American Aviation Historical Society facts for kids
The American Aviation Historical Society (AAHS) is a special group that works to save and share the history of American aviation. Think of them as history detectives for airplanes! They publish a journal, send out newsletters, keep huge collections of old aviation documents and photos, and run websites all about planes and flying. They also help historians and anyone interested in learning more about America's amazing flight story.
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How the AAHS Works
The American Aviation Historical Society started in 1956. Today, they have two main offices. Their membership team is in Huntington Beach, California. The main office is at the historic Flabob Airport in Riverside, California. Every year, the AAHS holds a meeting for its members in California or Arizona. These meetings often include fun tours of places important to aviation history.
The main group is based in Southern California, a place famous for building airplanes. They also have smaller groups called "wings" in other parts of the United States. You can find these local chapters in places like Phoenix, Arizona, Northern Virginia, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio. These local groups hold their own meetings and activities. Anyone in the U.S. who loves aviation history can join the national organization, even if there isn't a local chapter nearby.
A few years ago, some of these local chapters decided to become their own separate groups. For example, the chapter near San Francisco, California formed its own group in 2006. The chapter in Dayton, Ohio also started its own society in 2006. These groups wanted to run things a bit differently than the national organization.
What AAHS Does
Publications and News
One of the main things AAHS does is publish a quarterly (every three months) journal called the AAHS Journal. This journal is about 150 pages long and is full of aviation history articles. Members can get it in print or read it online. The AAHS also creates an online newsletter called AAHS Flightline. This newsletter used to be printed, but now it's available online on their website. Both of these publications are great places to read about aviation history, see old documents and photos, and share information with other aviation fans.
Saving History: The Archives
The society has a huge library of documents and photographs related to aviation. They have more than 2 million photos! It's a big job to identify and organize all these pictures. So, the AAHS gets help from volunteers, both in person and online. These volunteers help by scanning old photos and adding details about them. This makes it easier for everyone to find and use these amazing historical pictures.
Online Resources
The AAHS has its own website, aahs-online.org. But they also host another important website: the restored site of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. This is a huge online encyclopedia all about the history of U.S. aviation.
They also link to a related site called APT Collectibles, where you can find and buy past issues of the AAHS Journal.
To help with their huge collection of photos, the AAHS created a special online tool called AAHS Planespotter. This tool lets aviation fans download scanned images of old planes. Then, they can help identify the aircraft by its type, where the photo was taken, its serial number, or other details. This information is then added to the AAHS's photo database, helping to preserve history!
Helping the Public
The AAHS is a great place to share ideas and learn about aviation history. Members of the AAHS sometimes give talks about aviation history. They also help museums, schools, and media groups with their aviation projects. They might work on special programs or events, or even do research and have discussions about different parts of aviation history. For example, they have helped the Smithsonian Institution's famous National Air and Space Museum.
Important People in AAHS
Many important aviation historians have been part of the AAHS advisory board. These include Gerald Balzer, Richard P. Hallion, Robert L. Lawson, and Walter J. Boyne. Walter J. Boyne was even a founding curator and later director of the National Air and Space Museum.
Many famous authors have written for the AAHS Journal:
- Ray Wagner: He helped start the AAHS and was a director of the International Air and Space Hall of Fame.
- Harold E. Morehouse: He helped create the first Aeronca airplane and was a pioneer in light-aircraft engines. He wrote a column called "Flying Pioneers" about early aviation heroes, many of whom he knew personally.
- Peter M. Bowers: He is in the EAA Homebuilders Hall of Fame. He wrote 26 books and over 1,000 articles for the AAHS Journal from 1956 to the late 1990s.
- Joseph P. Juptner: Also in the EAA Hall of Fame. His book series U.S. Civil Aircraft is a main guide to U.S. civilian aircraft from 1927 to 1948.
- Edward H. Phillips: A main historian of the general aviation industry and the "Air Capital City" (Wichita, Kansas). He wrote about famous aircraft makers like Cessna Aircraft and Beech Aircraft.
- Paul R. Matt: A well-known aviation historian and a top illustrator of early aircraft in the U.S.
- Len Morgan: A famous aviation writer, author, and publisher.
- John W. Underwood: He wrote 12 aviation history books and many articles. He was also a leading aviation history photographer. He is in the EAA / Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame.
See Also
- List of aviation historical societies
