Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

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Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 167,716 pages of information and 247,105 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

1916 Early Birds of Aviation

From Graces Guide

The Early Birds of Aviation is an organization devoted to the history of early pilots. The organization was started in 1928. Membership was limited to those who piloted a glider, gas balloon, or airplane, prior to December 17, 1916. The cutoff date was set at December 17 to correspond to the first flights of Wilbur and Orville Wright. 1916 was chosen because large numbers of people were trained in 1917 as pilots for World War I. Many Early Birds went on to establish careers in public service and the aviation industry.

The original organization dissolved once the last living member had died. This occurred with the death of 99-year-old Early Bird George Debaun Grundy, Jr. on May 19, 1998. The current organization is devoted to collecting and publishing biographies on those who met the 1916 deadline. There are pilots who soloed before the 1916 deadline that never applied to the club to be members. Some have been made honorary members.

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