A Rare Postal Cover Carried by Amelia Earhart on the Flight on Which She Became the First Woman to Fly Across the Atlantic Ocean, Stamped in the US on her Departure and in Europe on Landing

Just the 3rd such cover we can find having reached the public market

Earhart began flying in 1920, and set out to break flying records, breaking the women’s altitude record in 1922. In April 1928 Earhart received the telephone call that would change her life: an offer to become the first woman to fly the Atlantic in an airplane. “The idea of just going as ‘extra weight’ did not appeal to me at all,” she said, preferring to be at the controls rather than be a passenger, but she accepted the offer nonetheless. Her job was to keep the flight log for co-pilots Wilmer “Bill” Stultz and Louis “Slim” Gordon. The party would make their way from Boston to Newfoundland and depart from there in a plane named Friendship. In Newfoundland, they were delayed 13 days in departing for Great Britain, waiting for favorable weather and shedding unnecessary weight from their airplane. Earhart and the crew finally departed Trepassy, Newfoundland, at 11:40 a.m. on June 17, 1928. Originally headed for Southampton, England, they instead landed in Burry Port, South Wales, after a flight of 20 hours and 40 minutes. Earhart thus became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. When the trio came ashore, some 2,000 people — nearly the entire population of Burry Port — came out to see the woman who had conquered the Atlantic Ocean. After a night’s rest, the three flew on to Southampton. Earhart, who never touched the controls over the Atlantic, finally got her chance to pilot the Friendship on this last leg. They were greeted by cheering crowds, proud dignitaries, and excited reporters. Earhart had carried with her on the flights 150 small American flags as treasured mementos.

Earhart became an immediate international sensation, and she was astounded by the reception she received. She was feted in London, received a ticker-tape parade through New York City, and had a visit with President Calvin Coolidge at the White House. Earhart realized that she had a unique opportunity to promote her passion for aviation and interest in being an example to girls everywhere. She became an accomplished speaker and writer, and also a columnist for Cosmopolitan. She joined Charles A. Lindbergh in promoting a new air mail service, and she purchased a Lockheed Vega, which she flew in the first women’s cross-country air derby in 1929. She encouraged girls to believe they could achieve anything they set their minds to, and wrote letters of encouragement to them.

But Earhart’s most famous achievement was yet to come. Determined to prove herself in what was essentially a male preserve, Earhart decided to fly the Atlantic Ocean alone. On May 20-21, 1932, she achieved this goal. In the plane alone, she left Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, Canada, and landed 15 hours later near Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Acclaimed as a pilot, not merely a passenger, in London, Paris, and Rome, she returned home to a ticker tape parade in New York City and honors in Washington, D.C.

On the flight she carried a handful of things, including 50 first day covers stamped in New York prior to her departure and then stamped again in Londonderry when she landed.

Bernt Balchen was a Norwegian pioneer polar aviator, navigator, aircraft mechanical engineer and military leader. A Norwegian native, he later became an American citizen and was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Due to his reputation as a polar, transatlantic and aviation expert, Balchen was hired in 1931 by Amelia Earhart as a technical adviser for a planned solo transatlantic flight. He and the mechanics Frank Nagle and Eddie Gorski reconditioned the Vega for the upcoming record flight. Its fuselage was strengthened to carry extra fuel tanks that were added to provide a 420-gallon capacity, and some additional flight instruments were also installed. After modifications had been made, Earhart flew this Lockheed Vega across the Atlantic Ocean on 20 May 1932, landing in Ireland.

Document signed, addressed to Balchen, either owned by him or all addressed to him as a nod to his assistance, one of these scarce mementos, carried with her on the plane that flew her across the Atlantic, from Newfoundland to Ireland, showing the dates of her trip, May 20-21 1932, as well as her arrival and departure destinations, stamped in both locations.

Public records show just 2 others of these signed examples having reached the market, one in 1982 and another in 2015. One is in the collection of the Smithsonian postal history museum.