Aero Club of America Aviation Medal of Merit

The Aero Club of America was a social club formed in 1905 by Charles Jasper Glidden and

Augustus Post Augustus Thomas Post Jr. (8 December 1873 – 4 October 1952) was an American adventurer who distinguished himself as an automotive pioneer, balloonist, early aviator, writer, actor, musician and lecturer. Post pursued an interest in transp ...

, among others, to promote aviation in America. It was the parent organization of numerous state chapters, the first being the Aero Club of New England. It thrived until 1923, when it transformed into the

National Aeronautic Association The National Aeronautic Association of the United States (NAA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and a founding member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Founded in 1905, it is the oldest national aviation club in the Uni ...

, which still exists today. It issued the first pilot's licenses in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, and successful completion of its licensing process was required by the United States Army for its pilots until 1914. It sponsored numerous air shows and contests. Cortlandt Field Bishop was president in 1910. Starting in 1911, new president Robert J. Collier began presenting the

Collier Trophy The Robert J. Collier Trophy is an annual aviation award administered by the U.S. National Aeronautic Association (NAA), presented to those who have made "the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to im ...

History

Aviators with their wives in Pittsburgh 1909

Although conventional wisdom states that the Aero Club began in 1905, there are photos of high society and adventurers printed in 1902 with the stamp, "Aero Club". In the summer of 1905 several members of the

Automobile Club of America The Automobile Club of America was the first automobile club formed in America in 1899. The club was dissolved in 1932 following the Great Depression and declining membership. History On June 7, 1899, a group of gentlemen auto racers met at the W ...

including

Charles Glidden Charles Jasper Glidden (August 29, 1857 – September 11, 1927) was an American telephone pioneer, financier and supporter of the automobile in the United States. Charles Glidden, with his wife Lucy, were the first (in 1902) to circle the wo ...

Homer Hedge Captain Homer Washington Hedge (September 29, 1863, Norwich, Connecticut – September 10, 1909) was a wealthy advertising executive in New York City. He helped to found both the Automobile Club of America (currently known as the American Automo ...

, Dave Morris, John F. O'Rourke, and

founded the Aero Club of America. They were avid balloonists but found little support in America for the ''sport'' of aviation. They determined to establish a new club with an organization similar to the Automobile Club but whose purpose was to promote aviation, much like the Aero Club of France.

became the first President and

the first secretary. In 1910, three different conventions were held in New York among aeronautical clubs and societies. The National Council of Affiliated Clubs of the Aero Club of America, was formed. Thirty-nine delegates, representing constituencies from

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...

, to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, met at the Aero Club and formed the parent organization of various state chapters. At the Belmont

Air Show An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The largest air show m ...

in October 1910, a considerable controversy arose between the Englishman

Claude Graham-White Claude Grahame-White (21 August 1879 – 19 August 1959) was an English pioneer of aviation, and the first to make a night flight, during the ''Daily Mail''-sponsored 1910 London to Manchester air race. Early life Claude Grahame-White was born ...

and the American J. B. Moisant. In one race around the

Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...

, Graham-White won by several minutes, but due to a technicality, the race and considerable prize money was awarded to Moisant.

John Armstrong Drexel John Armstrong Drexel (October 24, 1891 – March 4, 1958) was an American aviation pioneer who was a member of the prominent Drexel family of Philadelphia. Early life Drexel was a son of Anthony Joseph Drexel Jr. (1864–1934) and Margarita Arm ...

made public statements accusing the organization of favoritism toward its own members, and Drexel held a competing dinner banquet at the same time as the awards banquet of the organization. The schism among the membership threatened the integrity of the organization, but was ultimately resolved with Drexel's resignation. In 1911, the Aero Club of New York put on the First

Industrial Airplane Show The First Industrial Aeroplane Show, an industrial show, of exhibited full-size airplanes, opened on New Year's Eve 1910 as part of the 11th U.S. International Auto Show at the Grand Central Palace in New York City. The aviation show was organise ...

that was held in conjunction with the 11th U.S. International Auto Show at Manhattan's

Grand Central Palace The Grand Central Palace was an exhibition hall in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The name refers to two structures, both located on Lexington Avenue near Grand Central Terminal. The original structure was a six-story structure built in 1893 ...

