The Postal History of ICAO

Kyrgyzstan - 75th Anniversary of ICAO

Issue date: 13/12/2019

Souvenir sheet with one label (in position 1) and 5 stamps showing various airports in Kyrgyzstan (from top to bottom and left to right):

1. Label with a white Polikarpov PO-2 biplane (See Footnote 1); the texts in Kyrzyg are translated into: (in the centre) The International Civil Aviation Organization / 75 years; (at the bottom part) Kyrgyztan International Airports. See Footnote 1.

2. Airbus A380-800 of Emirates at Manas International Airport (Kyrgyz: Aэропорту Манас). See Footnote 2.

3. Boeing 737-300 (registered EX-37301) of Air Kyrgyzstan at Osh International Airport (Kyrgyz: Aэропорту Ош). See Footnote 3.

4. British Aerospace BAe 146-200/Avro RJ85 of TezJet Airlines at Issyk-Kul International Airport (Kyrgyz, although the actual name seems to be spelled in Russian: Aэропорту Иссык-Куль). See Footnote 4.

5. Let L-410 UVP Turbolet (registered 0730) of Slovakian Air Force at Karakol International Airport (Kyrgyz: Aэропорту Каракол). See Footnote 5.

6. De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter of Scenic Airlines (registered N228SA), modified with the Vistaliner configuration, at Batken International Airport (Kyrgyz: Aэропорту Баткен). See Footnote 6.

The margins of the sheet show the following texts:

1. At the top in Russian: “75 лет Международной организации гражданской авиации” and at the bottom in English: “75th Anniversary of the International Civil Aviation Organization”.

2. At the left in Russian: “Международные аэропорты Кыргызской Республикм” and at the right in English: “International airports in the Kyrgyz Republic”.

Non-perforated souvenir sheet.

Official First Day Covers, with perforated and non-perforated sheets. Circulation: 100 units/each.

The cancel shows ICAO’s regular emblem and that of the 75^th anniversary. In the cachet, the text in Kyrzyg: Эл аралык жарандык абuацuя уюмуна is translated into: “The International Civil Aviation Organization”; and 75 жЫл into “75 years”.

The text in Kyrzyg in the circle of the cancel: Кыргыз Республикасы. Алгачкы кун. Бишкек почтамты is translated into “The Kyrgyz Republic Main Post office”.

Philatelic bulletin dated 12 December 2019.

Philatelic notice.

Announcement on Facebook. Views of Manas International Airport.

Background: Kyrgyzstan gained full independence on 25 December 1991. On 5 May 1993, the official name changed from the Republic of Kyrgyzstan to the Kyrgyz Republic. Kyrgyzstan became an ICAO Member on 25 February 1993.

There are two postal operators in Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyz Post and Kyrgyz Express Post. The ICAO stamps were issued by the Kyrgyz Post which is the postal operator since the independence of the country, whereas Kyrgyz Express Post (KEP) is the postal operator founded on 16 March 2012 that was granted the status of the second designated postal operator of Kyrgyzstan as of 7 December 2012.

The State Enterprise "Kyrghyz stamp" is an industrial subdivision of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Kyrgyz Republic. The general activity of this enterprise is the publication and circulation of any official post and philatelic products.

The various aircraft pictured on the sheetlet have been copied from another picture and pasted on the pictures of the airports of Kyrgyzstan.

Footnote 1: The reliable, uncomplicated concept of the Polikarpov PO-2's design made it an ideal trainer aircraft, as well as doubling as a low-cost ground attack, aerial reconnaissance, light bomber during WWII, psychological warfare and liaison aircraft during war, used for agricultural crop spraying, air ambulances and mail delivery; it proved to be one of the most versatile light combat types to be built in the Soviet Union. Used for training, and limited service with Aeroflot, PO-2s were known as a safe and reliable aircraft.

Originally named U-2 and built primarily of wood and fabric covered, the PO-2 aircraft was designed by Nikolai Polikarpov to replace the U-1 trainer (a copy of the British Avro 504). The prototype of the U-2 first flew on 7 January 1928 piloted by M.M. Gromov. Aircraft from the preproduction series were tested at the end of 1928 and serial production started in 1929 in Leningrad. Its name was changed to PO-2 in 1944, after Polikarpov's death, according to the then-new Soviet naming system, usually using the first two letters of the designer's family name, or the Soviet government-established design bureau that created it.

It was one of the most produced aircraft, and may be the most produced biplane in history. By the time the last PO-2 biplane left the production line in 1954, some 40,000 examples of the type had been built over 25 years. Correct figures are hard to obtain since low-rate production by small repair shops and air clubs likely continued until 1959. After the war, Poland built PO-2s in large quantities.

The PO-2 remained in widespread use for a variety of tasks in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe for a decade after World War II, surviving ones to receive the NATO reporting name Mule.

Here-after is a display card showing the Polikarpov PO-2 biplane and issued under the auspices of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) in 1982. This series of blueprint style display cards Great Historic Aircraft of the World Mint Stamp Collection measure 25cm x 20cm and feature a mint stamp which is associated with the subject aircraft. The corresponding worldwide stamps were issued is between 1960 and 1982. On the reverse of the card is a descriptive text in English and French.

Footnote 2: The Airbus A380-800 of Emirates is quite similar to the aircraft of the picture found at the following link: Airbus A380-800 Emirates. It seems that the rudder of the Emirates aircraft on the sheetlet had been cut off (see differences on the following pictures). This confirms that the various aircraft pictured on the sheetlet have been copied from another picture and pasted on the pictures of the airports of Kyrgyzstan.

Footnote 3: The Boeing 737-300 (registered EX-37301) of Air Kyrgyzstan is similar to the aircraft of the picture found at the following link: Boeing 737-300 EX-37301 Air Kyrgyzstan.

Footnote 4: The British Aerospace BAe 146-200/Avro RJ85 (registered EX-27003, EX-27005 or EX-27009) of TEZ JET is quite similar to the aircraft of the picture found at the following link: British Aerospace BAe 146-200 TEZ JET. The BAe 146/Avro RJ is a high-wing cantilever monoplane with a T-tail. It has four turbofan engines mounted on pylons underneath the wings, and has retractable tricycle landing gear. TEZ JET AIRLINES is a domestic airline from Kyrgyzstan. It was founded in 23 April 2013 and commenced operations in August 2014 after receiving its first aircraft.

Footnote 5: The LET L-410 UVP Turbolet is similar to the aircraft of the picture found at the following link: LET L-410 UVP Turbolet. The Let L-410 Turbolet is a twin-engine short-range transport aircraft, manufactured by the Czech aircraft manufacturer Let Kunovice (named Aircraft Industries since 2005), often used as an airliner. It first flew in November 1977.

Footnote 6: Scenic Airlines is the aerial sightseeing company that operates the Twin Otter custom aircraft, ensuring the ultimate sightseeing experience over the Grand Canyon. The De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter of Scenic Airlines (registered N228SA) is quite similar to the aircraft of the picture found at the following link: De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter N228SA.