Soaring100 News

[Editors’ Note: Simine Short is an aviation historian who has researched and written extensively on the history of motorless flight. Her first book, Glider Mail: An Aerophilatelic Handbook, received numerous research awards worldwide and is considered a standard reference by aerophilatelists and aviation researchers. Simine’s newest book–-just released–is Locomotive to Aeromotive – Octave Chanute and the Transportation Revolution. It is the first in-depth look at Chanute, the influential engineer and aviation pioneer. Simine lives with her husband (sailplane pilot Jim Short) outside Chicago, Illinois. For decades, Jim has served as a prominent mover and shaker in the Soaring Society of America and many other soaring organizations. He is a recipient of the SSA’s Eaton Trophy, the most prestigious award the SSA bestows on its most dedicated and influential members.]

It is always amazing how little the general public seems to know about the sport of soaring, and it is especially amazing to see how some foreign postal agency finds subjects to print on their stamp issues.

One example is the $3 stamp from Grenada that was issued in 1978 in conjunction with  the 75th anniversary of powered flight (!). The stamp designer used a photo of Orville’s soaring flight of October 1911 as the theme. This particular issue is still readily available as the Grenada post office apparently printed lots and lots of this particular stamp set.

We are planning on all kinds of activities for Soaring100 between 21 and 24 October at the Outer Banks, at Jockey’s Ridge State Park and at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. To learn more, visit us on the Web!