The UK flights were planned to take place during September 1911 running between Hendon (north London) and Windsor. Special postal stationery postcards and envelopes in varying colours were produced pre-stamped with the new King George V 1/2d and 1d definitive postage stamps. The cost of the pre-stamped postcards was set 6 1/2d and the commemorative envelopes 1/1d (thirteen pre-decimal pennies), a little over 5p in current UK currency.

Special mail boxes were set up in London, Hendon and Windsor to post the commemorative items and six special postmarking handstamps were produced for the flights to Windsor - four were used on mail posted in London (Dies 1-4) and two were used in Hendon (5 & 6). Each postmark shows the die number at the foot of the design.

Collecting tip: The majority of mail for the flights postmarked London (going to Windsor) was posted in advance in central London and these display the special handstamp postmarks for London applied by dies 1-4. The London postmarks using dies 5 & 6 were used at Hendon - where advance posting didn't occur - meaning they are very much scarcer and more valuable.

Illustrations of the London & Windsor Postmarks used for the 1911 first UK aerial post
(not to scale)

The mail sent from Windsor was serviced with the Windsor postmark using either die 1 or 2. Collectors should note that considerably less mail was sent from Windsor than from London and Hendon. It is therefore more valuable.

On the London to Windsor route 1/2d rated postcards are known in a red-brown, dark-brown, olive and violet colour. The violet cards were deemed "privileged" and are the rarest and most valuable. On the return journey from Windsor it seems only olive-green and 'privileged' violet cards were used.

The 1d rated envelopes are known to exist in scarlet, purple-brown, deep green, deep brown and red brown in addition to the violet 'privilege' envelopes. Like the postcards only olive green or the violet 'privileged' envelopes appear to have been used from Windsor.

Four pilots were taken on to fly the scheduled service between Windsor Great Park and Hendon Aerodrome. They were Gustav Hamel, E F Driver, C Cresswell, and Claude Hubert. Hubert's involvement was curtailed when he crashed during a take-off breaking both his legs. It is reported that he received £500 compensation from the profits of the aerial service. The planes used for the service were 2 Bleriot monoplanes and one Farman biplane.

Gustav Hamel was the pilot of the very first flight which took off from Hendon at 5.13pm 9th September 1911. The 21 mile flight to Windsor Great Park took around 15 minutes.

The Aerial Post service was planned to run from 11 September to 15 September with only one return trip scheduled for 16th September from Windsor to Hendon. However plans were regularly changed due to weather conditions. Delays to the service meant that a large backlog of commemorative cards and envelopes built up and the service finally ended on 26th September 1911.

The most desirable items for collectors are the items postmarked on the dates of the first flights - 9th September to Windsor and 16th September from Windsor (the only date post was carried on the return leg). Of these it is the violet coloured privilege stationery that is the rarest and most prized items.

I am confident the Royal Mail will decide to commemorate the centenary of this event in 2011 and this is likely to spark heightened interest in the original postal history of the 1911 flights. Therefore these covers and postcards are currently one of my more confident philatelic buyer tips and strongly suggest collectors keep an eye on the 1911 UK aerial post online auctions.

The violet privilege cards and envelopes flown in either direction can command prices well over £500 in good condition. Regular items flown on the first flights in either direction can command £50 or more according to condition and other dates should achieve £25 or more according to condition and colours. I wont be surprised to see these prices enjoy a marked increase in the next year or two because of the approaching centenary.

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