Aviation Meet stamped envelope
The Aero Club of San Diego sponsored an aviation meet at the Coronado Polo Grounds on April 6-7, 1912. Postmaster C. H. Bartholomew approved the carrying of US mail on each day. He personally handed two mail pouches to aviator Farnum T. Fish (d. 1978) on the meet's opening day. Fish dropped one pouch on the beach near the Polo Grounds, where Lt. John H. Towers (1885-1955) of the US Navy waited with his biplane. Towers then flew the pouch to Point Loma, from where it was taken to the San Diego post office by automobile. Fish flew the second pouch directly across the bay and dropped it to postal officials waiting near the post office.
On the meet's second day, Lt. Towers flew a pouch of mail to the Polo Grounds, where he dropped it to Fish. Fish flew it and another mail sack that had been deposited at the Coronado Polo Grounds directly to the San Diego post office.
This cover was flown on the first day. Whether the cover was flown directly to the post office by Fish or transferred to Towers along the way cannot be determined.
Glossary
