airship to jumbo jet

 

The first air mail was delivered to Bermuda by a 2,472,000 cubic foot dirigible (.17¢).  Built partially with German reparation funds from WWI.  It went to Bermuda twice in 1925.  Fifty years later, mail was being delivered by a 747, the first wide body jet (.25¢).

Sunday Stamps II - 146

1947, India International Postage
12 annas

One of three stamps issued by the newly independent Dominion of India. It wouldn't be until December that they were finally released, and the stock of old King George VI stamps would continue to be overprinted until they were finally used up and replaced in 1949. The stamp shows a Douglas DC4 Skymaster flying over the date of independence with the value of 12 annas on the bottom left and Jai Hind (Victory to India) in Devanagari script on the upper left. 

for the letter I - India, Independence, International

Sunday Stamps II - 138

1928 US AIR MAIL

The US postal service started constructing airway beacons between 1923-1933 to aid navigation before there were good aviation charts for pilots. A series of lighted beacons were placed every 10 miles or so along with a brightly painted concrete arrow for navigation during inclement weather and at night. The lights would flash a code to identify each beacon's number. By 1940, when technology had improved, the beacons were torn down and the steel went towards the war effort.

for the letter A - air mail