The world of airmail, all of which is a product of less than one century, offers the collector almost limitless choice. Much of it is yet untapped, still waiting to challenge the initiative and creativity of an airmail collector.

Airmail collectors, or aerophilatelists, come from all walks of life throughout the world. They share a passion for aviation and its effect on world-wide communication. Many were stamp collectors as children, who returned to stamp collecting in later life and chose a speciality that offered new challenges and knowledge. Others are advanced philatelists of a specified country who wished to research the postage rates and the usage of airmail covers and stamps in their specialised collection area. For all of them, airmail collecting offers great opportunities to meet fellow collectors, exhibit their collections, write about discoveries and share enthusiasm, for instance on the Internet. This is a collecting field full of fun and creative people.

FIP: The international philatelic federations are united in FIP (Fédération Internationale de Philatélie). FIP sponsors international philatelic exhibitions and has created regulations for the judging of airmail exhibits at such exhibitions. FIP Commission for Aerophilately is responsible for ensuring that the exhibitors and the judges are familar with these regulations. The commission also strives to make collectors in FIP's membership countries aware of airmail as a collecting area. The commission has delegates in most FIP membership countries, and has a bureau consisting of five members elected for a four year period:

If you would like to exhibit your favorite aerophilatelic material, you should be a member of a philatelic society and aim to exhibit first at a local or regional stamp exhibition near where you live. Much experience can be gained from exhibiting at this level. After you have learned more about exhibiting, you may wish to show your material at national level. Once a vermeil medal is won at a national exhibition, you may try exhibiting internationally.

Covers, stamps and other related material for your collection can be obtained from dealers' stocks at stamp exhibitions and fairs, by mail-order from established dealers, from club and public philatelic auctions, by exchange with other collectors, and through advertisements in the philatelic press. Joining an airmail society is one way of obtaining information about these sources. Most of the larger societies publish a journal for their members.

FISA: Many countries have specialist societies for airmail collectors. These societies are united in the world-wide organisation FISA (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Aérophilatéliques). Information about your nearest airmail society can be obtained from FISA. Belgiëlaan 87, B-9070 Destelbergen, Belgium.

Some of the FISA societies are listed here:

• The American Air Mail Society, P.O.Box 110, Mineola, NY 11501-0110, USA.
• The British Air Mail Society, Martin Czech, 7 Cambria Court, Church Street, Stains TW18 4XY, England. cze416@tiscali.co.uk
• The Canadian Aerophilatelic Society, Brian Wolfenden, 203A Woodfield Drive, Nepean, Ontario K2G 4P2, Canada
• Nederlandse Vereniging van Aero-Philatelisten "De Vliegende Hollander", Couwenhoven 46-04, 3703 EM Zeist, the Nederlands
• Schweizerischer Aerophilatelisten-Verein, Postfach 1359, CH-8058 Zürich 58 Flughafen, Switzerland
• Australian Airmail Society Inc., GPO Box 954, Adelaide, South Australia 5001

If you have any airmail queries, please contact the FIP Commission for Aerophilately:
Mr. Stephen Reinhard, P.O. Box 110, Mineola, NY 11501 U.S.A.

Fédération Internationale de Philatélie        American Air Mail Society