|
NEWSLETTER #62 - MARCH 2008 THE CARDS ARE OUT THERE AVIATION SHOWS
Apr 20 Altrincham Cresta Court Hotel
NEW ISSUES
Relative to the UK and USA, the airline postcard is in better health in the German speaking countries, so one can expect to find new issues at the annual Berlin World Travel Market. Although there were few surprises in the issuers, there were new cards this year from Air Baltic (737), All Nippon (787), Blue express (737), Egyptair (60th anniv DH Moth,) Hamburg International (A319), Icelandair (757), Lufthansa (747s, A330s, CRJ-900), Rossiya (A319, Tu154, Tu204), Mongolian (A310), Niki(A320), Swiss (BAe146, A320 – including a Euro 08 football colour scheme, A330), TunisAir (60th Anniv multiview) and Ukraine (737).
The Rossiya Tu154 means that the Belavia shown last time is NOT the last Tu154 card to be issued.
The Egyptian Anniversary Moth and the ANA 787 are large size.
There is a new Australian publisher of airport cards – cards can be viewed and ordered at postcard@pics-sydney.co.au Carl McQuaide’s latest Wingtip series includes a card printed from an old 1950’s photo of mine of an Aer Lingus DC-3. There is also a new UK publisher of retrospective airport cards who seems to sell most through Ebay. The cards are by Kendex Cards of Manchester.
INTERNET REPORT
There have been a few high priced sales outside the usual categories. A photographic card of a Pan American Martin Clipper at Wake Island attracted bids from both aviation and postal history sectors as it was postally used from Hawaii. Consequently it raised over $200.
Likewise another photographic card combined aviation and Irish interest by showing the Short Mercury seaplane being crane launched or recovered at Foynes. Unfortunately the image quality was not good enough to show here but sufficient to attract bids over EUR 100. BEWARE The Internet plus a shortage of new airline issues has had one negative effect which is the rise of “fake” airline issues – most likely from Germany. Using digital technology and quality printing it is possible to extract images from an airline’s publicity sources and produce a plausible card with logos etc on the back. Some that have been seen have not done this all that well but we were taken in by the supposed Cargoitalia DC-10/MD-11 featured in an earlier issue. Leonardo Pinzauti has followed this up with the company who deny all knowledge of it , but in the course of the investigation he discovered a real issue from this carrier. This is the offending card below.
The 707 piece by Bill Demarest in December happened to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the 1st flight of the true airline 707 - as distinct from the prototype and its KC-135 derivatives. Also celebrating an anniversary – 25 years was the NATO 707 derived E-3 AWACS squadron at Geilenkirchen, Germany. For the anniversary they produced a set of cards featuring not only the E-3 in a special colour scheme, but also a support and training 707 freighter. Like all the AWACS squadron they both carry Luxemburg-ish markings, the E-3 being LX-N90459 and the 707 LX-N20000. The 707 has always been in military hands, having been previously with the Luftwaffe.
|