed Holman’s death. He was killed stunting at an Omaha air show May 15, 1931.