Round-the-World Flights

Imperial Airways Starts TransAtlantic Flights with RTW Westward Routing

Page 2v (rev: 1001)

Cover - Front	Cover - Rear	Cachet	Short C-Class	In-Flight Refueling

	In 1937 Pan American Airways and Imperial Airways agreed to inaugurate joint passenger 
service between the United States and Bermuda.  Consistent with this reciprocal agreement 
between Pan Am and Imperial, Imperial entered the North Atlantic air service on August 5, 1939.
Imperial flew a modified Short S.30 C-class flying boat, "Caribou" (G-AFCV) piloted by J.C. 
Kelly-Rogers from Southampton, England to New York via Foynes, Ireland,  Botwood, Newfoundland 
and Montreal, Canada.  To accomplish this transatlantic ocean crossing the "Caribou" was 
refueled in-flight by a Handley Page Harrow tanker aircraft (G-AFRL). 
	After its arrival in New York this air mail cover was further dispatched westward 
round-the-world returning to London on August 26, 1939, a week before WW-II began in Europe.  
	Captain Kelly-Rogers also piloted the first wartime east to west transatlantic flight from
the wartime base at Poole Harbour in flying boat, "Clare" (G-AFCZ) on August 3, 1940.

Cover Itinerary:

Departed Southampton, England              08/05/39
     Foynes, Ireland
     Botwood, Newfoundland
     Montreal, Canada				
     New York, NY                          08/08/39
     Hong Kong                             08/16/39	
     Bangkok, Thailand                     08/18/39
Arrived London, England                    08/26/39
     WW-II began in Europe                 09/03/39

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