| Flight Number | GZ 7 f |
|---|---|
| Airship Number | LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin |
| Flight Name | America Flight 1928, Spain Drop |
| Departure Date | October 11, 1928 |
| Departure Location | Friedrichshafen, Germany |
| Arrival Date | October 15, 1928 |
| Arrival Location | Lakehurst, USA |
| Dispatch Type | Wild Drop |
| Value | $$ |
Notes
This card is "wild drop mail" posted from the airship by Graf Zeppelin Chief Engineer Albert Sammt and addressed to his son Rolf (b. 1924). Wild drop mail was tossed out of the airship during flight, in the hope that a passerby would find it and take it to a nearby post office.
Drop mail, whether franked or unfranked, often contains a postmark applied at the receiving post office, but this card has none. However, it is clear that the card traveled through the postal system by virtue of the 15 pfennig postage due marking. This blue grease pencil marking is typical of those used by German post offices during the relevant time period. Although unclear, the red boxed cachet at the upper right appears to be a "Nachgebuehr" ("Postage Due") marking applied by the Reichspost.
The drop location cannot be determined with certainty, but Sammt inscribed the card "2. St. ueber Spanien", meaning "2 hours over Spain". The possible Spanish drop location aligns with the red October 11th on-board cachet, and may explain the absence of a local postmark.