Existing comment:
First German catapult flight, SS Bremen to New York, July 22, 1929:
In 1929, Lufthansa began catapulting mail from ocean liners. When ships were about a day from port, seaplanes loaded with mail were catapulted off the deck -- enabling some mail to arrive before the ships Catapulted mail was franked at the airmail rate. By the end of the 20th century, airmail replaced seamail. |