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In the late 1950s, jet airliners began to enter service for airlines around the world. These new jet aircraft revolutionized transpacific air travel with their high speed and enhanced range. Pan American World Airways and Qantas Airways favored the Boeing 707 for long-range international routes. The 707 did not need to stop as frequently and layovers in New Caledonia and Canton Island were no longer required. Regular and swift same-day air travel between the United States and Australia had been realized. Airmail flight covers were used to commemorate these milestones of the jet age as faster and longer-distance flights were achieved. In 1978, the government of Australia issued a flight cover that commemorated Charles Kingsford Smith’s first pioneering flight to the United States in 1928. See “Airmail Down Under” on display, pre-security, in the Aviation Museum and Library and online at: https://bit.ly/3wz8Z1T
This image was posted on November 09, 2022.