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[[image: black and white picture of Orville Wright's first flight]]
The
[[six small stars surrounding the word "the"]]
1908
Orville Wright First 
Flight September 5, 1908.

[[image - black and white photograph of a Wright brothers biplane in flight]]

With the reorganization of the aviation setup of the United States Army, on March 9, 1942, has come the latest phase of the development of the nation's military aviation from its groping, experimental days to its present status as an autonomous unit within the structure of the Army.

The story of the rapid growth of our nation's military aviation, from an unimportant subdivision of the Signal Corps before the first World War, through the period when it was a corps of its own, the Air Corps, and now to a degree of tremendous importance as the Army Air Forces, co-equal in prominence with all the other Army combat arms combined, is a stirring saga of courage and inspiration, of indomitable will and far-sighted genius, all within the short space of 33 years. 

The utilization of aviation by the Army, however antedates 1909, the official birth year.  Civilian aeronauts made observations from captive balloons for the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War, and later the Army purchased a balloon in France which was used in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

It was not, however, until the experiments of Langley, Maxim, Lillienthal, Bleriot, the Wrights and others had focused attention on the possibilities of heavier-than-air machines that the Army considered seriously this newest military adjunct.  It was not until the Wrights had demonstrated that a heavier-than-air machine was not only feasible, but practical that the Army advertised for bids for the construction of an airplane.  An aeronautical division of the Army was created in the Office of the Chief Signal Officer of the Army on July 1, 1907.

The Wright brothers produced an airplane which was delivered to Fort Myer, Virginia, on August 28, 1908.  It was a biplane with a wing spread of about 40 feet and a wing area of some 500 square feet weighing approximately 800 pounds.  The lateral controls were affected by warping the wings.  The double elevator and the rudder were supported in front of the wings by an outrigger.  The landing gear consisted of two runners, or skids, and the plane was launched from a monorail.  After a series of disappointing accidents and many tests, the Board of Officers appointed to examine the plane made a favorable recommendation on August 2, 1909, and the Chief Signal Officer approved the recommendation the same day.  This date is considered the birthday of the Army Air Forces.

While thus inaugurating the air arm of the service on this date, the value of aircraft in the military way was not immediately apparent, particularly to a nation at peace, and it was not until March, 1911, almost two years later, that Congress for the first time specifically appropriated money for aviation . . . to the tune of $125,000.  By September, 1913, Army aviation had grown slowly until it had 17 planes, with a personnel of 23 officers and 91 enlisted men.

Inasmuch as the original conception of the role of aircraft in warfare was purely that of observation, the control of military aviation was left in the hands of the Signal Corps, and, indeed, aviation remained in this branch until 1918, when it was divorced from the Signal Corps and expanded into two departments - the Bureau of Military Aeronautics and the Bureau of Aircraft Production.  Upon the termination of the war these two departments were consolidated into the Air Service.

The first actual use of aircraft by the Army began in March, 1916, when the First Aero Squadron, composed of 16 officers, 77 enlisted men and eight airplanes began operations with the Punitive Expedition in Mexico.

The World War, of course, with its constantly accelerating emphasis

[[image - black & white photograph of the Wright Biplane in flight]]
[[caption]] Wilbur Wright at Fort Myer, July 27, 1909. [[/caption]] 

[image - black and white photograph the Wright Biplane flying low over a field]]
[[caption]] Orville Wright in flight, Maxwell Field, 1910. [[/caption]]