Ligue Nationale Aérienne
The Ligue Nationale Aérienne or National Aerial League was founded at Paris in 1908 for the development of aerial locomotion. Its official publication was La Revue Aérienne.
Calling France the true homeland of aviation, it aimed to establish a national movement that would bask in the glory of the great discovery of the conquest of the air. It had an executive committee, a technical committee, a disputes committee, a propaganda committee, and a committee for initiatives. The League contributed funds to aeronautical contests.
The Ligue's official bulletin was La Revue Aérienne which published 7 volumes in the period 1908-1914. In March 1914, the Comité National d'Aviation Militaire and the Association Générale Aéronautique announced they would unite and then came the news that they had amalgamated with the Ligue Nationale Aerienne, into an organization that would be known as the Ligue Aéronautique de France.
René Quinton founded the Ligue National Aerienne.
Present at the first meeting of the executive committee in 1908 were:[1]
- Appell, Institut de France
- Ernest Archdeacon
- Armengaud jeune
- Ballif, president of the Touring-Club de France
- Bouquet de la Grye, Institut, president of the Commission aéronautique de l'Académie des Sciences, director of the Observatoire de Meudon
- Gaston Franchelli
- Paul Hervieu, Académie française
- Paul Painlevé, Académie des Sciences
- René Quinton, assistant at the pathological physiology laboratory at the Collège de France
Members absent from the first meeting:
Elected members of the technical committee:
- Georges Besançon
- Louis Blériot
- Léon Delagrange
- Dussaud
- Esnault-Pelterie
- Fabre
- Farman (which?)
- Captaine Ferber
- Commandant Ferrus
- Gastambide
- René Gasnier
- Ambroise Goupy
- Kapferer
- Krebs
- Comte de la Vaulx
- Levavasseur
- Pishoff
- Louis Renault
- Richet
- Santos-Dumont
- Surcouf
- Tatin
- Charles & Gabriel Voisin
- Zens
In the first 15 months of its existence, the Ligue took in 15,872 members who were subdivided into 49 founders of the prize, 49 member benefactors, 331 life members, and 15,443 adhering members. Douai and Nancy sections of the Ligue were founded in January 1909. By the end of 1910, it appears there were sections in Nice, Paris, and Rennes. The Paris section appears to have used the national headquarters as its address and meeting place.
Officers ca. 1910 and, probably, the original officers included Quinton, president; Archdeacon, Deutsch de la Meurthe, Paul Painlevé, and Paul Renard, vice presidents; Count de Celigny, general secretary; and Gaston Franchelli, treasurer.
- Address: 40, rue des Mathurins
- Address: 27 Rue de Rome (at least 1909-1910)
Commentary and questions
- It may have been founded originally under patronage of the Aéro Club de France and may have had offices at the same address at the Aero Club de France.
- It appears that the Ligue contributed to a number of prizes and one was at some point called the Ligue National Aérienne prize.
Sources
- 1909 Motor Cyclopaedia YB 110 Misc; 1 Flight 39 (1909)
- "Flight" Manual 14 (1910); 1910 Annuario dell' Aeronautica Primo 371, 374 (Sept. 1910); 1910-1911 Jane's All the World's Aircraft 125 (Nov. 1910); Braunbeck's Sport-Lexicon: Luftschiffahrt, 1911, 167; Aéro-Manuel 1911 255, 325, 365, 492, 505 (1 Oct. 1910); 1 Flight 4, 80, 92 (1909); 2 Flight 997 (1910); 6 Flight 349 (1914); LOC OPAC.
- A history is here: https://www.port-aviation.com/node/38
References
- ↑ La Revue Aérienne, Vol. 1, No. 1, 15 October 1908, p. 22.
| Organization names | Ligue Nationale Aérienne; Ligue Nationale Aerienne; National Aerial League |
|---|---|
| Entity type | |
| Country | FR |
| City | Paris |
| Affiliated with | |
| Scope | National |
| Started aero | 1908-09-02 |
| Ended aero | 1914 |
| Keywords | La Revue Aérienne |
| Key people | René Quinton |
| Wikidata id |
