Sold For $1,105
*Includes Buyers Premium
Impressive grouping of six flown limited edition covers related to record-breaking circumnavigation aircraft and balloons, each of which is signed in ink or felt tip by its pilot or pilots. These include:
- Flown cover for the ‘Engineering Test Flight’ of the Voyager, the first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling, numbered 473/750, signed by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager; this cover was carried on the Voyager during its engineering test flight, July 9-15, 1986.
- Flown cover for the ‘Round the World Flight’ of the Voyager, numbered 473/750, signed by Rutan and Yeager; this cover was carried on the Voyager during its record-setting around-the-world flight, December 14-23, 1986.
- Cover flown for nine days on the Breitling Orbiter 2, an attempt at becoming the first balloon to fly around the world, numbered “320,” signed by Bertrand Piccard and Wim Verstraeten; carried from January 26th to February 7, 1998, for over 5,264 miles; also signed by engineer Andy Elson.
- Cover flown for nearly 20 days aboard the Breitling Orbiter 3, the first balloon to successfully circumnavigate the earth nonstop, numbered “420,” signed by Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones; carried from March 1-21, 1999, for over 28,430 miles.
- Cover flown for 67 hours aboard the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, which made the first solo, nonstop unrefueled circumnavigation of the world, numbered 305/500, signed by Steve Fossett; carried from February 28th to March 3, 2005, for over 22,936 miles; the flight speed of 342 mph set the world record for the fastest nonstop non-refueled circumnavigation, beating the mark set by the previous Rutan-designed Voyager aircraft. Includes a color glossy photo and a letter of authenticity, both signed by Fossett.
- Cover flown for over 13 days aboard the Spirit of Freedom, which became the first successful around-the-world nonstop solo flight in any kind of aircraft, numbered 392/500, signed by Steve Fossett; carried from June 19th to July 4, 2002, for over 20,626 miles; during the flight, the balloon reached speeds of up to 200 mph, and flew as high as 34,710 feet. Includes a color glossy photo and a letter of authenticity, both signed by Fossett.
In overall very fine condition. Accompanied by six 'Qualita Bolaffi' certificates of authenticity from the Italian Philatelic Institute, and two certificates of authenticity for the Voyager covers, both bearing preprinted signatures of Rutan and Yeager.
