United States First Flight Cover – Bradford, Pennsylvania (II)

Description

United States First Flight Cover – Bradford, Pennsylvania (U.S. Air Mail), 1948
Franked with Scott #UC17 (5¢ Air Mail Envelope, Stamp Centenary Design)

This authentic U.S. First Flight Cover commemorates the inauguration of U.S. Air Mail service from Bradford, Pennsylvania, flown on September 10, 1948. The cover bears a clear Bradford, Pa., Sep 10, 1948 (9:00 AM) postmark confirming first-day carriage.

At left is a bold circular purple cachet reading “U.S. Air Mail – Bradford, Pennsylvania – First Flight”, incorporating aviation imagery and local industrial symbolism. The design reflects the postwar period, when expanded regional air service connected smaller cities to the national airmail network.

The envelope is franked with Scott #UC17, the 5¢ Air Mail postal card stamp from the U.S. Postage Stamp Centenary issue. Addressed to H. U. Blaisdell, Orangeburg, N.Y., the cover shows normal handling wear consistent with genuine flown mail.

The reverse bears an Air Mail Field, Cleveland, Ohio transit marking dated September 10, 1948, confirming routing through a major regional airmail hub. Together, the origin and transit markings document the operational flow of postwar domestic airmail service.

First flight covers from the late 1940s illustrate the final phase of U.S. airmail expansion, as aviation became a routine and reliable mode of mail transport nationwide. This Bradford first flight is a solid example of small-city integration into the postwar air network and a desirable addition to U.S. postal history and airmail collections.