This issue was not in the initial 2018 announcement. U.S. airmail service was established May 15, 1918, with the first three stamps issued (Sc. C1, C2 and C3, plus of course the infamous C3a invert) on May 13, 1918. For more on the service, see Wikipedia.

The blue stamp was issued May 1. The Scott Catalogue number is 5281.
The red, or “carmine,” stamp will be issued August 11. Its Scott Catalogue number is 5282.

The latest updates are at the end of this page. Most recent: July 5, 2018.Click here to go to the Airmail II information.

Updated March 27th:

[press release]
United States Postal Service to Celebrate 100th Anniversary
of U.S. Airmail Service
First of Two United States Air Mail Forever Stamps to be Dedicated May 1WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service will honor the beginning of airmail service by dedicating two United States Air Mail Forever stamps this year.

The first, depicted on the right in blue, commemorates the pioneering spirit of the brave pilots who first flew the mail in the early years of aviation. The first-day-of-issue ceremony will take place May 1, 2018 at 11 a.m. at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Washington, DC. The event is free and open to the public. Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view the ceremony live at facebook.com/USPS. News about the stamps can be shared with the hashtags #AirMailStamps and #USAirMail.

On May 15, 1918, in the midst of World War I, a small group of Army pilots delivered mail along a route that linked Washington, Philadelphia, and New York—initiating the world’s first regularly scheduled airmail service.

The United States Post Office Department, the predecessor to the U.S. Postal Service, took charge of the U.S. Air Mail Service later that summer, operating it from Aug. 12, 1918, through Sept. 1, 1927. Airmail delivery, daily except on Sundays, became part of the fabric of the American economy and spurred growth of the nation’s aviation industry.

The second stamp, red and pictured left, will commemorate this milestone with its first-day-of-issue to take place later this summer.

Both stamps, printed in the intaglio print method— a design transferred to paper from an engraved plate — depict the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. The biplane was also featured on the stamps originally issued in 1918 to commemorate the beginning of regularly scheduled airmail service. The stamp designs evoke that earlier period.

Background
For airmail service to succeed in the early days of flight, the Post Office had to develop profitable routes, such as between New York and Chicago, and to establish the infrastructure for safely making night flights. It set up lighted airfields and erected hundreds of airmail guide beacons between New York and San Francisco so that by 1924 regularly scheduled, transcontinental flying was possible, day and night.

Airmail delivery, daily except on Sundays, became part of the fabric of the American economy and spurred the growth of the nation’s aviation industry.
The United States Air Mail stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First Class Mail one ounce price. Stamp design
On the 100th anniversary of the beginning of regular airmail service, this stamp celebrates the courage of the pioneering airmail carriers and the foresight of those who fostered the new service and made it a success. The stamp, printed in intaglio, features a drawing of the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN4H biplane. This type of biplane was also featured on the 24-cent stamp that was issued in 1918 to commemorate the beginning of regularly scheduled airmail service. The words “UNITED STATES” and “AIR MAIL” are respectively at the top and bottom of the stamp. “EST” is an abbreviation for “established.” The stamp designer and typographer was Dan Gretta; Greg Breeding was the art director.

Updated March 29th:

On May 1, 2018, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the United States Air Mail stamp (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 477700). The stamp will go on sale nationwide May 1, 2018.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of regular airmail service, the Postal Service™ will issue two stamps in 2018. The first stamp, issued May 1, commemorates the pioneering spirit of the brave Army pilots who initiated the world’s first regularly scheduled airmail service. The stamp, rendered in blue and printed in intaglio, features a drawing of the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. An identical stamp, printed in red, will commemorate the beginning of airmail delivery through the U.S. Post Office Department, which began in August 1918. The red stamp will be issued later this summer. Dan Gretta designed the stamps and was the typographer. Greg Breeding was the art director.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 477700, United States Air Mail (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) Commemorative Pane of 20 Stamps. Stamp Fulfillment Services will not make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices™.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office or on The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – United States Air Mail Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by September 1, 2018.

[See below for philatelic products —VSC]

Technical Specifications:

Issue United States Air Mail Stamp
Item Number: 477700
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: May 1, 2018, Washington, DC 20066
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Dan Gretta, Philadelphia, PA
Typographer: Dan Gretta, Philadelphia PA
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Intaglio
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Stevens Vari-size Security Press
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 7,500,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Pantone 280C
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x 0.84 in/36.07 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x 0.98 in/39.62 x 24.89 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.25 x 7.25 in/184.15 x 184.15 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 14.50 x 21.75 in/368.30 x 552.45 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by one (1) single digit
Marginal Markings:
Front: HEADER: UNITED STATES AIR MAIL • ESTABLISHED 1818 • Plate numbers in two corners of pane
Back: ©2018 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (477700) • Plate Position Diagram • Promotional Text

Updated April 24th:

The National Postal Museum says it will host the first day ceremony for this issue at 11 a.m. on May 1 in the Museum Atrium. The NPM says the site is wheelchair accessible, and no reservation is required.

