On February 18, 1911, French pilot Henri Pequet (1888-1974) carried the first official mail flown by airplane. He carried a sack with about 6,000 cards and letters on his Humber biplane. The plane flew a distance of five miles, from an Allahabad polo field, over the Yamuna River, to Naini in India.
The late Jeffrey Brown of UK was one of the foremost researchers in Indian aerophilately. In 1995, his book ‘Indian Air Mails’ detailing the early flights was published. Five years later, his ‘Indian Air Mail Postage Rates until 1956’ came out. They were published by the India Study Circle for Philately.
The two books have been out-of-print for years. Now, Air Mail Society India Foundation (AMSI), in collaboration with the India Study Circle for Philately (ISC), is releasing them digitally. They will be available in two formats: USB Memory Stick or Dropbox Downloadable Link. The price is Indian Rupees 2,000 for Indian and US$20 for international buyers. Visit the AMSI website to place your order.
