Oxford Aviation Society

[Karoline Oum]

TheRoyal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest aeronautical society in the world.[1] Members, Fellows, and Companions of the society can use the post-nominal letters MRAeS, FRAeS, or CRAeS, respectively.[2]

The objectives of The Royal Aeronautical Society include: to support and maintain high professional standards in aerospace disciplines; to provide a unique source of specialist information and a local forum for the exchange of ideas; and to exert influence in the interests of aerospace in the public and industrial arenas, including universities.

The Royal Aeronautical Society is a worldwide society with an international network of 67 branches. Many practitioners of aerospace disciplines use the Society's designatory post-nominals such as FRAeS, CRAeS, MRAeS, AMRAeS, and ARAeS (incorporating the former graduate grade, GradRAeS).

The RAeS headquarters is located in the United Kingdom. The staff of the Royal Aeronautical Society are based at the Society's headquarters at No. 4 Hamilton Place, London, W1J 7BQ.[3] The headquarters is on the north-east edge of Hyde Park Corner, with the nearest access being Hyde Park Corner tube station. In addition to offices for its staff the building is used for Royal Aeronautical Society conferences and events [4] and parts of the building are available on a private hire basis for events.[5]

Divisions of the Society have been formed in countries and regions that can sustain a number of Branches. Divisions operate with a large degree of autonomy, being responsible for their own branch network, membership recruitment, subscription levels, conference and lecture programmes.

Specialist Groups covering all facets of the aerospace industry exist under the overall umbrella of the Society, with the aim of serving the interests of both enthusiasts and industry professionals.

The Groups' remit is to consider significant developments in their field, and they attempt to achieve this through their conferences and lectures, with the intention of stimulating debate and facilitating action on key industry issues in order to reflect and respond to the constant innovation and progress in aviation. The Groups also act as focal points for all enquiries to the Society concerning their specialist subject matter, forming a crucial interface between the Society and the world in general.

The Society was founded in January 1866 with the name "The Aeronautical Society of Great Britain" and is the oldest aeronautical society in the world.[9] Early or founding members included James Glaisher, Francis Wenham, the Duke of Argyll, and Frederick Brearey.[10] In the first year, there were 65 members, at the end of the second year, 91 members, and in the third year, 106 members.[11] Annual reports were produced in the first decades. In 1868 the Society held a major exhibition at London's Crystal Palace with 78 entries. John Stringfellow's steam engine was shown there.[11][12][13] The Society sponsored the first wind tunnel in 1870-71, designed by Wenham and Browning.[11]

In 1923 its principal journal was renamed from The Aeronautical Journal to The Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society and in 1927 the Institution of Aeronautical Engineers Journal was merged into it.[15]

In addition to the award of Fellowship of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS), the Society awards several other medals and prizes. These include its Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals. The very first gold medal was awarded in 1909 to the Wright Brothers.[34] Although it is unusual for more than one medal (in each of the three grades) to be awarded annually, since 2004 the Society has also periodically awarded team medals (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) for exceptional or groundbreaking teamwork in aeronautical research and development. Others awarded have included the R. P. Alston Memorial Prize for developments in flight-testing, the Edward Busk prize for applied aerodynamics, the Wakefield Medal for advances in aviation safety, and an Orville Wright Prize.[35] Honorary Fellowships and Honorary Companionships are awarded as well.

The Sir Robert Hardingham Sword The Sir Robert Hardingham Sword is awarded in recognition of outstanding service to the RAeS by a member of the Society. Nominally an annual award, in practice the award is only made about one year in two.

The annual Henson & Stringfellow Lecture and Dinner is hosted yearly by the Yeovil Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society, held at Westland Leisure Complex, and is a key social and networking event of the Yeovil lecture season. It is a black tie event attracting over 200 guests drawn from all sectors of the aerospace community.

John Stringfellow created, alongside William Samuel Henson, the first powered flight aircraft, developed in Chard, Somerset, which flew unmanned in 1848, 63 years prior to brothers Wilbur & Orville Wrights' flight.[43][44][45][46][47][48]

In 2017, Katherine Bennett OBE FRAeS, Senior Vice President Public Affairs, Airbus gave the Amy Johnson Lecture[65] and in 2018 Air Vice-Marshal Sue Gray, CB, OBE from the Royal Air Force gave the Amy Johnson Lecture in honour of the 100th anniversary of the RAF.[66]

The Harvard Historical Aviation Society was started by two good friends, Jodi Smith and Gary Hillman, who were upset with the community name change from Mynarski Park to Springbrook. The two tried to have the name of Springbrook changed back to Mynarski Park, named after Victoria Cross recipient Andrew Mynarski V.C., but there was no interest from the Springbrook Community Association.

Smith and Hillman instead had a park dedicated in the hamlet and named Mynarski Park along with a large memorial placed in the park in September of 2004. This lead to an Alberta based aviation museum being interested in some of the artefacts that the two had obtained. Smith and Hillman determined that those coming to visit and learn about the military base history at Penhold would have no clue where to find it if it was located at a big city location, and so decided they should build their own museum.

They quickly formed a board and became an official non-profit in 2007 and soon after in the same year became an official charity. Starting with nothing, the HHAS has 10 acres of land on the former Penhold Base site along with many artefacts to tell the history of the former military base and the Red Deer Airport starting from WWII with the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

The Harvard Historical Aviation Society is a non-profit charitable society in Central Alberta that provides interactive and educational programming to commemorate and celebrate the unique history of the Penhold Military Base, the Bowden Military Base and the Red Deer Airport.

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