Chapter 7

SCHEDULED FLIGHTS BEGAN FROM SEPTEMBER 1921

During the period from March 1921 through September 1921, flights were predominately experimental. Indeed Knox-Martin went on his own experimental flights to find how and where to get from one part of the country to another, and this was still necessary later. During the SCADTA provisional period in 1920, routes were limited both in frequency and by destination.

On 4 October 1920, when the first issue of SCADTA stamps was printed, there followed a period when the previous uni-colored stamps of October 1920, being of the sea and mountains type “o” and “p”, were used for special purposes and flights on 1 November 1920 and 15 December 1920.

Thereafter, until the following September when official flights were begun, we note the many specifically dated experimental flights undertaken.

Stamps used were mostly of the 30c black-on-rose design or the national 3c stamp. In the examples shown, with the dates May 1920, we can see the surcharged 50c green and 30c stamps. This was in fact an early experimental flight. After that is a March first flight to the USA, then various ones for June, July, August and the last few 1, 14 and 15 September flights before the official flights were commenced.

SCADTA flew these experimental flights until 20 September 1921, when a regular schedule was adopted. Major catalogs fail to recognize that the first of the provisional surcharges was 2 May 1921, not the fall of 1921. While the letter rate for the first flight was 50 centavos, it was later reduced to 30 centavos. The surcharge was applied to the 50 centavos stamps when the office ran out of the needed stamps for that day.

Most of the experimental flights were Barranquilla to Bogota. But there are covers from Barranquilla to Girardot/Bogota. Of interest are covers from Bogota to Philadelphia, and to New York and Germany.

There were many experimental flights, and collectors and prices vary extraordinarily. Auctions affix a value of around $250 – $750, reflecting the scarcity, but if a collector is missing a particular stamp, completing the collection can be quite costly.

I note that the experimental flights were on the following dates in 1921: 2-4 March*, 12 April, 27-29 March, 2 may, 25 May, 10 –13 June, 16-18 June, 23 June, 1 July*, 18 July, 12 August, 19 August, 26 August, 29 August, 1 September, 3 September, 8 September*, 15 September (the last one).

* very scarce.

The cancellations include:

“Correos Aereos/Barranquilla” – the date was entered with a straight line handstamp.

“Sociedad Colombo Alemana/De/Transportes Aereos” – Backstamped

“Despacho Corresponencia Interior” c.d.s. of Bogota and marked by a Scadta THREE LINE handstamp

“Correos Nacionales on stamps tied by “Correos Aereos/ Barranquilla oval and FOUR LINE Scadta handstamp. Arrival dates are backstamped.

On 19 October 1920, SCADTA realized its first flight from Barranquilla to Girardot. Helmuth von Krohn was the pilot of the Junkers K-13 “Colombia”, accompanied by Wilhelm von Schnurbusch as his mechanic. This flight carried for the first time, mail franked with SCADTA stamps, cancelled by the scarce and famous “Colibri” handstamp or an oval airmail cancellation from Barranquilla, used earlier for the CCNA retum flight in March.

Barranquilla to Girardot (then by railway to Bogota), was franked with the 50 Centavos stamp as the postal air fee for this flight (raised from 30 to 50 centavos, only to be lowered again a few months later). It was cancelled by the “Colibri” handstamp.

Realizations often take into account the rarity. For example in recent auctions, sales varied from $500 to $3,600. But findings vary, some being very scarce.

After this we find scheduled mail using the black-on-rose design and dated 19/26 September and 3/15 October and of November. A few early scheduled covers had hummingbird surcharges on the green 50c editions. Then the 30c black-on-rose ran out and the 50c stamps were
used and surcharged.

This cover is from Bogotá to Paderborn (Germany), an experimental flight to Barranquilla. Mail was carried by ship to Europe, franked by 30c black-on-rose design, paying the international 10c, each cancelled by c.d.s. on consignment, and handstruck by “Sociedad /Dc/Transportes Aéros” three line cachet. (Scott 14.)