Philadelphia Aeronautical Recreation Society

The Philadelphia Aeronautical Recreation Society was organized in March 1908. Recreation, not scientific research, was the objective of this ballooning society. Membership was to be restricted to amateurs only and women were to be included in the membership. Indeed, the society boasted that it was the first of its kind in the United States to afford equal privileges to women and soon after being formed there were more women than men as members. Was one of the 10 to 12 founders of the American Aeronautical federation, 22 June 1910, which see. By the end of 1910, had merged with the Aero Club of Pennsylvania.

The Philadelphia Aeronautical Recreation Society was organized at the Philadelphia home of Dr. Thomas Edwin Eldridge. Eldridge was elected president. Other initial officers included Dr. George H. Simmerman, Miss Nevill, and Dr. Eli S. Berry, vice presidents; Mrs. M. E. Lockington, secretary; and Thomas Rose, treasurer. Eldridge and Simmerman were identified as the organizers; both were members of the Ben Franklin Aeronautical Society and the Ben Franklin Balloon Association close corporation in Philadelphia. All officers were reelected in 1909. The first ascent in the club's 50,000 cubic foot balloon, the Philadelphia, on 27 June, lasted 20 minutes before ending in a crash landing, fortunately on a mud bank, due to three large rents in the muslin bag. It was replaced in with the 55,000 cubic foot Philadelphia II, built in the factory of aeronaut Leo Stevens in New York, which was christened on 29 May 1909. Simmerman, often referred to as Zimmerman, was vice president in 1910. About 100 people attended the society's banquet at the Hotel Majestic in December 1908 and shortly thereafter, an active membership of 75 was reported. A Philadelphia club, not identified, had 30 members in June 1910.

Sources

• 2:4 Aeronautics (NYC) 39 (Apr. 1908); 15 Automobile Topics 1905 (1908); 3:1 Aeronautics (NYC) 47 (July 1908); 3:3 Aeronautics (NYC) 33 (Sept. 1908); 4 Aeronautics (NYC) 12, 86 (1909); 5 Aeronautics (NYC) 5, 12 (1909); 1909 Jane's All the World's Aircraft 251; 1910 NYT 3, 18, 23 & 25 June; www.aeroclubpa.org/history.html

Organization names	Philadelphia Aeronautical Recreation Society
Entity type
Country	US
City	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Affiliated with
Scope	Local
Started aero	1908
Ended aero	1910
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