A Czech CSA Il-62 airliner flying over Africa. Exciting isn’t it. If you go back 46 years it seems more so. The Il-62 replaced ex Cubana Bristol Britannia turboprops on CSA’s long haul services. Now I have a fondness for the Britannia as my father was a mechanic on them in 1950s England and later Canada, but the Il-62 flew 20% more passengers 40% longer distances at a speed 40% faster. Changing how we travel, not just bogged down in the economics of getting there cheaper as the modern planes offer. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
This is a little bit of a strange stamp issue. Various model airliners, in their national airline livery are flying over maps where you then might have spotted them. Local airline Malev flying a Soviet Tu-154 over central Europe is only one from Hungary and the lowest denomination. Well it was the time when so many of Hungary stamp issues were prepared outside the country for the world stamp market.
Todays stamp is issue C379, a 2 Forint airmail stamp issued by Hungary on October 26th, 1977. It was an eight stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used. This stamp also exists as an imperforate, that would raise the value to $4.35.
Work began on the Ilyushin Il-62 in 1960. It is a close contemporary of the British VC-10 airliner but is larger and more economical. The two airliners share the otherwise unique trait of four engines mounted on the tail two on each side. This improves the aerodynamics of the wings and makes the cabin quieter. It can also cause trouble if one engine is overheating both engines on that side of the airplane have to be shut down adding much instability. The engines in the back also make the plane tail heavy so when parked a jack folds out of the back to prevent the plane from tipping backwards off it’s tricycle undercarriage. The Il-62 was a great success with production of 292 over 30 years. The last plane was built in 1997 to serve VIP duties for Sudan. One does not think enough about Sudanese VIPs. Others are still in service with the Russian Air Force, Rado airlines in Belarus and Air Koryo in North Korea. At the height of it’s career, it even served Air France and KLM on their services to the eastern bloc. Interestingly given the Hungarian stamp, the Il-62 was never bought by Hungary although at one point in the 1960s they were listed as having them on order. Apparently Tupelov offered Hungary a better deal on their airliners and Hungary cancelled the Ilyushin order. Communism or is it capitalism in action.
CSA Czech Airlines began operations in 1923 with a flight between Prague and Bratislava. Then an internal flight. After a gap during the German occupation, the airline came back after the war but with shorter flights. In 1950, the airline faced the first mass hijacking when 3 DC-3s were hijacked at the same time to the American airbase at Erdin near Munich. 2/3rds of the passengers were not in on the “freedom” flight and returned home treated as heroes. CSA got back into long haul routes with a flight to Havana using Bristol Britannias leased from Cubana in 1962. CSA ordered VC10s to replace them but then canceled them in favor of the Il-62. They became the first foreign Il-62 user in 1969. They eventually operated 21 of them and kept them in service until 1997.
CSA has faced many struggles since the end of the cold war. Most of the long haul services are gone and the airline has lost 75% of it’s employees. After an equity stake by Korean Air was not successful, in 2018 the rump of the airline was sold to low cost carrier Smartwings. Most of their A319 are leased out and their single long haul A330 is a lease from Korean Air. They have recently ordered the small A220 jet to replace their small ATR turboprops.
Well my drink is empty and so I will signal the stewardess to bring another. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.