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[...]
1915
JANUARY 15 Army Lieutenants Joseph E. Carberry and Arthur C. Christie set a two-man altitude record by reaching 11,690 feet in a Curtiss 100 tractor biplane; they remain aloft an hour and 13 minutes doing so.
Over San Diego, California, Army Lieutenant B. Q. Jones sets a one-man endurance record by flying 8 hours, 53 minutes in a Martin T biplane. He consequently receives a Mackay Trophy for the effort.
FEBRUARY 19 Dr. Robert H. Goddard begins experimenting with Coston signal rockets, which are propelled by solid fuel, in order to measure their thrust and efficiency.
MARCH 3 In Washington, D. C., Congress creates the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA). This is the first government organization dedicated to advancing the state of aviation research and technology.
MARCH 4 In Washington, D. C., Congress allocates $300,000 for Army aviation during fiscal year 1916.
MARCH 12 Flying a Burgess-Renault biplane, Lieutenant Byron Q. Jones and Corporals Carl T. Hale and Robert H. Houser set a three-man endurance record of seven hours and five minutes.
April 13 Lieutenants Thomas D. Milling and B. Q. Jones are detached from the 1st Aero Squadron and ordered to deploy along the Mexican border with a single airplane to find the location of bandit leader Francisco “Pancho” Villa.
APRIL 20 Along the Mexican border, a single plane piloted by Lieutenants Thomas D. Milling and B. Q. Jones of the 1st Aero Squadron fly the army’s first combat reconnaissance mission.
April 23 In Washington, D. C., Brigadier
General George P. Scriven gains appointment as chairman of the National Advisory Council for Aeronautics (NACA).
MAY 20 The Curtiss JN-2 is selected by Army Aviation Service as the first mass – produced aircraft in the United States. It will also outfit the embryonic 1st Aero Squadron.
July 3 Above San Diego, California, Lieutenant Byron Q. Jones is the first army pilot to successfully loop and stall his aircraft without crashing.
July 6 At North Island, California, Captain V. E. Clark arrives for duty; he is the first air officer to receive a doctorate in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
July 12 Aviation mechanic examination requirements are adopted by the Signal Corps.
July 26 At San Diego, California, the 1st Aero Squadron under Captain Benjamin F. Foulois begins transferring its eight Curtiss JN-2 airplanes by rail to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to participate in observations experiments with the Field Artillery School there.
July 29 At Fort Sill, Oklahoma, the 1st Aero Squadron transfers from August, Georgia, under Captain Benjamin D. Foulois. A crew and aircraft are subsequently flown to Brownsville, Texas, to support the Army’s border patrol efforts.
October 13 At Selfridge Field, Michigan, Lieutenant T. J. Koenig flies a LePere-Liberty 400 to victory in the Liberty Engine Builder’s Trophy Race with a top speed of 128.8 miles per hour.
NOVEMBER 1 In Mineola, New York, the 1st Aero Company, New York
National Guard, organizes under Captain Raynal C. Bolling. This is the first National Guard aviation unit and consists of four officers, forty enlisted men, and seven aircraft. The latter have been loaned by the New York City Aero Club.
November 18-19 At Fort Sill,
Oklahoma, six Curtiss JN-3s of the Army Air Service begin the first squadron-level cross-country flight, which ends at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, 429 miles distant.
December 11 At San Diego, California, the Signal Corps Aviation School hosts four Portuguese Army officers; these are the first foreign pilots trained in the United States.
December 19 At Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the 1st Aero Squadron flies six Curtiss JN-3s in from Fort Sill, Oklahoma; this is also the first cross-country flight by an entire aviation unit.