The following article from the Keyser Herald-Tribune was printed in 1991:
Two pieces of history merged Saturday (September 20, 1991) as Keyser commemorated the first air mail flight from the city 53 years ago with the only flying Pitcairn PA-4 bi-plane in existence today. The flight originated from Miller Field south of Keyser at 4:30 pm as Harold Armstrong and his son, Bob, piloted the Pitcairn, carrying approximately 300 pieces of US Mail bearing a special postal cancellation in honor of the occasion.
The event celebrated the 53rd anniversary of air mail flight from Keyser to Wiley Ford in 1938 and occurred as part of the city’s annual Founders Day Festival. Forrest Miller, owner of the airfield noted that the pilot who originally flew the mail in 1938 was the late Bernie Miltenberger, whose brother still lives in the Wiley Ford area.
The Pitcairn PA-4, while originally a mail plane built in 1927, was not the one that carried that first air mail from Keyser, it was a fitting vehicle for the tribute because of its own history. Only ten of the Pitcairn PA-4 Fleetwings were constructed between June 1927 and September 1928 and it is the only one of the ten still flying. Its restoration was accomplished by Harold and Bob Armstrong after seven years of painstaking research and reconstruction. And while Harold says the plane really belongs in a museum, he hopes to continue flying it for a while yet, mostly for his own enjoyment but also for events like Saturday’s commemorative flight for others to enjoy.
As the striking yellow and black Fleetwing was readied for flight at the airfield, Keyser Postmaster Dan Carson canceled mail with a special pictorial postmark at the temporary postal station in the downtown, established just for the festival. The envelopes were also embellished with special anniversary air mail logos and commemorative US Airmail stamps marking the occasion. The mail was placed in a mailbag and transported to Miller Field by Mr. Carson who turned it over to the pilots for the journey to Wiley Ford.
The Pitcairn rose effortlessly into the bright afternoon sky, flying low through the New Creek Valley, circling the downtown area of the city before tipping its wings in farewell and proceeded east toward it destination. On arrival in Wiley Ford Postmaster Joseph Foley accepted the mail for distribution, and the Pitcairn retired to fly another day.”
This special cancellation was applied to mail at the temporary post office in Keyser.
* * * * *
Wings Over Cumberland 