| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | March 27, 2019 |
| Year | 2019 |
| Quantity | 450,000 |
| Denomination |
 PERMANENT™ (P).Current monetary value: $0.92. |
| Series | Canadians in Flight |
| Series Time Span | 2019 - 2022 |
| Postal Administration | Canada |
| Condition | Name | Avg Value |
|---|---|---|
|
M-NH-VF
|
Mint - Never Hinged - Very Fine | View price |
|
U-VF
|
Used - Very Fine | View price |
The William Barker, VC, Official First Day Cover was issued with a typo. In the French text, the date reads 1984-1930, when in fact it should be 1894-1930.
Tip your wings to Canada’s rich aviation history with this booklet of 10 PermanentTM domestic stamps featuring all five stamp designs from our Canadians in Flight issue. These stamps celebrate two iconic aircraft and three individuals who took Canadian aviation to new heights.
The first is the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow, a fighter-interceptor jet capable of flying at more than twice the speed of sound. The second is the Ultraflight Lazair, a best-selling and award-winning ultralight with a top speed of 64 km/h.
The honoured individuals are William George Barker, VC, C.H. ‘Punch’ Dickins, O.C., and Elizabeth ‘Elsie’ MacGill, O.C.. A First World War flying ace, Barker is the most decorated military service member in the history of the British Empire. A pioneering bush pilot, Dickins made flights covering 1.6 million kilometres of northern Canadian wilderness. MacGill is a celebrated role model and trailblazer, the world’s first female aircraft designer and an influential adviser to the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Celebrate Canada’s rich aviation history and pay tribute to Canadian courage and innovation with this pane featuring all five PermanentTM domestic stamps from our Canadians in Flight issue. This stylish collectible celebrates two iconic aircraft and three individuals who took Canadian aviation to new heights.
The first featured aircraft is the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow, a powerful fighter-interceptor capable of flying at more than twice the speed of sound. The second aircraft is the Ultraflight Lazair, a best-selling and award-winning ultralight.
The honoured individuals are William George Barker, VC, C. H. ‘Punch’ Dickins, O.C., and Elizabeth ‘Elsie’ MacGill, O.C.. A First World War ace, Barker is the most decorated military service member in the history of the British Empire. A pioneering bush pilot, Dickins made flights covering 1.6 million kilometres of northern Canadian wilderness. MacGill is a celebrated role model and trailblazer, the world’s first female aircraft designer and an influential adviser to the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Celebrate Canada’s rich aviation history with this Official First Day Cover honouring First World War ace William George Barker, VC. This stylish collectible, one in a set of five, is part of our Canadians in Flight issue.
The most decorated military service member in the history of the British Empire, Barker received the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order (twice), the Military Cross (three times), the Croix de Guerre and the Medaglia d’Argento al Valor Militare (twice).
Barker flew more than 900 hours in combat, recording 50 aerial victories. Not one pilot under his command was lost in that time, nor any aircraft under his escort. Barker’s stamp is cancelled in his birthplace of Dauphin, Manitoba.
Honour some of the highest achievers in Canada’s rich aviation history with this set of five Official First Day Covers, one for each stamp in the Canadians in Flight issue. These stylish collectibles celebrate two iconic aircraft and three individuals who took Canadian aviation to new heights.
The first featured aircraft is the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow. A powerful fighter-interceptor, the Arrow was capable of flying at more than twice the speed of sound. The stamp on this Official First Day Cover is cancelled in Malton, Ontario, in honour of Malton Airport, where the first Arrow flew on March 25, 1958. This is a heritage cancel, as Malton is now part of Mississauga. The airport is now Lester B. Pearson International.
The second aircraft is the Ultraflight Lazair, a best-selling and award-winning ultralight. Sold as a kit to be built at home, the Lazair is considered one of the best aircraft of its kind. This stamp is cancelled in Port Colborne, Ontario, the home of Lazair designer Dale Kramer.
The honoured individuals are William George Barker, VC, C.H. ‘Punch’ Dickins, O.C., and Elizabeth ‘Elsie’ MacGill, O.C.. A First World War flying ace, Barker is the most decorated military service member in the history of the British Empire, having received the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order (twice), the Military Cross (three times), the Croix de Guerre and the Medaglia d’Argento al Valor Militare (twice). He was also mentioned in dispatches three times. Barker’s stamp is cancelled in his birthplace of Dauphin, Manitoba.
A prolific bush pilot, Dickins made flights covering 1.6 million kilometres of northern Canadian wilderness. He later collaborated with aircraft manufacturer de Havilland Canada on the design of the DHC-2 Beaver, widely considered the best bush plane ever built. Dickins’ stamp is cancelled in his birthplace of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.
A celebrated role model and trailblazer, MacGill was the world’s first female aircraft designer and an influential adviser to the International Civil Aviation Organization. MacGill’s stamp is cancelled in her birthplace of Vancouver, British Columbia. The issue date of March 27, 2019, marks the 114th anniversary of MacGill’s birth.
Born in a log cabin near Dauphin, Manitoba, William George Barker, VC, was a First World War pilot with the Royal Air Force who became (and remains) the most decorated member of the military in the history of Canada and the British Empire. For his wartime deeds and bravery, including 50 aerial victories in more than 900 hours of combat, Barker received the Distinguished Service Order (twice), the Military Cross (three times), the Croix de Guerre and the Medaglia d’Argento al Valor Militare (twice). He was awarded the Victoria Cross for downing four German planes during his final fight over France in October 1918, despite being vastly outnumbered and falling in and out of consciousness from his wounds.
Back in Canada after the war, Barker and fellow flying ace Billy Bishop formed Bishop-Barker Aeroplanes Limited, one of Canada’s first commercial air services. In a round-trip aerial race from Toronto to New York in 1919, Barker became the first Canadian pilot to carry international airmail. In 1921, he became the first to fly commercial cargo between the United States and Canada. Barker was appointed the first president of the Toronto Maple Leafs® by the hockey team’s founder (and fellow Flying Corps member) Conn Smythe. His last, solo dogfight became an instant legend inspiring writers for decades to come. He is a named character in Ernest Hemingway’s 1936 short story The Snows of Kilimanjaro.
For millennia, we have looked skyward, longing to break the bonds of the earth to soar among the clouds. Canada has had its share of pioneers who bravely reached for the skies when flight was in its infancy or who used their gifts and vision to create new and better ways to fly. This stamp issue, designed by Ivan Novotny of Taylor|Sprules Corporation, celebrates three individuals and two aircraft that took Canadian aviation to new heights.
Ready for take-off on its return trip, the second edition of Canadians in Flight once again celebrates the people, planes and technologies that have allowed Canada’s reputation for innovation to soar. Since the early days of flight, Canadians have made global advances in the fields of aviation and aeronautics, with some contributions remaining the foundation for ongoing advancement in these fields.