Month: March 2026

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Hungary 1977, when Czech CSA airlines flew far and wide and so did the Ilyushin Il-62

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.

The Il-62 in the classic CSA “Ok Jet” cold war livery. Don’t overpromise!

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. Update, CSA airline ceased operations in 2024.

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.

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Ivory Coast 1974, Felix the irresistible force thinks he has been stolen from too much

The Ivory Coast charted a different course than many in Africa by staying close to colonial power France. The President for life marketed himself and changed his name to the irresistible force in charge of the ivory miracle. It was true that people weren’t having much luck resisting, but by the end he had stolen too much and the people had enough. Ironic for a man that had came to prominence by penning an article complaining about what he perceived as French thievery. 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.

President Felix Houphouet-Boigny marketed his rule as the ivory miracle. The simple portrait bulk postage stamp makes a pretty good case for it. Bulk postage implies a functioning country. As with bulk postage throughout the world, mint versions of this stamp are worth more than twice the used form as most really were mailed. Ivory Coast is no longer so functional regarding the post. The last bulk mail issue was from 1994 and the last stamp recognized as legitimate is from 2015.

Todays stamp is issue A111, a 25 African Franc stamp issued by the Ivory Coast in 1974. It was a five stamp issue in various denominations issued over several years. In the late 1980s there were new versions reflecting then new currency devaluations. According to the Scott Catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used.

The President eventually known as Felix Houphouet-Boigny was born either in 1901 or 1907 depending on who you ask in Yamoussoukro during the time the Ivory Coast was a French colony. His birth name was Dia (magician) Houphouet and he was in the line to be a tribal chief in the Akoues tribe. He became chief at a young age but was represented by a regency. As per colonial policy, tribal chiefs were offered education in French local schools. During this time he trained as a medic and converted  to Catholicism, Christened name Felix. Felix worked as a medic and organized a club for indigenous medical personnel. The French authorities considered the club  a labor union and transferred him to a French hospital in a smaller town. He then penned an essay in a socialist newspaper saying that the French had stolen too much from the African man as regards to agriculture in the Ivory Coast. When the French figured out Felix wrote the article, they offered him a job as a colonial tax collector to buy him off. Soon Felix was rich.

After the war Felix won a seat in the French Parliament in Paris representing the colony. The Africans quickly aligned with the French communist party as it was the only party in favor of ending the colonies. Felix assured the French he was not a communist as he was too rich to be one. He instead began to advocate a gradual process toward independence unlike most African leaders of the time. France however was ready to leave and Felix became the first President of independent Ivory Coast. In the runup he added Boigny (the irresistible force) to his name. As he consolidated his power for a long rule he initially had some resistance. He had rival Jean-Baptiste Mockey exiled for using a form of voodoo involving black cats against him. Creepy, I can see why he had to go. He shrunk the military to avoid coups and let the French continue to run the economy that mainly involved coffee and cocoa, not ivory.

In the 1980s the world price for coffee and cocoa dropped and the country took on a great deal of debt to buy peace by continuing to pay farmers the old prices. Felix desperately begged Europe to pay him above market prices and then failed again when he halted exports to try to raise the market price. Felix was still spending lavishly moving the administrative capital to his hometown and building there a giant Catholic Basilica in the bush and an airport that could handle the Concorde SST. When Felix died in 1993, his fortune was estimated at $7 billion. His children argued how much of the fortune belongs to them versus the state. It did and still does support a peace prize in his name that is handed out annually through the UN. Perhaps odd for a leader that supported armed opposition to African governments in Angola Benin, Burkini Faso, Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria. Felix is still fairly well remembered in the Ivory Coast, benefiting in retrospect for what came later.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another to toast the Concorde supersonic airliner. If I was the leader of a place not doing so well with so much money waiting for me in Switzerland, I sure would want a Concorde at the airport ready to zip me away. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.

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India 1972, India remembers the Tamil Helmsman

Part of the Indian independence movement was swadeshi. This was the idea that Indians could hasten the departure of the British by only doing business with Indians . V O Chidambaram brought swadeshi to steamships going between India and Columbo in Sri lanka. Involving politics in business can get rough, even deadly. 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.

Swadeshi meant Indians were going to acquire the necessities for the country to get by on it’s own. I covered a Tata owned steel mill here, https://the-philatelist.com/2019/11/21/india-1958-independant-india-will-be-great-building-on-the-success-of-people-like-j-n-tata/   , built in the same spirit. When I saw the ship on this stamp and checked the dates involved. I figured there was no way this was an all India operation. Well the steamships were leased not owned, but indeed it was all Indian. Worth remembering and the honourific the Tamil Helmsman.

Todays stamp is issue A333, a 20 Paise stamp issued by India on September 5th, 1972. It was a single stamp issue honouring the birth century of V O Chidambaram Pillai. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 55 cents used.

Early in his life V O Chidambaram Pillai( V O) was a scholar of languages and the law. He was politically radicalized after law studies at Trichy and encounters with the Swami Vivikananda. V O was not a full barrister but a pleader, who writes pleadings to be submitted to a court. He was a member of the India National Congress, a nationalist movement.