, in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. It was a spectacular event with prominent speakers, and an enthusiastic large crowd that would gaze upon a full-size airplane for the first time. It started December 31, 1910, until mid-January 1911. In 1919, the secretary of the club,

organized and drew up the rules for a transatlantic flight competition between New York and Paris. He worked with wealthy hotel owner

Raymond Orteig Raymond Orteig (1870 – 6 June 1939) was a French American hotel owner in New York City in the early 20th century. He is best known for setting up the $25,000 Orteig Prize in 1919 for the first non-stop transatlantic flight between New York Ci ...

in securing the $25,000 for the

Orteig Prize The Orteig Prize was a reward offered to the first Allied aviator(s) to fly non-stop from New York City to Paris or vice versa.Bak. Pages 28 and 29. Several famous aviators made unsuccessful attempts at the New York–Paris flight before the rela ...

. The $25,000 prize was to be awarded "to the first aviator of any Allied Country crossing the Atlantic in one flight, from Paris to New York or New York to Paris". After five years of failing to attract competitors, the award was then put under the control of a seven-member Bryant Bank board of trustees, which awarded it to

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

for his successful 1927 flight in the ''

Spirit of St. Louis The ''Spirit of St. Louis'' (formally the Ryan NYP, registration: N-X-211) is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane that was flown by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first solo nonstop transatlant ...

''.

Historical notes

Some of the later licenses issued by the Aero Club of America bore the printed signature of Orville Wright. Wright served for a time as Chairman of the Aero Club of America's Contest Committee. Contrary to popular myth, the Wright brothers were not issued licenses number 4 and 5 for malicious reasons. They were simply among the five pilots who had, in America, demonstrated their ability to fly airplanes before the Aero Club of America's licensing program began. Those first five licenses were issued in alphabetical order — a practice followed by other national organizations belonging to the FAI. Pilot's licenses were not required by law (except by some states) until well after

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Aero Club of America licenses were required for participation in sporting events and demonstrations sanctioned by the ACA and FAI, and they gave credibility to pilots seeking to perform demonstration flights for hire, but many American pilots never applied for a license, which required a demonstration of flight proficiency. The ACA was also notorious for the inflexibility of its licensing process, which prescribed, among other items, a letter of application, a photograph of a candidate, appointment of an ACA examiner, and his report of examination, all of which had to be submitted in the correct form and sequence for a license to be issued, whether the candidate passed the flight test or not.

Notable licensees

Some notable early pilots issued licenses by the Aero Club of America are listed below.

Airplane division

*01

Glenn Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early ...

*02 Frank Purdy Lahm *03

Louis Paulhan Isidore Auguste Marie Louis Paulhan (; 19 July 1883 – 10 February 1963), was a French aviator. He is known for winning the first ''Daily Mail'' aviation prize for the first flight between London and Manchester in 1910. Biography Paulhan was b ...

, French aviator *04 Orville Wright (honorary) *05 Wilbur Wright (honorary) *06

Clifford B. Harmon Clifford Burke Harmon (July 1, 1866 – June 25, 1945) was a wealthy American real estate developer and founding partner of Wood, Harmon & Co., as well as a noted early amateur aviator. Early life Clifford Burke Harmon was born on July 1, 18 ...

*07

Thomas Scott Baldwin Thomas Scott Baldwin (June 30, 1854 – May 17, 1923) was a pioneer balloonist and U.S. Army major during World War I. He was the first American to descend from a balloon by parachute. Early career Thomas Scott Baldwin was born on June 30, 18 ...

(1854–1923) *08

*09 Todd Shriver *10 Charles Foster Willard *11 James Cairn Mars (1875–1944) *13

Leon Richardson Leonard “Leon” Richardson (born 12 February 1957) is an Antiguan former cyclist. He competed in the sprint and 1000m time trial events at the 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad an ...

(1887-1951) *17

Eugene Ely Eugene Burton Ely (October 21, 1886 – October 19, 1911) was an American aviation pioneer, credited with the first shipboard aircraft take off and landing. Background Ely was born in Williamsburg, Iowa, and raised in Davenport, Iowa. Having c ...

*24

Charles Terres Weymann Charles Terres Weymann (2 August 1889 – 1976) was a Haitian-born early aeroplane racing pilot and businessman. During World War I he flew for Nieuport as a test pilot and was awarded the rank of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. Early years ...

