Edinburgh Aero Club - founded 1928

Edinburgh Aero Club

Thanks

Thank you to June Scott, Bonaly, Edinburgh for sending me these three photographs of Edinburgh Aero Club.

June is daughter of George Wood, owner of Wood's Garage in Craighall Road from 1929 until around 1964.

George Wood was one of the founding members of The Edinburgh Aero Club. He is the figure on the right in the photograph above.

1928

The comments below are extracts taken from the August 1928 edition of the magazine Air, which gave an account of the founding of The Edinburgh Aero Club in 1928.

Inaugural Meeting

The inaugural meeting of the club was held on March 2, 1928. No less than 100 people gave their names for membership of the club within a short space of time.

UPDATE:
Despite the comments above (taken from the magazine, Air) stating that The Edinburgh Aero Club held its inaugural meeting in 1928, June Scott, Bonaly, Edinburgh tells me that the Club actually began several years earlier.
June has the original minute books for The Edinburgh Aero Club. She tells me that the these books refer to the club having held its first meeting on 6 November 1921 and having established its constitution in 1922.
- Peter Stubbs: December 26, 2006

Pioneer

The Edinburgh Aero Club owes a debt of gratitude for advice given to them by Major W H Ewan. He gained his pilot's licence in 1910 or 1911. In 1911, he founded a school of aviation in Lanark. When war broke out in 1914, he had trained about 350 pilots without a single casualty.

He was the first to fly over the Firth of Forth, flying in the summer of 1911 from Marine Gardens to Fife and back again in about seven minutes.

Air Field

The Air Ministry allowed the Club to use Turnhouse Aerodrome (now Edinburgh Airport) but the club had to provide its own hanger and workshop. The club had a successful beginning with strong support from the motor trade.

Costs

Pilot Members: £1 entry + £4 pa.

Observer Members: 10/- entry fee + £ 2pa

Associate Members; 10/- entry fee + £ 2pa

Machines can be hired for dual instruction or solo flying at a cost of from 35s to £2 per hour. The average pupil takes 8 to 10 hours "dual" before qualifying for an "A" licence.