Cyrenaica 1933 – Flying boats and the Dippers
Cyrenaica was part of the former Italian colony of Libya in north Africa. This
pair of stamps commemorates a highly celebrated North Atlantic crossing in 1933
from Italy to Chicago by a formation of 24 Savoia Marchetti flying boats led by
Italy’s air minister, General Italo Balbo (1896-1940). Later that same year, Balbo was
appointed governor of Libya. These beautifully drawn and printed stamps contain
a realistic depiction of the Big and Little Dippers, and show how the bowl of
the Big Dipper can be used to locate the north pole star, Polaris, for
navigation. An earlier Balbo flight, across the South Atlantic, is commemorated
by a
1930 stamp from Italy.
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