*25

*26 Ralph Clayton Diggins (1887–1959) of the Ralph C. Diggins Company. He was born on March 7, 1887, in

Cadillac, Michigan Cadillac ( ) is a city in and county seat of Wexford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,371 at the 2020 census, which ranks it the third most-populated city in the Northern Michigan region after Traverse City and Alp ...

and moved to

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. He made his first flight in 1912 and was the 26th person in the United States to receive a pilot's license issued by the Aero Club of America. He died in 1959. *28

Theodore Gordon Ellyson Theodore Gordon Ellyson, USN (27 February 1885 – 27 February 1928), nicknamed "Spuds", was the first United States Navy officer designated as an aviator ("Naval Aviator No. 1"). Ellyson served in the experimental development of aviation i ...

*32

Edson Fessenden Gallaudet Edson Fessenden Gallaudet (April 21, 1871 in Washington, D.C. – July 1, 1945 in Pine Orchard, Connecticut) was a pioneer in the field of aviation. He was best known for his development of practical airfoils and aircraft propulsion system ...

*35 William Redmond Cross, Governor, Aero Club of America, 1911-1921 *37

Harriet Quimby Harriet Quimby (May 11, 1875 – July 1, 1912) was an American pioneering aviator, journalist, and film screenwriter. In 1911, she became the first woman in the United States to receive a pilot certificate, issued to her by the Aero Club of Ame ...

, first woman Venus symbol

*44

Matilde Moisant Matilde Josephine Moisant (September 13, 1878 – February 5, 1964) was an American pioneer aviator, the second woman in the United States to obtain a pilot's license. Early life Moisant was born on September 13, 1878 in Earl Park, Indi ...

, second woman Venus symbol

*55

Norman Prince Norman Prince (August 31, 1887 – October 15, 1916) was an American aviator and leading founder of France's Lafayette Escadrille. Biography He was born on August 31, 1887 in Beverly, Massachusetts. He was son of Frederick Henry Prince. ...

, early member of the

Lafayette Escadrille The La Fayette Escadrille (french: Escadrille de La Fayette) was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the ''Aéronautique Militaire'' was composed largely of Ameri ...

*57

Paul Peck Paul Peck (August 10, 1889 – September 12, 1912) was an early U.S. aviator who died in a plane crash. Before his death, Peck's nineteen year old wife Ruth died in the birth of a son. When Peck was killed, the boy was left with his grandparents. ...

, one of the first US army pilots. As a first lieutenant in the US Army he was one of only three officers chosen by the War Department to learn to fly under Glenn H Curtiss. He was issued pilot license #57 by the Aero Club of America in July 1911. In August 1911 he was the first person ever to fly over the U.S. Capitol Building and circle the Washington Monument, thrilling crowds and covering 24 miles in 25 minutes, setting a speed record. When the first U.S. military aviation school opened at College Park, Maryland, in 1911, Peck was an instructor. He was given the honorary title as “colonel” by a local governor. In May 1912 he set the American duration record when he remained in the air for 4 hours, 33 minutes and 15 seconds. Peck is among the first pilots ever hired for the experimental US Airmail service and he made regular deliveries from New York City to several Long Island towns. On July 19, 1912, Lt. Peck landed on the racetrack at Coney Island, an amusement park in Cincinnati, Ohio, named after the famed park in New York. Progressive reformers had been closing race tracks around the country and the venues were sore need of revenue so the Coney Island racetrack was used as a runway. Peck carried a sack of mail filled with postcards sold at Coney Island and stamped “U.S. Official Aerial Mail”. *133

Julia Clark Julia Clark (December 21, 1880 – June 17, 1912) was the third woman to receive a pilot's license from the Aero Club of America, and the first American woman to die while piloting an airplane. She earned her pilot's license on May 19, 1912 ...

, third woman Venus symbol

*148

Katherine Stinson Katherine Stinson (February 14, 1891 – July 8, 1977) was an aviation pioneer who in 1912 became the fourth woman in the United States to earn the FAI pilot certificate. She set flying records for aerobatic maneuvers, distance, and endurance. ...

