Illinois Aeroplane Club

The Illinois Aeroplane Club had its headquarters was Chicago. It was incorporated by the State of Illinois on 18 Jan. 1910. Soon thereafter, the Aero Club of Illinois and the Illinois Aeroplane Club were discussing consolidation although that appears not to have happened. The clubs were identified as separate entities as late as March 1911. According to author Howard L. Scamehorn, the club was active for two years.

Officers in 1910 included Edward E. Harbert, president, and V. A. Lamare, vice president; John A. Montgomery was consulting engineer. Another organizer was Oscar Newstrom. The 35 members of the aeroplane club were mostly practical mechanics and specialists and, as of early 1910, a majority of them were working on heavier-than-air machines.

In June 1911, Harbert revealed a scheme to offer 50,000 certificates in Chicago to the public at $1.00 apiece to build a dirigible similar to a Zeppelin; one certficate was to be allowed per person. Harbert said he would make the same offer in other cities and that there would be races and endurance contests between the dirigibles built, with proceeds to be given to charity.

Sources

• 1910 SF Chronicle, 20 Jan.; 1910 Aircraft, 1 Apr.; 1910 NYT, 31 May; 1911 Boston Daily Globe, 11 Jan.; 1911 Chicago Daily Tribune, 21 Mar. and 19 June; Howard L. Scamehorn, "Balloons to Jets: A Century of Aeronautics Illinois, 1855-1955 (Southern Illinois University Press, 2000; originally published by H. Regnery Co., 1957, and was Illinois State Historical Society Occasional Paper No. 52), p. 53

Organization names	Illinois Aeroplane Club
Entity type
Country	US
City	Chicago, Illinois
Affiliated with
Scope
Started aero	1910
Ended aero	1912
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Wikidata id

• Address: 2852 North Clark Street (1911)

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