Celebrating the Start of the Big Adventure of British Aviation

aviation in this country and as the start of the incredible pioneering years that followed. We will celebrate the achievements of British aviation’s pioneers in the events set out on this page and throughout the Centenary season that is about to start. As a modern and forward-looking Society, we will also recognise the past and future importance of aviation to our country and promote the education and development of UK aerospace professionals through the initiatives described in this leaflet. We hope that you will be able to join us. If you or an organisation with which you are involved are planning a commemorative event, we hope that we can support each other in reaching out to as many people as possible in Britain, of all ages, to remind them of the achievements of all the brave and visionary people involved in the birth of aviation in our country 100 years ago and what is possible in the future.

The first decade of the last century saw the birth of what the then President of the Royal Aeronautical Society described as “…a new invention forming an invaluable and all - powerful weapon of war…….. and a speedy, economical and pleasant mode of getting from place to place, such as will probably completely revolutionise our present methods of travel.” Today’s Royal Aeronautical Society is commemorating 1908 as a watershed year for

Celebrate - the achievments of pioneers of British Aviation

Recognise - the importance of aviation to the UK

Promote - education and development of future UK aerospace professionals