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The Semi-Official
Air Mail Stamps of Canada
Semi-Officials Stamps
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Ephemera
  A Rare Pioneer Find!
  About Amelia Earhart
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About the Pioneer Air Mails

1918 Aero Club of Canada


caCLP0002
In order to test the practicality of using aircraft to carry mail, the Post Office Department authorized three experimental Royal Air Force flights between Toronto and Ottawa.  The second and third flights utilized caCLP0001 and caCLP0002 under the auspices of the Aero Club of Canada.

These two stamps depicted the shooting down of a German Zeppelin airship over Belgium in 1915. They were printed in panes of two tête-bêche impressions in black.  The red flamed from the burning Zeppelin was superimposed by using a piece of battered type and making a second run through the presses for caCLP0001.  The Aero Club suggested that the stamp's 25¢ value be printed in the lower corners for caCLP0002.

There are 167 copies of caCLP0001 that were used thus there should be 27 mint copies in existence as well as 6 with the red printing omitted.  Counterfeit copies are known to exist.

Courtesy: The Air Mails of Canada and Newfoundland

1927 London, Ontario to London, England


caCLP0007 (commemorative)
The Carling Brewery Co. of London, ant. offered a prize of $25,000 for any Canadian or British pilot making a nonstop flight from London, Ontario to London, England. Carling bought a Stinson SM-1 aircraft, named the "Sir John Carling," and selected Capt. Terrance B. Tully as pilot with Lt. James V. Medcalf as navigator. The plane took off about 6:00 a.m. on Aug. 29 but ran into bad fog at Kingston, ant. and was forced to return to London. The rules were revised and it was decided to land at Harbour Grace, Nfld. for refueling. They took off on Sept. 1 and got as far as Caribou, Maine, where they were forced down. On Sept. 5 they reached Harbour Grace and departed for England on Sept. 7. They were never seen again.

Courtesy: The Air Mails of Canada and Newfoundland

A Rare Pioneer Find!


caCLP0007 (proof)
Click here to read about a fascinating discovery of a rare Proof of this stamp.  This article appeared in the Toronto Sunday Star by Business Editor Brett Popplewell on Jan 11, 2009!

Col. W.G. Barker VC.

Col. W.G. Barker, VC. was selected to fly the Toronto - New York leg of the International Air Race by the Aero Club of Canada in a Fokker D VII aircraft.  This photo was taken of the Colonel holding mail bag for the flight.  The caCLP0003 stamp was applied only to mail for this leg of the flight, not the return leg (in spite of a number of covers that A.C. Roessler of East Orange, N.J. serviced.

Courtesy: The Air Mails of Canada and Newfoundland Photo: The site of E.G. van Dam Ltd.