Meeting the collectors who love the Aviation theme half way, Romfilatelia will introduce into circulation, on Thursday, April 23rd, the postage stamps issue entitled Aeromfila 2020.
At the initiative of the diplomat Nicolae Titulescu, during the Trianon Conference – on April 23rd, 1920 – the First International Transcontinental Air Navigation Company in the WORLD for passengers, mail and cargo was created, the FRANCO – ROMANIAN AIR NAVIGATION COMPANY, thus registering a memorable page in the history of world aviation.
The passengers and the post arrived from Paris to Constantinople, with aircraft, in a day and a half, not in three days as when using the Orient – Express train.
This airline allowed the connection between the cities: Paris – Strasbourg – Vienna – Prague – Budapest (Arad at the beginning) – Belgrade – Bucharest – Constantinople, as well as Warsaw, departing from Prague, facilitating the extension of the European relations after the World War I.
Appreciating the CFRNA initiative, the Association of Romanian Philatelists, in the desire to impose its priority as well as other pioneering achievements in the field of aviation related to the initiative of the representatives of the Romanian people – established on April 23rd, 1970 – the Aerophilately Commission within the Association of Romanian Philatelists – and they marked this date with the first edition of the “Aeromfila” Philatelic Exhibition. From a timid beginning, with 7 exhibits, and now, after 50 years of activity, we proudly affirm the existence of 35 national editions, some with international attendance and jury.
The three aforementioned events are reflected in this issue consisting of a set of three stamps, a perforated souvenir sheet and a First Day Cover.
The postage stamp with the face value of Lei 2.20 is dedicated to the establishment on April 23rd, 1920 of the first international transcontinental airline in the world, CFRNA and illustrates the airline route Paris – Strasbourg – Vienna – Prague – Budapest – Arad – Bucharest – Constantinople and the logo of the company, which is presented in the form of two wings and a flag with the FRA initials, with the specification that this route was very little used.
When stabilizing the route, Arad was replaced with Belgrade, and to better mark the “atmosphere”, French registration planes were used, so one can clearly see the registration of a POTEZ – IX – F – F RF plane.
The establishment on April 23rd, 1970 of the Aerophilately Commission within the AFR and in time, of the 20 aerophilatelic groups placed throughout the territory of Romania was marked on the postage stamp with the face value of Lei 2.70.
The reproduction of the logo of the Aerophilately Commission recommends the objectives of the activity, namely: to present the history and the evolutions in the aircraft lighter than the air (the balloon and the airship), in airplanes and missiles.
To the first edition of the Aeromfila Philatelic Exhibition is dedicated the postage stamp with the face value of Lei 20.50.
The airplane reproduced on this stamp is a COUDRON – C61 and was used by CFRNA at the opening of the first international night airline with Belgrade – Bucharest regular flight on 10.09.1923.
On the perforated souvenir sheet with the face value of Lei 29, the company’s route is completed with London and with the extension of the section from Warsaw to Moscow.
The illustrated border of the perforated souvenir sheet presents the medal mint on April 23rd, 1920, in Paris, and on which we distinguish the text: CFRNA – Founded on April 23rd, 1920 and the name of the Romanian Aristide Blank – the one who financed the establishment of the Company.
The event that took place on 12.11.1922 with the “consolidation” of the Paris – Constantinople airline through Bucharest, was marked by the erection of a monument in each airport where the CFRNA flight had a layover.
The only monument of the 8 unveiled in 1922 which still exists on the airport site is the one at Baneasa airport.
In order to mark the other two anniversary events, the logo of the Aerophilately Commission is pictured on the border of the souvenir sheet, and on the stamp of the souvenir sheet, the Aeromfila logo.
On the First Day Cover is resumed the graphic of the postage stamp from the souvenir sheet, as all the medal and the monument from the illustrated border of the souvenir sheet, along with the existence of the International Association of Philatelic Journalists – AIJP and the International Federation of Aerophilatelic Societies – FISA – institutions which granted auspices to the exhibition.
Romfilatelia thanks the representatives of the Museum of Romanian Records and of the Aerophilately Commission within the Association of Romanian Philatelists for the documentary support granted to the achievement of this postage stamps issue.
