The world's first airmail service

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Friday 9th September marks the centenary of the launch of the world’s first regularly scheduled aerial post from Hendon to Windsor, established as part of the celebrations for the coronation of King George V. On 9th September 1911, the British aviator Gustav Hamel (1889-1914) flew a Blériot monoplane between Hendon Aerodrome and Windsor Great Park to deliver a small bag of mail weighing 23½lbs to the Postmaster General. He covered the 21 miles in 10 minutes.

To mark the anniversary, the British Postal Museum & Archive has updated its current Treasures of the Archive exhibition to feature material related to the start of the first airmail service. New items on display include a 1911 poster promoting the flight, original artwork for commemorative postcards and envelopes, and a postcard which Gustav Hamel wrote en-route to the Postmaster General. There is further information about the first flight of the Aerial Post in the British Postal Museum & Archive’s online exhibition.

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