FREDDIE LUND - ENVELOPE SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: BETTIE LUND - HFSID 354685

FREDDIE LUND AND BETTIE LUND
Married stunt pilot couple sign envelope celebrating the 1931 Carolina Air Tour in Charlotte, North Carolina
Air mail commemorative envelope signed: "Freddie Lund" and "Bettie Lund", 6½x3½. Postmarked Charlotte, North Carolina, March 25, 1931. 5-cent US air mail stamp affixed. Ink stamp cachet by C. of C. on verso depicts a map of the Carolina Air Tour, which left Charlotte, North Carolina on March 16, 1931 and returned on March 25, 1931. Address stamp for Charles W. Gordon of Scottsdale, Pennsylvania appears on both sides of the envelope. In addition to the Lund signatures, five other signers, including J.J. Grady, Truman Miller  and three unidentified signers have signed the envelope. Freddie Lund (1897-1931) was an American stunt pilot and aviation innovator known for his daring aerobatics and contributions to early flight demonstration. Born in Douglas County, Minnesota, he served in the Army Air Service during World War I and later became Chief Test Pilot for the WACO Aircraft Company. Nicknamed "Fearless Freddie," he gained fame for his precise and aggressive flying style, notably becoming the first to perform an outside loop in a commercial airplane in 1928. He married fellow pilot Bettie Elkins in 1929, and the two performed aerial shows together. Lund was tragically killed in a mid-air collision during an air race in Lexington, Kentucky, October 3, 1931. Bettie Elkins Lund was a pioneering American aviator who broke gender barriers in the field of stunt flying during the 1930s and 1940s. Inspired by an early childhood flight experience, she earned her pilot's license and gained recognition for setting a women's record of 67 barrel rolls in under 30 minutes. After marrying Freddie Lund in 1929, she trained under him and became a skilled performer in their aerial exhibitions. Following Freddie's death in 1931, she continued flying solo in barnstorming tours and later served with distinction in the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) during World War II, ferrying military aircraft across the U.S. Pencil notes (unknown hand) on front. Lightly soiled. Otherwise, fine condition.