San Antonio TX: 1910s Postcard LARGEST AEROPLANE IN US FLIGHT AT KELLY FIELDS

Description: San Antonio TX: 1910s Postcard LARGEST AEROPLANE IN US FLIGHT AT KELLY FIELDS A bit of a fantasy card, I believe, since this early airplane would not have flown at the actual Kelly Field in San Antonio, but rather would have been the type the namesake of the air base would have flown some years earlier at nearby Fort Sam Houston, before Kelly Field was established in 1916. Condition of this original vintage postcard is Excellent, NO creases. Kelly Field is named in honor of 2nd Lieutenant George Edward Maurice Kelly. Lt. Kelly, who after a course of training at the Curtiss Aviation School, Rockwell Field, California, was ordered to Fort Sam Houston, near San Antonio. While attempting to land on 10 May 1911 in order to avoid running into a tent and thereby possibly injuring several others, Kelly died in a crash, falling into the ground. In August 1913, U.S. Army Chief Signal Officer Brigadier General George P. Scriven testified before the U.S. House of Representatives concerning the establishment of a military aeronautical center in San Antonio, Texas. The center was to be built for the Aviation Section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. General Scriven described San Antonio as “the most important strategic position of the South,” in response to the unrest resulting from the Mexican Revolution. In 1916, when Fort Sam Houston was the primary site of the Corps’ aerial equipment and personnel, The San Antonio Light predicted that the city would be “the most important military aviation center in the U.S.” In November 1915, the newly created 1st Aero Squadron arrived at Fort Sam Houston after a cross-country flight from Fort Sill, Oklahoma. However, the squadron remained at the post only until March 1916, whereupon it left to join Brigadier General John J. Pershing’s Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa on the U.S.-Mexico border. Problems experienced by the 1st Aero Squadron on that expedition and the ongoing war in Europe persuaded Congress to improve and expand the nation's air arm. It was quickly apparent that Fort Sam Houston had inadequate space for additional flying operations, especially with newer and more powerful aircraft. Major Benjamin Foulois, with the support of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, selected a site five miles southwest of the city for a new aviation airfield on 21 November 1916. Bordered by the Frio City Road on the northwest, the site was also adjacent to the Southern Pacific Railroad, providing easy access by road and rail. In addition, the new site was relatively flat, and thus suitable for flying operations. Initially, the site was called the South San Antonio Aviation Camp. Kelly soldiers organized approximately 250,000 men into "Aero Squadrons" during the hectic months of 1917 and 1918. Eventually, 326 squadrons were formed at Kelly during World War I, with all but twenty of these moving to other installations in the U.S. or overseas. Many of the American-trained World War I aviators learned to fly at Kelly field, with 1,459 pilots and 398 flying instructors graduating from the Kelly aviation schools during the course of the war. 240222 / 2948 R2/29/2024 BUS _____________________________ The large scans below offer the best description of the condition of the postcards offered. I will try to describe any defects that might not be apparent on the large scans I provide. Right-click the photos below in your computer browser to select "view image" in order to see a full-size image, and then bid with confidence. A quick guide to the postcard grading standard we use: MINT: A perfect card just as it comes from the printing press. No marks, bends, or creases. No writing or postmarks. NEAR MINT (NM): Like mint but very light aging of very slight discoloration from being in an album for many years. Not as sharp or crisp. EXCELLENT (EX): Like mint in appearance with no bends or creases, or rounded or blunt corners. May be postally used or unused and with writing and postmark only on the address side. A clean, fresh card on the picture side. VERY GOOD (VG): Corners may be just a bit blunt or rounded. Almost undetectable crease or bend that does not detract from overall appearance of the picture side. May have writing or postally used on the address side. A very collectible card. GOOD (G): Corners may be noticeably blunt or rounded with noticeable slight bends or creases. May be postally used or have writing on address side. FAIR: Card is