LZ 129 Hindenburg

Flight Number H 29 b

In 1936, Hindenburg flew ten round trips to the United States and seven round trips to Brazil in half the time of ship travel. The domestic flights were often for testing, repositioning, charter flights, or political propaganda.

Hindenburg flew passengers, freight, and mail to offset operating expenses. Celebrity passengers included actor Douglas Fairbanks, journalist Lady Grace Drummond Hay, pilot Eddie Rickenbacker, businessman Nelson Rockefeller, boxer Max Schmeling, and explorer Sir George Hubert Wilkins. A variety of freight benefited from the faster crossing, including dogs, queen bees, pronghorn fawns, an Opel automobile, and an airplane. Special stamps, postmarks, and postal cachets attracted stamp collectors and dealers, who prepared mail to and from many countries. Onboard passengers and crew members posted mail on the world’s largest flying post office, and their signatures add to the desirability of their postcards and letters.

Flight Number	H 29 b
Airship Number	LZ 129 Hindenburg
Flight Name	Fifth North America Return Flight 1936
Departure Date	July 15, 1936
Departure Location	Lakehurst, USA
Arrival Date	July 17, 1936
Arrival Location	Frankfurt, Germany
Dispatch Type	Lakehurst Onboard Mail
Value	$

Notes

While most German collector onboard mail was processed in Frankfurt before the flight, this example was prepared in the United States. The Lakehurst cancel is a domestic rate. To this cover, German stamps were added for onboard canceling. Most likely, the addressee Hans Royter prepared this mail and had it placed aboard for service. Royter, a representative for the Zeppelin Company, worked at Lakehurst to ensure passengers and mail received service before the flight.