1900

2 July

The first flight by a rigid airship designed by Count Ferdinand

von Zeppelin - the LZ1 - took place. The airship took off from

a floating shed on the Bodensee (Lake Constance), near

Friedrichshafen, and flew for twenty minutes.

October

Orville and Wilbur Wright test-flew their first man-carrying

glider at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This glider was the

first to combine intentional inherent instability with the use

of wing-warping to provide lateral control.

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1901

The Aero Club (later, the Royal Aero Club) was founded in

London.

27 July

The Wright Brothers began gliding trials with their second

glider at the Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, North Dakota.

These test flights, and the intensive research subsequently

undertaken by the Wrights, laid much of the basis for their

subsequent powered flights.

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1902

20 September

Following the results from their trials of 1900 and 1901, the

Wright Brothers returned to their hutted camp at the Kill Devil

Hills, Kitty Hawk, North Dakota, to test their third glider

design. The first successful glide with the machine in

question was made on this date. The Wright Brothers went on to

make nearly one thousand glides using this design, which

confirmed and built upon much of their earlier research and

testing.

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1903

April

Lieutenant Colonel John Edward Capper CB RE was appointed to

overall command of the RE field sections.

8 June

The War Office formally constituted a Committee on Military

Ballooning. The Committee's terms of reference required it "To

report generally upon the extent to which it is desirable to

attempt to improve and develop military ballooning, having

regard to the experience of two wars and to progress made in

this service both by our own country and other nations." The

Chairman of the Committee was Colonel P T Buston DSO RE and the Secretary was Lieutenant Colonel J E Capper CB RE.

24 June

The Committee on Military Ballooning issued a preliminary

report urgently recommending the design and construction of a

dirigible balloon (airship) for the British Army. The Balloon

Factory had already undertaken experimental work in connection

with the construction of such an airship.

17 December

Orville Wright made the first free flight through the air in a

powered flying machine (the Wright Flyer) at the Kill Devil

Hills, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The flight lasted for

twelve seconds and covered a distance of approximately 120ft.

The Wright Flyer is now preserved in the collection of the

Smithsonian Institute and is displayed in the National Air and

Space Museum, Washington DC

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1904

4 January

The Final Report of the Committee on Military Ballooning was

issued. The Committee confirmed the recommendation contained

in its preliminary report of 24 June 1903 that a dirigible

balloon (airship) be constructed for the British Army; it also

recommended the formation of a Balloon School drawing together

the existing Balloon Sections and the relocation and

enlargement of the Balloon Factory.

23-24 October

During a visit to the USA to attend the 1904 World's Fair at

St Louis, Colonel J E Capper RE travelled to Dayton to meet

Orville and Wilbur Wright.

8 November

Construction of the first airship shed for the Balloon Factory

at a site on Farnborough Common was authorised by the Director

of Fortification and Works.

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1905

10 January

On being rejected by the US Government, the Wright Brothers

approached Colonel J E Capper with a proposal to construct an

aircraft for the British Army. Despite protracted negotiations

between 1905 and 1908, no agreement was concluded.

The Balloon Factory began to relocate from Aldershot to

Farnborough; this move was completed in the following year.

Although early records are incomplete, it is now accepted that

1905 marks the start of military aviation research and

development at Farnborough.

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1906

12 November

The first officially accredited powered flight in Europe was

made by Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian resident in Paris.

After a series of shorter flights during September and October

1906, on this date, he flew his '14-bis' design for a distance

of 722 feet in 21 seconds to win the French Aero Club's prize

for the first flight of 100 metres.

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1907

1 June

Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, pioneer of jet propulsion, was

born.

10 September

The maiden flight of the first airship constructed by the

British Army - Nulli Secundus [Second to None] - took place.

The airship ascended from the golf course at Farnborough, under

the command of Colonel J E Capper.

5 October

Nulli Secundus flew from Farnborough to London.

1907-1908

Experiments in the use of airborne wireless from captive and

free balloons carried out at the Balloon School, Aldershot, in

collaboration with No 1 Wireless Company, Royal Engineers.

Trials demonstrated that wireless transmissions could be heard

and received from altitudes of at least 8,000 ft and over

ranges of at least twenty miles.

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1907

1 June

Air Commodore Sir Frank Whittle, pioneer of jet propulsion, was

born.

10 September

The maiden flight of the first airship constructed by the

British Army - Nulli Secundus [Second to None] - took place.

The airship ascended from the golf course at Farnborough, under

the command of Colonel J E Capper.

5 October

Nulli Secundus flew from Farnborough to London.

1907-1908

Experiments in the use of airborne wireless from captive and

free balloons carried out at the Balloon School, Aldershot, in

collaboration with No 1 Wireless Company, Royal Engineers.

Trials demonstrated that wireless transmissions could be heard

and received from altitudes of at least 8,000 ft and over

ranges of at least twenty miles.

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1909

28 January

The final report of the Sub-Committee of the Committee of

Imperial Defence was released. The Sub-Committee recommended

that all military aeroplane research and development should

cease and resources concentrated in the production of airships.

However, the Sub-Committee did recommend that advantage should

be taken of any aeroplane development sponsored by private

enterprise. The CID formally approved the report of the Sub-

Committee on 25 February 1909.

31 March

With the discharge of Colonel S F Cody, all work on military

aeroplanes at Farnborough came to a halt.

May

Following the decision by the Committee of Imperial Defence to

approve Admiralty proposals for the acquisition of a rigid

airship for fleet reconnaissance, construction of the first

Admiralty airship commenced at Barrow-in Furness by Messrs

Vickers Son and Maxim.

July

Experimental work in the application of airborne wireless

telegraphy to Army operations resumed at Aldershot, led by

Captain H P T Lefroy, Royal Engineers.

25 July

Louis Bl‚riot made the first successful crossing of the English

Channel. Bl‚riot took off from Les Baraques, near Calais, at

04.41hrs at the controls of a Bl‚riot XI monoplane powered by a

25hp Anzani engine; he landed in the Northfall Meadow, near

Dover Castle, at 05.17hrs. The flight covered a distance of

23« miles.

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1910

October

Lord Esher repudiated the findings of the Sub Committee of the

Committee of Imperial Defence with regard to the aeroplane [see

28 January 1909], thus enabling the Balloon Factory to resume

military research and development.

December

The de Havilland biplane No 2 was purchased by the Balloon

Factory for trials and its' designer - Geoffrey de Havilland -

was employed as the Factory's aeroplane designer and test

pilot.