intact. Excess soil, stains, creases, writing, or cancellation may affect picture. POOR: Self-explanatory, sold as-is. Orders over $10 will require package service with delivery confirmation. Additional purchases will be combined if bought same day, for one low shipping rate, if you follow the directions. Sales Tax may apply. Please read and accept my terms of sale below before you bid. IN YOUR COMPUTER BROWSER, RIGHT-CLICK ON A PHOTO AND SELECT "VIEW IMAGE" TO SEE THE ORIGINAL LARGE IMAGE: You will find that the originals of the photos below are often larger than what ebay provides above. BY BIDDING ON OR PURCHASING THIS ITEM, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING SELLER TERMS: 1) COMBINED SHIPPING/POSTAGE: a. I happily combine shipping (where possible, sometimes it isn’t). eBay requires tracking on all orders now to protect my above standard seller status, and to prevent the misuse of missing information. So please don’t ask me to just “throw it in a regular envelope.” b. If you haven't paid yet for multiple purchases, please wait for a combined invoice, which may take up to 24 hours to send you. Don't worry, it's not a race to see how fast you can pay. c. If you must pay immediately, make sure all the items are on the same payment transaction (same order). I will then be able to combine shipping (if possible) and send you a partial refund for overpayment of postage. Some people make numerous multiple purchases with separate payments and look for a shipping discount. That will not happen, so please add your items to your cart, and when you are done looking at my stuff, buy it all at once. Thanks! 2) POSTAGE: All USPS postage rates are calculated using the most affordable (not the quickest) shipping class, based on a pre-sale estimated weight and size of the package. Sometimes multiple options are offered. If you want to upgrade to a quicker, more expensive postal class not shown, you must let me know BEFORE you pay. And all requests for special handling, extra packaging, etc. must be made prior to payment so that invoice can be adjusted. 3) INSURANCE: In the event of loss or damage on insured packages, buyer agrees to fulfill all requirements of the insurer in the processing of a claim, or forfeits their right to request a refund. 4) SALES TAX: Ebay has taken over all responsibility for sales tax collection for all states that require it. I have no control whatsoever over who pays sales tax, it is out of my hands. The same is true for all international taxes, duties and VAT. Please direct all questions/complaints to the good folks at Ebay. 5) INTERNATIONAL BUYERS: We no longer ship any merchandise (including postcards) via letter rate internationally. It is prohibited by the UPU (subject to seizure or return), and is also not trackable. International shipping is offered as a courtesy to those who can afford it, and is handled entirely through eBay. All Import duties, taxes, and charges are handled by eBay as well. I no longer ship directly, because of the excessive amount of “item not received” claims, resulting in my loss. Most of my frugal international postcard buyers have a friend/relative in the USA to whom I can ship up to several postcards in a letter-rate tracked envelope (for about $1.00-1.50 at time of this listing), and will specify this shipping address prior to payment. If you do this, then that friend may forward the postcards in a prohibited letter rate envelope to you the buyer, and the shipping risk will be yours, not mine. Multiple purchases can also be combined when you ship to a USA recipient, but not otherwise. This is the way of the future on ebay, as more and more sellers move away from the risks of untracked international letter rate mail. 6) REPRODUCTION OF IMAGES: Seller is not selling the exclusive rights to reproduce images of the item offered. Buyer is of course free to reproduce as they wish, but seller retains and may exercise the right to reproduce any images of the item for any purpose before or after the sale, without permission from or compensation to the buyer. 7) LISTING DISCREPANCIES: If the Title, Description, and/or Photo on a listing do not match, for gosh sakes don't buy it. Mistakes happen. Let me know instead so I can fix the listing. If you do buy, the item described in the Title of the listing takes precedence over anything else. If you don't agree with this, I will consider it your request to cancel the transaction of the faulty listing.

Price: 7 USD

Location: Montgomery, New York

End Time: 2024-12-29T13:09:27.000Z

Shipping Cost: 1.15 USD