The Aero Club of Southern California (ACSC) is a non-profit charitable organization led by volunteer staff and Board members. The history of the organization dates back to 1908. It is worth telling more about the Aero Club, as well as how to become a member. i-los-angeles tells more about this.
How did it all begin?
The history of the Aero Club began in 1908. Two years after its founding, the club sponsored the Historical Air Meet Show at Dominguez Hills in Los Angeles. It was a special event where one could see aircraft from the USA and Europe. Thus, visitors could familiarize themselves with the new flight technology.
It is worth recalling that seven years before the historic airshow, the Wright brothers made the first flight near Kitty Hawk. As for this airshow, it was held on January 10-20 near the California State University at Dominguez Hills. The posters can be seen nowadays.
The event was a resounding success, with over 175,000 visitors at the top of Carson Hill. At that time, it was more than 50% of the entire population of Los Angeles.
Most Californians saw flying machines for the first time. The organizers of the event managed to achieve the desired effect and the audience was enchanted.
An interesting fact is that the area where the 1910 Los Angeles Air Show was held was designated California Historic Landmark #718.
Los Angeles International Airport
The ACSC began publishing an official newsletter The Aileron in 1930. With the help of this organization, the new airport at Mines Field (modern Los Angeles International Airport) was dedicated.
During the Second World War, when the role of the Air Force was extremely important, military speakers and a large audience of interested persons were frequent guests at meetings of the Aero Club.
After the end of the war, the Aero Club switched to commercial flights. Later, with the advent of spaceflight and Southern California-based space exploration companies, the ACSC shifted its focus from aviation to the aerospace industry.
ACSC and Howard Hughes
The Aero Club has sponsored the annual Howard Hughes Memorial Award since 1978. It is awarded to honor people with significant achievements in the field of aviation and space. It has earned the title of one of the most prestigious.
Who was Howard Hughes and why did he deserve such fame? The man went down in history as an American industrialist-entrepreneur, engineer, pioneer and innovator of American aviation. In addition, he became famous as a director, film producer and one of the richest people in the world at that time. It was a multifaceted personality. He and his team organized the construction of the plane Spruce Goose. Another well-known project organized by Howard Hughes was the Glomar Explorer.
Hughes H-4 Hercules
This plane took off for the first and last time on November 2, 1947. At that time, it was the largest flying boat in history, which was piloted by the developer, 41-year-old Howard Hughes. For the development of a flying boat prototype, the man allocated $13 million at the beginning of the Second World War. By the time the hostilities ended, this aircraft was still not ready due to the lack of aluminum. Researchers note the stubbornness of Howard Hughes, who dreamed of creating an ideal flying machine.
On November 2, 1947, Howard Hughes took to the air, flying almost two kilometers in a straight line over the Los Angeles harbor. After that, every year, the man spent up to $1 million to keep the plane in working order. This continued until he died in 1976.
The role of the ACSC in this story is worth noting. In the early 1980s, the ACSC conducted a fairly successful campaign, the main goal of which was to save the famous flying machine from recycling.
It was saved and moved to the Long Beach Museum in California. After it closed in 1992, the ACSC arranged for the exhibit to be moved to the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. Every year, about 300,000 tourists visit the museum to see the flying boat in person. It is the central showpiece of a large museum.
Aeroclub membership
It is worth adding that the work of the ACSC continues today. Thus, the Aero Club offers annual scholarship programs for students majoring in aviation and aerospace.
Anyone interested can become a member of the ACSC. These really interesting areas include research, technology, piloting, education and manufacturing, commercial and military aviation and much more. You can learn more about the history of the Aero Club of Southern California by watching the video.
