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Indianapolis Airport Dedication poster, 1931.Gary newspaper clipping.There was nothing like having a new airport to make a community feel proud. It provided a vital link to other cities and towns%u2014and to the entire world. It meant faster travel and communication. And it often meant that air mail would be available locally. The enthusiasm of the citizenry made airport dedications noteworthy and festive events. There might be food, contests, speeches, aerial stunt shows, parachutests, and airplane rides. To mark the occasion, commemorative air mail covers with personalized cachets were often created by the local municipality, Chamber of Commerce, or Aero Club. Usually, an airport dedication was held on the day the airport opened, but some dedications occurred after a facility had been in service for a number of years%u2014as in the case of Gary, as noted in the newspaper clipping below.The American Air Mail Society (AAMS) produces a multi-volume American Air Mail Catalog containg a listing of Airport Dedication Covers throughout the United States. There a number of variables that afficianados consider in collecting them. For example, if a dedication ceremony lasted for several days, covers were usually available with a cancellation for each day. In larger cities, having multiple airports, there could be Dedication Covers for each facility. There are also covers available for rededications, or dedications of new runways, or for a significant name change (e.g. when an airport was designated International). Many covers have custom borders or cachets, but some only have a simple rubber stamp, or an inscription%u2014either typed or written by hand. Some covers are signed by a local dignitary, such as the Postmaster or Mayor, but the ones signed by the pilot are the most sought after. Surprisingly, there are airports in a number of medium-sized cities where no Dedication Covers have been recorded in the American Air Mail Catalog%u2014such as Lafayette, Peru, and Brookville.