1911 : the United Kingdom Coronation Aerial Post

Abstract

The importance of the Coronation Aerial Post is that it was the first sustained air mail service in the world, there being fourteen flights from London to Windsor in which 35 bags of mail were carried and four flights carrying a total of 4 bags of mail from Windsor to London. The inaugural flight from Hen don aerodrome in North-West London to Windsor Great Park, marking the world's first regular airmail service, took place on Saturday 9th September at 4.55pm when Gustav Hamel bravely took off in a very high wind carrying one bag of privileged mail weighing 23,5lbs. It arrived safely just 12,5 minutes later. The mail was then taken to the Post Office in Windsor by the cycle Postman, sorted and despatched to London by the 6pm train. The last flight was on 26th September. Four pilots were engaged to operate the Aerial Post service with Gustav Hamel performing most of the 1911 flights in his Bleriot monoplane. [excerpt]