Why collect First Flight Covers?
First Flight Covers (FFCs) are the aviation equivalent of the post office issued First Day Covers (FDCs). They are issued to commemorate the maiden flight of airlines whereas their postal equivalent are issued to commemorate the first day issue of postage stamps.
FFCs are usually issued in a pair, although some covers, especially the older issues, tend to be issued individually with the return postmarks affixed on the back of the commemorative cover. The FFCs may be issued by the airlines or produced privately by collectors or dealers.
As the collecting of FFCs is a rather specialized field of aerophilately, the collector should try to amass as much knowledge as possible before committing more of his time and money on this endeavor. Various avenues to gather this knowledge include stamp clubs, talks with dealers, philatelic literature, philatelic exhibitions and of course the Internet, in particular the auction sites.
As mentioned earlier, FFCs usually come in a pair. The savvy collector would usually try to collect both covers if they are available and within his budget. Usually for the scarcer cover it is generally advisable to wait for a pair of covers as it may be much more costly and time consuming to purchase two separate pieces.
In conclusion, FFCs are an interesting aspect of aerophilately. They trace the development of air routes, from the pioneering flights of the early 20th century to the experimental flights and finally to the commercial flights of the present. They also document the rise and fall of various airlines. They are a must-have for every collector who collect aviation themes.