The year 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the Plus Ultra flight, the first time an aeroplane – a Dorner Wal flying boat – completed the transatlantic flight between Spain and Argentina, South America. It marked the beginning of a particularly glorious era for Spanish aviation, which the Ejército del Aire y del Espacio (Spanish Air and Space Force) has chosen to commemorate with the touring exhibition ‘Los Grandes Vuelos de la Aviación Española (1926-1935)‘ ‘The Great Flights of Spanish Aviation (1926–1935)’.
This year also marks the centenary of the Madrid–Manila pioneer flight, an historic journey in which three Breguet XIX aircraft from the Spanish Air Force’s Elcano Squadron took off from Cuatro Vientos aerodrome and flew to Manila in the Philippines. This flight is regarded as one of the greatest milestones in Spanish aviation, and one which Correos has chosen to dedicate in a special issue.
In Madrid, the exhibition was open to the public from April 9th to 24th at the Real Casa de Correos. The Infante de Orleans Foundation contributed by lending one of its aeroplanes, the small Comper CLA-7 Swift.
In 1932, the Spanish pilot Fernando Rein Loring attempted to repeat the Madrid–Manila flight of the Elcano Squadron a few years earlier, but this time as a solo flight. He succeeded in 1933 in the Comper Swift (registered EC-AAT), named as ‘Ciudad de Manila’.
The ‘Swift’ owned by the FIO, registered as G-ABUU, was manufactured in 1932 by Comper Aircraft Ltd. and was painted blue and white.
The aircraft was acquired by the FIO in 1998, registered EC-HAM, but painted to represent EC-AAT ‘Ciudad de Manila’ in memory of and as a tribute to Fernando Rein Loring and his historic pioneer flight of 1933.
The Comper CLA-7 Swift is therefore the featured aircraft for 2026 in the Infante de Orleans Foundation (FIO) collection, and has also been chosen to feature on the third annual issue of variable value stamps in the ‘Aeronautics’ series.
As in previous years, this design is part of the definitive series issued in January 2026 (see article), although Correos will be launching these issues in a special edition (with graphic) during one of the Foundation’s air shows.
2024 – Polikarpov I-16
2025 – De Havilland DH-60 ‘Moth’
2026 – Comper CLA-7 Swift
(Click on each picture to visit the relevant article)
The special issue had been scheduled for the first Sunday in February, although it was eventually postponed until the air show on Sunday May 3rd.
The FIO flying displays at Cuatro Vientos aerodrome can attract over 2000 spectators. Throughout the morning, visitors are able to view some of the historic aircraft on the ground, take part in guided tours plus children’s workshops, and browse the commercial stands. The event concludes with a great aerial display, which on this occasion was considerably scaled back due to the possibility of rain. Unlike in previous years, the ‘star’ aircraft, the Comper CLA-7 Swift, did not take part in the air show, but was on display in a prominent area.
As with last year’s, the philatelic service set up a tent where visitors were able to purchase the stamps with a special graphic, the commemorative cover, a postcard, a pack of products, and obtain the special postmark.
As with the Chinese New Year issues (see article), buying products released by Correos has now become a tradition for many visitors to these air shows.
All the stamps issued in Madrid Cuatro Vientos include the ‘3 mayo Madrid‘ imprint on two lines under the face value indicator, a special graphic with the aircraft, and the CV26 special code.
The receipts include a special ‘Aeródromo 2026 Cuatro Vientos – Madrid‘ heading.
For the printing of the variable value stamps, the philatelic service installed its computer system on the stand with two Brother thermal transfer printers, one for stamps and the other for receipts. Printers which had been used for the first time at the same event a year earlier (see article).
Left, strip with four domestic mail stamps – Tarifa A (‘Tarifa A Tira 4’ on the receipts).
Right, strip with the set with the four programmed postage rates (‘Tira 4 Tarifas’ on the receipts)
The philatelic service produced a special commemorative cover and postcard for the Cuatro Vientos air show. The postmark, which is a special one for this event, incorporates the logo of the Infante de Orleans Foundation in the design.
(English edition rewritten by J. Gareze – August 2026)
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