Boston Aeronautical Society
The Boston Aeronautical Society was organized 2 May 1895. Objectives of the society were to encourage experiment with aerial machines and to disseminate knowledge concerning the great problem of aerial navigation. Meetings were held fortnightly at which papers treating aeronautical subjects were read and discussed. In particular, the society encouraged the study of scientific kite designing and the sport of kite flying. In 1897, it claimed to be the only society of kite fliers in the USA.
Initial officers included Prof. William H. Pickering of Harvard's Blue Hill Observatory, Albert A. Merrill, secretary, and James Means. In May 1897 J. B. Millet was president while Albert A. Merrill was secretary-treasurer. Starting membership was 20. Members included Prof. A. Lawrence Rotch, founder of the Blue Hill Observatory, Prof. Octave Chanute, and Pickering's brother, E. C. Pickering, who was also associated with the Observatory. Both business men and scientists were attracted as members. The society established an experimental station for scientific kite flying at the Observatory. In the fall of 1896, the first Chanute prize for the best essay on kites was awarded. The society also offered prizes for kite flying.
The Society established an Experiment Fund, described in the 1896 Aeronautical Annual, to be used for such purposes as
- Building a "barn-like structure near the centre of a level tract, with a large sheet of water not far away" to serve as workshop and storage place.
- Creating a captive balloon setup for testing new aircraft
- Running an ongoing contest, to be held in the vicinity of Boston, and issuing prizes (A. Kite with most lift and least drift in wind >15mph; B. in wind <15mph. C. Kite with best equilibrium in wind extremes. D. Best soaring machine. E. Best self-propelled machine).
Sources
- 74 Scientific American 264 (25 Apr. 1896); 1897 Boston Daily Globe 9 May; 1896 Aeronautical Annual, pp.85–88
| Organization names | Boston Aeronautical Society |
|---|---|
| Entity type | |
| Country | US |
| City | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Affiliated with | |
| Scope | Local |
| Started aero | 1895 |
| Ended aero | |
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- Address: Boston Aeronautical Society, Box 1197, Boston (1896)
Fundraising address: "Treasurer of the Boston Aeronautical Society, Box 344, Boston, Mass.
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