Portuguese philately celebrates Centenary of South Atlantic Crossing

The June edition of Filatelia Lusitana, the official organ of the Portuguese Federation, is dedicated to the centenary of the first air crossing of the South Atlantic by two Portuguese pioneers, Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral.

President Pedro Vaz Pereira starts his Editorial by citing the first verse of the epic poem “Os Lusíadas” by Luís de Camões, which celebrates the discovery of the sea route to India by Vasco da Gama. He compares a historic accomplishment of the distant past to another historic accomplishment of the 20th century by the two heroic Portuguese figures, who were the first to cross the South Atlantic in 1922. He goes on saying that the Portuguese Federation could not be inactive to such a major world scientific and social achievement and in closing he praises João Soeiro, renowned researcher and specialist in aerophilately, who took care of the issue.

This special issue of Filatelia Lusitana cannot be missed by any aero enthusiast!

Photo: Sacadura Cabral (left) and Gago Coutinho on the back cover of “Filatelia Lusitana”