(1891–1977) fourth woman. Venus symbol

She convinced flight instructor

Max Lillie Max Lillie (1881 – September 15, 1913) was a Swedish born American pioneer aviator and flight instructor. He went to an engineering university in his native country and served in the Swedish navy. He immigrated to the United States in 1904 ...

of Chicago to take her on as a student in 1912. Katherine became the fourth licensed female pilot in the U.S., she began touring as a stunt pilot and became one of the country's most famous female aviators. *173 Bernetta Adams Miller, fifth woman. Venus symbol

*188 Ruth Bancroft Law, aka

Ruth Law Oliver Ruth Law Oliver (May 21, 1887 - December 1, 1970) was a pioneer American aviator during the 1910s. Biography She was born Ruth Bancroft Law on May 21, 1887 to Sarah Bancroft Breed and Frederick Henry Law in Lynn, Massachusetts. She was inspire ...

, sixth woman. Venus symbol

*303

Marjorie Stinson Marjorie Claire Stinson (July 5, 1895 – April 15, 1975) was an American aviator, airmail pilot, pilot instructor, and stunt pilot. She trained at the Wright Flying School, and earned her Fédération Aéronautique Internationale license in 1914 ...

, (sister of Katherine) the ninth licensed female pilot in United States. Venus symbol

*354 Albert Daniel Smith (1887-1970). *440 Reginald Malcolm, World War I

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

denotes a female aviator

Seaplane (Hydroaeroplane) division

*01 Adolph G. Sutro *02 Lieutenant Alfred Austell Cunningham (USN) *03 Lieutenant B. B. Smith (USN) *04 Lieutenant Commander Patrick Nieson Lynch Bellinger (USN) *05 Ensign

Godfrey DeCourcelles Chevalier Lieutenant Commander Godfrey de Courcelles Chevalier, USN (7 March 1889 – 14 November 1922) was a pioneering naval aviator of the United States Navy of World War I and the early 1920s. Biography Born in Providence, Rhode Island on 7 March ...

(USN) *06 Logan Archbold Vilas *07 William Ellwood Doherty *08 H. P. Harris *09 Ernest C. Bass *10

Steve MacGordon Stephenson MacGordon (February 29, 1892 – June 6, 1916) was a record-holding pioneer aviator who died in a crash in 1916. Biography He was born on February 29, 1892, in Menominee, Michigan, to Charles Hackley McGordon (1871–1921). He was ...

*26

Roger Weightman Jannus Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ...

(1886-1918)

Balloon division

See who's who of ballooning. *01 Major James C. McCoy (USA) *02 Albert Leo Stevens *03 Frank Samuel Lahm *04 Colonel Frank Purdy Lahm (USA) *05 Carl E. Meyers *06 Colonel Henry B. Hersey (USA) *07 Allan R. Hawley *08 Colonel

Charles deForest Chandler Colonel Charles deForest Chandler (December 24, 1878 – May 18, 1939) was an American military aviator, and the first head of the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps that later became the United States Air Force. He was one of earliest a ...

(USA) *09

(1854–1923) *10 Albert C. Triaca *11

*27 Sylvester Louis Von Phul (1878–1911) *533 Harry Rasmussen (1886–1968)

Airship (Dirigible) division

Note: "Dirigible" simply meant that the airship could be made to go in any direction. *01 Major

(1854–1923) *02 Brigadier General Frank Purdy Lahm (1887-1963) *03 Captain Horace Bird Wild (1879-1940) *04

Augustus Roy Knabenshue Augustus Roy Knabenshue (July 15, 1876 – March 6, 1960) was an American aeronautical engineer and aviator. Biography Roy Knabenshue was born July 15, 1876, in Lancaster, Ohio, the son of Salome Matlack and Samuel S. Knabenshue. Samuel ...

(1875-1960) *05 Albert Leo Stevens (1877-1944) *06 Frank W. Goodale *07 Ralph Hazlett Upson (1888-1968) *08 Ralph Albion Drury Preston (?-1954) *09 Walter J. Pouchot *10 Noel Chadwick

Presidents

* Charles Jasper Glidden 1905 to 1910 * Cortlandt Field Bishop 1910 to 1913 * Alan Ramsay Hawley 1913 to ? * Jonathan Gaffney 2007 to present

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aero Club Of America

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Aviation history of the United States Wright brothers