Lot 60118 – 1933 BALBO FLIGHT TO USA The outbound flight a

1933 BALBO FLIGHT TO USA The outbound flight across the North Atlantic started with 25 flying boats under the command of Commanding General Italo Balbo. One of the planes stayed behind in Amsterdam. The outbound route was Orbetello-Amsterdam-Londonderry-Reykjavik-Cartwright-Shediac-Montreal-Chicago, and the return flight, of which only 23 planes made it, used a more southerly route. The triptych stamps were overprinted at left with abbreviated pilot names, The 5.25L+19.75L values are used on covers addressed and carried to Reykjavik, Iceland, with some of these further carried to Cartwright (Labrador, Newfoundland) with receiver, as well as all other intervening transits, on the face as well. The 5.25L+44.75L values are on covers sent to Chicago, and have all the intervening transits on the face, as well as the flight cachet and, uncommonly, the oval handstamp of the Italian Royal Air Force navigation ship “ALICE.” The reverse of all covers shows the special Roma “Crociera Aerea” cds of June 16, and the covers to Chicago also show the red “Commando” and Arms circular hs. “I-BIAN” (Commander Captain Vincenzo Biani), set of two covers, the one to Reykjavik flown on to Cartwright, very fine (Sassone GP30, € 19’500), very fine Expertise: Cert. Giorgio Colla (2001) Estimate: € 6’000 – € 8’000