Aeronautical Society of Great Britain
Founded 12 Jan. 1866, the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain (AeSGB) was the first aeronautical society in the world outside of France and is now the world's oldest, existing under the name given in 1918, Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS). First general meeting was 20 June 1866. The club held its first exhibition in 1868 at the Crystal Palace, London, with 78 entries; Stringfellow's steam engine won a prize. A second aeronautical exhibition was held in 1885 at the Alexandra Palace, London. Yearly annual reports 1866-1892. Its journal, The Aeronautical Journal, replaced the Annual Reports and was published quarterly from January 1897-1917 and monthly 1918-1922. Aeronautical museum founded 1901. Pursuant to agreement in 1909 with the Aero Club of the United Kingdom and the Aerial League of the British Empire, the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain would be looked upon as the paramount scientific authority on aeronautical matters in Great Britain.
Formed in 1866 by 8th Duke of Argyl, who became its first president, and a group of aerial navigation enthusiasts who, in its first year, included Fred Brearey, a keen advocate of the heavier-than-air principle of navigation; Halton Turner, author of Astra Castra, and W. H. Wenham, who read his paper on "Aerial Locomotion" at the first general meeting. 20 June 1866. In 1903 Major B. Baden-Powell, F.R.A.S. was president and he was reported to be the same in 1906 at which time the honorary secretary was Eric Stuart Bruce, M.A. General meetings were held at the Society of Arts, John Street, Adelphi, London. Membership in the first three years, 1866-1868, was 65, 91, and 106; membership in 1906 was some 120. 1909 Jane's reported a flying ground at Dagenham.
1909 Jane's listed only as "Aeronautical Society." In the year 2010, the Society's offices were at No. 4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ.
Sources
2 L'Aeronatique 69 (1903); 8 Aeronautical Journal 46 (1904); 12 Aeronautical Journal 97-99 (1908); 18 Aeronautical Journal 377 (1914); 28 Journal of the RAeS 644-646 (1924); Pocket-Book of Aeronautics 441-442 (Eng. ed., Jan. 1907); 1:5 Aeronautics (NYC) 43 (1907); 1:6 Aeronautics (NYC) 38 (1907); Andersons History of Aeronautics (1908); 1909 Jane's All the World's Aircraft 31; "Flight" Manual 13 (1910); 1911 Hazell's 488; 1913 Aviation Pocket-Book 161 (Jan. 1913); 1917 Aviation Pocket-Book 246; 1920 Dir; National Union Catalog Pre-1956 Imprints; WorldCat.org and WorldCat-OCLC; Golling, The Impact of Air Power on the British People and Their Government, 1909-1914, p. 8 (1989); www.raes.org.uk; www.raes.org.au/division-history
| Organization names | Aeronautical Society of Great Britain; AeSGB; then Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) from 1918. |
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| Entity type | |
| Country | Great Britain |
| City | London |
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| Scope | National |
| Started aero | 1866 |
| Ended aero | continues under 1918 name, Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) |
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