Dear Members,
it is with immense pleasure that I announce the membership of Grazia Bordoli Longhi, wife of our beloved Fiorenzo. Mrs. Longhi – remembering the dedication and time her husband dedicated to the Association, his dedication to promoting aerophilately through our magazine Aida Flash, the annual aerophilately days, and, most recently, the website, and the way he managed to involve her in these activities – has decided to remain with AIDA and its history, thus always feeling close to her beloved husband and life partner. On behalf of the entire Board, I extend my sincere thanks to Lella, whose presence among us is a true honor. I recall that her constant presence at Fiorenzo’s side was graciously confirmed in 1976, when Mrs. Longhi’s smiling face was chosen by the then president, Eng. Sandro Taragni, to embellish the postcard prepared for the 1976 Aerophilately Day, which took place in Venice during the “Serenissima 76” conference.
This year marks the centenary of the birth of the first Italian commercial airlines. On April 1, 1926, “Airline No. 1” was inaugurated, connecting the cities of Turin and Trieste, thanks to the Trieste-based SISA airline, with a seaplane service capable of carrying passengers, mail, and cargo. At the same time, a hundred years ago, the Royal Post Office issued the first series of stamps for airmail.
In Turin, the first of the events we are working on, together with other philatelic and other associations, under the acronym “AVIOCOM 100”, will take place to commemorate this important centenary. Details can be found on the following pages. I hope to see many of you there.
Paolo Tondo
(AIDAFlash n. 189 – March 2026)