At the time there were many fellow Tamils engaged as contract laborers in Ceylon. The steamship ride back and fourth was expensive and all British operated. V O had the idea to start a steamship company that was all Indian and could train ship crews and perhaps eventually shipbuilders. He traveled India raising money and even had Gandhi raising money for him on a trip visiting Indians in South Africa. He raised $40,000. This was not enough to buy ships but got an operation up and going with the steamship SS Gallia leased from the French. The British monopoly steamships were not happy and launched a price war against V O’s Swadeshi Steam Navigation. The British price eventually got to free rides and a free umbrella. The steamship company went broke and VO went on to help organize trade unions to strike British owned textile mills. A colonial minister called in VO and asked for assurances that another independence activists’ release from prison would be peaceful. The official was shocked when no assurances were given. After all, V O was an Officer of the Court. He was arrested for sedition. VO refused bail and did not participate in his trial. He was then shocked when he was convicted and sentenced to two life terms. He suddenly was  very involved  with appeals and ended serving three years of hard labour.

Activists were angered by how V O was treated. A British Resident Magistrate, Robert William Ashe, was especially blamed as he had presided over the liquidation of the steamship company. In 1911 Ashe was assassinated by an activist while passing through a train station. That station is now named for his assassin. The assassin left a note that this was a warning to “cow eater!” George V never to come to India. It said there were two thousand like him in Madras who had vowed to kill the King if he ever sets foot there. King George V did visit that year and was crowned Emperor of India. His visit passed without incident but he was the last British Monarch formally crowned in that way.

Resident Magistrate Ashe with his family

Interestingly the coworkers of Ashe raised money for a statue to him. The statue still stands somewhat derelict and Indians are still arguing over whether it should be taken down or fixed up for modern tourists.

After jail V O was less involved in politics. He had a falling out with Gandhi. over money that VO believed Gandhi had raised in his name, but not given to him. A Tamil slang term for an unpayable debt became by Gandhi’s accounting because of this incident. Gandhi later sent the money and the British later reinstated V O’s license to practice law.

Well my drink is empty and I will pour another in memory of Robert William Ashe, for trying to serve in a far off place around those who hate you. Come again for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.

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Great Britain 1986, Remembering Hugh Dowding and the Hawker Hurricane fighter

Hugh Dowding commanded the British Fighter Command during the Battle or Britain. One might have expected a more splashy Spitfire fighter to go with that. Dowding’s strategy involved reserves, logistics, and replacements to extend the battle, a strategy he was later sacked for. The simple, sturdy Hurricane more fit his strategy. 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 an issue on British Royal Air Force commanders and aircraft from their period. What struck me was that the post war commanders and their Vulcan bombers and Lightening fighters were ignored. A lot of money was spent on equipment never used. The proponents would say not using them shows success, but different equipment was required for modern warfare.

Todays stamp is issue A352, a 17 penny stamp issued by Great Britain on September 16th, 1986. It was a five stamp issue in various denominations. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 30 cents used.

Hugh Dowding began as a fighter pilot during the first world war and was given ever more responsibility in the interwar period. In 1936 he became commander of Fighter Command. He developed a very early integrated air defense system to prevent air attacks on the British Isles. He reached retirement age in early 1939 but was asked to stay in place. After France fell to Germany, he designed a Fabian strategy to constantly harass and inflict losses on the Luftwaffe. This might extend the battle and give time for the army to recover from the Dunkirk evacuation to better face invasion. The strategy worked and Germany switched tactics to punish British cities. This was the nighttime bombing Blitz.

The increased civilian deaths naturally caused much consternation. A rival strategy called big wing involving set piece air battles involving much larger British formations of fighters was proposed. Hugh Dowding was fired in November 1940 in favor of a proponent of that strategy. He warranted no stamp. Dowding was made a hereditary Lord to soften the blow but became much embittered. Surprisingly in his later years he became a vegetarian and animal rights activist.

The Hawker Hurricane fighter first flew in 1935 and was Christened Hurricane by King Edward VIII. It was designed by Sydney Camm and featured the Rolls Royce Merlin engine also used in the Spitfire and the American P51 Mustang. In the quick aeronautical progress of the 1930s the Hurricane was aging by 1940. It was tasked with going after slower bombers and shot down 55% of the attackers brought down air to air during the Battle of Britain. One huge advantage it had was it’s simplicity. It required one third less man hours to build than a Spitfire. It also was flown off aircraft carriers and as a fighter bomber. 14,487 were built by 1944 when production ended before the end of the war. In a strange twist it was built in Yugoslavia prewar. When their supply of Rolls Royce engines dried up, the Yugoslav Hurricanes were reengined with Daimler Benz engines from the Messerschmitt Me 109. This foreshadows Czech, Israeli, and Spanish post war Me 109s receiving Rolls Royce Merlin engines.

Well my drink is empty and I will have to stock up for there to be enough adult beverages to toast the veterans of the Battle of Britain. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2019.