Updated April 25th:

[media advisory]
United States Postal Service to Celebrate 100th Anniversary
of U.S. Air Mail Service
Dedicating United States Air Mail Forever Stamp

What: First-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the United States Air Mail Forever stamp. The event is free and open to the public. Please share the news using the hashtags #AirMailStamps and#USAirMail.

Who:

• Bill Harris, Deputy Director, Department of the Air Force
• Susan Brownell, Vice President, Supply Management, United States Postal Service
• Elliot Gruber, Director, Smithsonian National Postal Museum
• Nancy Pope, Head Curator, Smithsonian National Postal Museum

When: Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 11 a.m.

Where: National Postal Museum
2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view the ceremony live at facebook.com/USPS.

Background: On May 15, 1918, in the midst of World War I, a small group of Army pilots delivered mail along a route that linked Washington, DC; Philadelphia; and New York City — initiating the world’s first regularly scheduled airmail service. The U.S. Post Office Department took charge of U.S. Air Mail service later that summer, operating it from Aug. 12, 1918, through Sept. 1, 1927.

On the 100th anniversary of the beginning of airmail service, this stamp celebrates the courage of the pioneering airmail carriers and the foresight of those who fostered the new service and made it a success.

Airmail delivery, daily except Sundays, became part of the fabric of the American economy and spurred the growth of the nation’s aviation industry.

A second stamp, featured in red, will be released later this summer in commemoration of the Post Office Department’s U.S. Air Mail service. More details will be forthcoming.

Both stamps, printed in intaglio — a design engraved into the stamp paper — feature a drawing of the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. The biplane was also featured on the stamps originally issued in 1918 to commemorate the beginning of regularly scheduled airmail service. The stamp design evokes that earlier period.

Updated April 28th:
In response to a request from The Virtual Stamp Club, here are the philatelic products for this issue:

• • • 477700 Pane of 20, $10.00
    • 477706 Press Sheet with Die-cut, $60.00
    • 477710 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake, $11.95
    • 477716 First-Day Cover, $0.94
    • 477721 Digital Color Postmark FDC, $1.65
    • 477730 Ceremony Program, $6.95
    • 477724 Framed Stamps, $39.95
    • 477728 Blue Cachet, $9.95

Updated May 2nd:

The second stamp will be issued Saturday, August 11 in College Park, MD (suburban Washington and the home of the main campus of the University of Maryland).The event will be held at the College Park Aviation Museum, located at what it says is the world’s oldest airport in continuous operation. The information is buried in the press release issued after the first stamp was issued. Yes, the first-day is during APS StampShow in Columbus, Ohio.

[press release]
United States Postal Service Celebrates 100th Anniversary of United States Air Mail Service

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the 100th anniversary of the beginning of regular airmail service with a Forever stamp. This stamp celebrates the courage of the pioneering airmail carriers and the foresight of those who fostered the new service and made it a success.

The first-day-of-issue ceremony for the blue United States Air Mail Forever stamp, took place at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view a video of the ceremony at facebook.com/USPS. News about the stamps can be shared with the hashtags #AirMailStamps and #USAirMail.

“The stamp we’re here to celebrate is a beautiful reminder of the imprint of United States Air Mail on today’s world,” said U.S. Postal Service Vice President of Supply Management Susan Brownell who dedicated the stamps.

Brownell spoke of how this groundbreaking service is credited with establishing the foundation for America’s modern-day aviation industry. “The Wright brothers opened this country’s eyes to what could be possible,” she added. “Fifteen years later, with the first airmail flights, the Post Office helped turn that possibility into reality.”

Joining Brownell to unveil the stamps were Dr. Bill Harris, Deputy Director, Air Force History and Museums Policies and Programs; Elliot Gruber, Director, Smithsonian National Postal Museum; and Nancy Pope, Head Curator, Smithsonian National Postal Museum. (Photo courtesy USPS.)

