San Francisco Aero Club
The San Francisco Aero Club appears to have gathered for the first time no later than February 1909. On 1 Mar. 1909, it sponsored the first gas balloon accession to be attempted under the auspices of a California organization. The club was described in the San Francisco Chronicle 17 May 1909 as the name adopted by a small body of men interested in aeronautics and without standing as a composite body. The article was written after some of these same men, including Charles C. Bradley and Joseph M. Masten, were among the charter members of the Pacific Aero Club in May 1909. It appears, however, that the SFAC retained some members. On 6 Nov. 1910, it was reported that the SFAC had withdrawn from participating in an aviation [ ... meet ? ] that was being engineered for later that month by New York promotor Israel Ludlow.
The San Francisco Aero Club sponsored an accession by club members Prof. P. A. Van Tassel and Charles C. Bradley in Van Tassel's 50,900 cu. ft. ballon on 1, Mar. 1909. Within a couple of days of this accession, it was an aerial race from San Francisco to Reno, Nevada, and had already placed an order for construction of a balloon to be used in the race. A Mr. Collins was president in November 1910.
Aeronautical World describes an Aero Club of San Francisco meeting in 1902, at Pythian Castle, 909 Market street, Central Hall, officers David Thomas and S. J. Jacobs.
Publications referring to Aero Club of San Francisco
- Publication 143, 1902, Aero-Club of San Francisco (Simple title: Aero-Club of San Francisco, Journal: Aer. World)
- Publication 144, 1903, The Aero Club of San Francisco (Simple title: The Aero Club of San Francisco, Journal: Aer. World)
Sources
- 1909 SF Chronicle 28 Feb.
- 1 & 4 Mar., and 17 May
- 1910 LA Times, 25 Oct. and 6 Nov.
Organization names | San Francisco Aero Club; Aero Club of San Francisco |
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Entity type | |
Country | US |
City | San Francisco, California |
Affiliated with | |
Scope | Local |
Started aero | 1902 or earlier? |
Ended aero | 1909, May ? |
Keywords | |
Key people | |
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