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[[preprinted]] 24 AVIATION May, 1911 AERO CLUB PLANS BIG UNDERTAKING By W.H. Leonard. The summer campaign of the Aero Club of California is to be carried out under a new system commensurate with the advance of aeronautics. A complete military organization is planned on a small scale to work out a set of tactics which the members of the club have long been formulating, which should be effective in time of war for defense or attack. The general organization will correspond to the regiment, a complete unity in military organization. This unite in turn will be subdivided into two sections, corresponding to battalions. These in turn will be subdivided into two sections each, corresponding to companies, which will be comprised of squads with definite classification. One battalion will be based on ideas of offense and the other on defense. The offensive battalion will be comprised of the aeroplane company and the balloon or dirigible company. The aeroplane company will be used for scouting and skirmish work; the dirigible company will be the heavy artillery of the air. The other battalion will be formed for defensive purposes. One company will consist of supporting sharpshooters and ground artillery; the other will be for signal work and rapid transit. For the purpose of organization the following persons have been selected to work out the preliminary details: H. LaV. Twining to act as Colonel and general organizer; Chas. E. Rilliet, captain of the aeroplane company; George B. Harrison, captain of the dirigible company; W. H. Leonard, captain of the sharpshooters and armament company; and Van M. Griffith, captain of the signal company. General auxiliary officers will be appointed as necessity requires, the first probably to be two majors of battalions. These military ideas are being carried out on the latest theories of the use of air craft in warfare. The fundamental hypotheses are: that aeroplanes primarily will be used for scouting purposes; that the dirigible balloon is best adapted to carry and discharge large quantities of high explosives; that sharpshooters are required to repel attacks from opposing aircraft and skirmish land forces; that a comprehensive signal service is absolutely necessary for facility of communication between the aircraft and ground forces. The aeroplane company will be divided into at least two squads, the aviators and mechanicians, the latter to remain on the ground and perform all preliminary duties before flight, and to take charge of the machines after alighting. The dirigible company will consist of the pilots and aides as one squad, and gas and equipment men as the other squad. The sharpshooters and armament company will be divided along the lines of its title, one squad acting as expert marksmen for rifles or special air artillery, and the other taking charge of the bombs and other high explosives for aircraft equipment. The signal company will have charge of all land scouting and communication between landsmen and aviators. One [[/preprinted]]