Harris spoke of the history of aviation, noting the significant contributions of the early pilots. “Challenges would be great,” he said. “But this didn’t dampen the spirits of the pilots who innovated and experimented daily with tactics and landing procedures. After all, what cargo could be more precious than letters to loved ones!”

A second stamp, red and pictured left, will be issued in College Park, MD on Aug.11, 2018. The stamp will commemorate United States Air Mail as an official function of the Post Office Department.

Both stamps, printed in the intaglio print method — a design transferred to paper from an engraved plate — depict the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. The biplane was also featured on the 24-cent stamps originally issued in 1918 to commemorate the beginning of regularly scheduled airmail service.

The stamp design evokes that earlier period. The stamp designer and typographer was Dan Gretta; Greg Breeding was the art director.

Background
On May 15, 1918, in the midst of World War I, a small group of Army pilots delivered mail along a route that linked Washington, Philadelphia, and New York City — initiating the world’s first regularly scheduled airmail service. The blue stamp, released May 1, 2018, commemorated the pioneering spirit of the brave pilots who first flew the mail in the early years of aviation.

The United States Post Office Department, the predecessor to the U.S. Postal Service, took charge of U.S. Air Mail service later that summer, operating it from Aug. 12, 1918, through Sept. 1, 1927. Airmail delivery, daily except Sundays, became part of the fabric of the American economy and spurred the growth of the nation’s aviation industry. The red stamp commemorated this milestone.

Both stamps, printed in the intaglio print method — a design transferred to paper from an engraved plate — depict the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. The biplane was also featured on the stamps originally issued in 1918 to commemorate the beginning of regularly scheduled airmail service. The stamp design evokes that earlier period.

For airmail service to succeed in the early days of flight, the Post Office had to develop profitable routes, such as between New York and Chicago, and establish the infrastructure for safely making night flights. It set up lighted airfields and erected hundreds of airmail guide beacons between New York and San Francisco so that by 1924 regularly scheduled, transcontinental flying was possible, day and night.

Airmail delivery, daily except Sundays, became part of the fabric of the American economy and spurred the growth of the nation’s aviation industry.

The United States Air Mail stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp that will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.

Updated July 4, 2018:
On August 11, 2018, in College Park, MD, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the United States Air Mail (red) stamp (Forever priced at the First-Class Mail rate) in one design, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive pane of 20 stamps (Item 477900). The stamp will go on sale nation- wide August 11, 2018.

The United States Air Mail (red) stamp will be the second stamp issued in 2018 by the Postal Service to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of regular air- mail service. The first stamp, United States Air Mail (blue), issued in May, paid tribute to the pioneering spirit of the brave Army pilots who initiated the airmail service on May 15, 1918. This second stamp, identical to the first except that it is rendered in red, commemorates the beginning of airmail delivery through the U.S. Post Office Department on August 12, 1918. Both stamps are printed in intaglio and feature a drawing of the type of plane typically used in the early days of airmail, a Curtiss JN-4H biplane. The stamp design evokes that earlier period. The stamp designer and typographer was Dan Gretta, while Greg Breeding served as the art director.

Availability to Post Offices: Item 477900, United States Air Mail (Red) (Forever priced at the First- Class Mail rate) Commemorative Pane of 20 Stamps Stamp Fulfillment Services will make an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales.

Special Dedication Postmarks:
Only the following pictorial postmark is permitted for the United States Air Mail (red) stamp. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design, because it will be a temporary station.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of- issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office or at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop . They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

FDOI – United States Air Mail (Red) Stamp
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be post marked by December 11, 2018.

Technical Specifications:

Issue: United States Air Mail (Red) Stamp
Item Number: 477900
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (1 design)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: August 11, 2018, College Park, MD 20740
Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
Designer: Dan Gretta, Alameda, CA
Typographer: Dan Gretta, Alameda, CA
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Intaglio
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Stevens Vari-Size Security Press
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 20,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Pantone 7623 Red
Stamp Orientation: Horizontal
Image Area (w x h): 1.42 x .84 in./36.07 x 21.34 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.56 x .98 in./39.62 x 24.89 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.25 x 7.25 in./184.15 x 184.15 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 14.5 x 21.75 in./368.3 x 552.45 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by one (1) digit
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: United States Air Mail • Established 1818 • Plate number in two corners
Back: ©2018 USPS • USPS Logo • Two barcodes (477900) • Plate Position Diagram • Promotional Text

Updated July 19th: Here are the first-day postmarks for this issue: It measures 2.96″x1.45″.It measures 2.95″x1.45″.The special cancellations for post offices other than the first-day city measures 2.95″ x 1.45″.