Fire & Ice: Zeppelins, Aerophilately and the Titanic #643

Ireland, 1934, Attempted Flight, New York to Rome, Pond & Sabelli, U.S. 8¢ airmail envelope with numerous postmarks due to the long wait before attempting the flight, Leact Ui Concubair, Ireland receiving postmark, plus Ireland 2d adhesive tied by Leact Ui Concubair May 17,1934 dispatch postmark, U.S. 8¢ airmail adhesive affixed on arrival and tied by Brooklyn May 29, 1934 duplex postmark, signed by both pilots George Pond & Cesare Sabelli, Very Fine.
AAMC 1207.
Estimate $400 - 600

After seven years of preparations, failures and waiting, G. Pond & C. Sabelli took off on May 14, 1934 from Floyd Bennett Field in NY. The cover was flown from New York to Ireland where they had to stop for repairs, and then returned to the United States. William Murphy (Irish Airmail 1919-1990) states that only ten covers were franked with a 2d Irish stamp and sent back to the United States.