Description
This is a rare and historically significant first flight airmail cover from October 10, 1926, carried on Contract Air Mail Route CAM 15N3, the Norfolk, Virginia to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania leg of the inaugural flight. What sets this item apart is the presence of the original Albert Gorham cachet and the authentic signature of pilot Alton N. Parker, a decorated World War I Marine aviator and one of America’s early aviation pioneers.
Parker would later gain fame as the first pilot to fly over the Antarctic continent during the Byrd Expedition in 1929, making this signed cover a remarkable artifact that predates one of the most famous polar missions in history.
Key highlights of this cover:
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CAM 15N3 Norfolk to Philadelphia – the correct and less common segment of Route 15
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Boldly signed by pilot Alton N. Parker
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Albert Gorham-designed cachet, applied at the time of flight
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Original 1926 Norfolk postmark
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Shipped in a new, acid-free archival sleeve
Covers from this route leg are harder to find than the more common Norfolk-Washington flight (CAM 15N2), and few are signed by Parker, who later received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his Antarctic achievements. This is a standout piece for collectors of early airmail, aviation pioneers, or polar exploration history.
