The SAAF Forum

To anyone staying in the Cape Town area.
Muizenberg Post Office are selling commemorative envelopes @ R8.10 each to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first airmail flight undertaken in South Africa.
Copy of the envelope and details of the flight below.

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Money cannot buy happiness, but it's more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes Benz than on a bicycle.

Was just about to make a similar post myself!

I'm an aerophilatalist (sp?), so quickly went and purchased the FDC and stamp last week.

Why only in Muizenberg?

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The first airmail delivery was from Kenilworth to Muizenberg.

It is only the larger post offices that stock FDC, such as the main PO in Cape Town. I suppose Muizenberg PO also sold this FDC because they are 'post marked' on the FDC.

Kenilworth to Muizenburg, that is 12,4 Km with the M5, according to Google Map.
Makes me wonder why they chose that route, were there any obstacles along that rout by land?

I think it was more for the sake of doing it than out of necessity. The majority of the mail bag contents on that first flight was commemorative postcards.

They probably didn't trust the newfangled flying machine to go any further!

Very valid point, went to the military museum up in Joburg earlier this month to listen to a talk about the first flight from London to Capetown, out of 4 parties that left, they all crashed on the way, the guys who finnaly managed to do it crashed 2 or 3 times I think. It got to the point when Jan Smuts, who was helping the one group, while sending up a replacement plane to them in Zimbabwe was already assembling another plane incase they crashed that one as well .

So glad planes have improved since then