Round-the-World Flights

Imperial Airways Starts TransAtlantic Flights with RTW Eastward Routing

Page 2x (rev: 1000)

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, Kelly-Rogers made his return flight from New York to 
Southampton, England via Montreal Canada. This air mail cover was dispatched from Montreal
to Southampton and further eastward round-the-world via Hong Kong and New York returning 
to Montreal, Canada on September 13, 1939, ten days after WW-II began in Europe.  

Cover Itinerary:

Departed Montreal Canada                    08/10/39
     Bottwood, Newfoundland
     Foynes, Ireland
     Southampton, England                   08/12/39
     Hong Kong                              08/30/39	
     New York, NY                           09/12/39
Arrived Montreal, Canada                    09/13/39
     WW-II began in Europe                  09/03/39

RETURN to Home Page.

eMail: WINGNET