The Syrian airfield prepare for reception of military aircraft of China
The latest news about fast emergence in borders of Syria of navy of China encouraged Syrians and res[...]
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February 11 In Washington, D. C., West Virginia congressman James Hay introduces the first bill mandating an independent aviation corps, but it is defeated.
February 17 An autopilot device (gyro – stabilizer) invented by Elmer Sperry is tested for the first time on a U. S. Army aircraft.
MARCH 2 The Army establishes flight pay at 35 percent over base pay for prescribed aviation duties, given the inherent risks of flying. Presently, only 30 officers qualify for such emoluments. The Army also mandate that not more than 30 officers could be involved in flying at any given time, and rank no higher than major.
MARCH 5 At Augusta, Georgia, the 1st Provisional Aero Squadron is formed with 5 pilots, 7 Wright pushers, and 21 enlisted men. The unit subsequently ships to Texas City, Texas, in response to a possible border crisis with Mexico, where it submits to additional training. This unit is also the lineal predecessor of the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, the oldest formation in the U. S. Air Force.
MARCH 31 Over Texas, Lieutenant W.
C. Sherman draws the first aerial map on a plane flown by Lieutenant Tommy Milling as he flies between San Antonio and Texas City.
May 27 In Washington, D. C., the War Department issues General Order No. 39, requiring all qualified pilots to receive a Military Aviator’s Certificate, along with a badge. Presently, there are only 24 qualified army pilots.
MAY 28 Over Texas, Army Lieutenants Thomas D. Milling and W. C. Sherman set a flight endurance record of four hours and 22 minutes while flying between Texas City and San Antonio.
May 30 In Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) initiates one of the first aerodynamics courses under the aegis of navy officer Jerome C. Hunsaker.
June 12 The first Curtiss tractor-type (propeller in front) aircraft is accepted by the Army Signal Corps. Aerodynamically, this is a vast improvement over earlier pushers.
AUGUST 8 In Hawaii, Lieutenant Harold Geiger pilots a Curtiss E airplane over the island for the first time; he is the first graduate of the new aviation school at Fort Kamehameha.
SEPTEMBER 10 Command of the Aeronautical Division, U. S. Army Signal Corps, reverts to Major Samuel Reber.
OCTOBER 1 In Massachusetts, Dr. Robert H. Goddard finishes the paperwork to patent his “rocket apparatus.”
December 4 In Washington, D. C., General Order No. 75 is issued by the War Department to establish the Aero Squadron as a standard formation within the Aeronautical Division.
December 18 Lieutenant Henry B. Post, flying Signal Corps airplane No. 23, establishes a new Army solo altitude record of 10,600 feet.
December 29 A reconnaissance competition near San Diego, California, is won by Lieutenants C. J. Carberry and Fred Seydel, which results in their receipt of a Mackay Trophy.