Let's step into the "Way-Back Machine" and I'll share the story of The Great RAF Mail Flight of 1999. In the 90's I was collecting WWI and WWII aviation, and got to know Ed Storo, who built a full scale Bristol F2B two-seat fighter in his garage. I made several flights with him, and only because it was a WWI replica as I am terrified of heights, flying and spiders!
I was also corresponding with the retired RAF officer running the RAF Benevolent Fund, running the WWI first day Cover program. He had two covers coming up for the US Air Service and asked if I could him get some signatures and help make them special. I said give me a few days and I'll get back to you with a plan.
The plan turned out to be The Great RAF Mail Flight of 1999. Ed who still lived in Memphis said, yep, he'd be happy to help and donate the fuel to fly the plane, I contacted the editor of "Over the Front", a WWI journal, and I contacted the Memphis Belle people who at the time had the Belle on Mud Island, asking them to verify the flight. I also contacted local TV to see fi they wanted to cover the story, but they declined saying there wasn't enough interest in it (read below).
So, on a very cold day in February (-9.44 C)we all planned to meet at a small airport just out of town in Memphis, Tennessee. The flight plan was to fly out to the Mississippi River, then over the Belle on Mud Island and back to the airport.
We made three flights, with each AG carrying part of the covers in an vintage air mail bag that Ed had. Oh my was it cold!!!!, and even colder in flight! Oh, and as for no interest as professed by the local TV station, it ended up that people stopped their cars on the Arkansas-Tennessee bridge to watch us fly over and people came out of downtown buildings to watch us!!!
If I haven't put you to sleep yet, here are a few of the pictures.
Me before the flights started, and cooold, without a coat just for the picture.
Cleared for take-off
About to cross the Arkansas-Tennessee bridge and then over the Belle on Mud Island. The Belle was under the white round cover you see just over the wing.
Coming back for the landing. Ed asked me if I wanted to fly around and I quickly, said, "No, that's OK!". He always took off and landed on the grass.
I'll post this and pick it up in a second chapter.
Terry