Aviation Act of 1917

Long title| An Act to authorize the President to increase temporarily the Signal Corps of the Army and to purchase, manufacture, maintain, repair, and operate airships, and to make appropriations therefor, and for other purposes.
Enacted by| the 65th United States Congress
Effective| July 24, 1917
Citations
Public law| Pub. L. 65–29
Statutes at Large| 40 Stat. 243
Legislative history

* Introduced in the House as H.R. 5326 by S. Hubert Dent Jr. (D–AL)
* Signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on July 24, 1917

Aviation Act of 1917 was a United States military appropriations bill authorizing a temporary increase for the United States Army Signal Corps. The Act of Congress authorized provisions for airship or dirigible operations governed by the U.S. Army Signal Corps Aeronautical Division. The legislation provided United States President Woodrow Wilson emergency authority for the maintenance, manufacture, operation, purchase, and repair of airships and associated aerial machines.

## Sections of the Act

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In an attempt to meet the progressive necessities of World War I, House bill 5326 was penned as ten sections by the United States 65th Congressional session.

Sec. 1 – Temporary Increase of Army Signal Corps and Aviation Sections

Sec. 2 – Additional Commissioned Personnel Authorized

Qualifications
Appointments by U.S. President
Appointments by U.S. President and Senate

Sec. 3 – Additional Enlisted Men by Enlistment or Draft

Age limit for men drafted
Chauffeur grades created
Chauffeur pay and rank

Sec. 4 – Organization of Tactical Units

Headquarters and detachment units

Sec. 5 – General Officers Appointed for Staff and Other Duties

Temporary appointments for created vacancies

Sec. 6 – Rating of Aviators and Aeronauts

Certificates of qualifications
Examinations
Ratings for service requirements
Exceptions in war time
Aeronauts rank increase
Flight duty financial compensation

Sec. 7 – Ratings of Enlisted Mechanicians

Balloon mechanicians compensation

Sec. 8 – U.S. Army Comprehensive Compensation

U.S. Army troop strength levels

Sec. 9 – Emergency Authority for Airships and Aerial Machines

Buildings and motor vehicles
Aviation stations
Sites and buildings
Use of public lands
Improvements of sites
Buildings and structures
Water, lights, and plumbing
Roads and wharves
Subsistence equipments
Fuel supplies
Construction machinery and tools
Special clothing
Domestic and abroad travel expenses
Vocational training
Compensation for reserve officers and enlisted personnel called into service
Pay accounts
Development of airplanes and engines
Manufacturing plants maintenance
Schools for aviation technical instructions
New equipment exchanges
Foreign instructors travel compensation within the United States

Sec. 10 – Appropriation

## Associated United States Federal Statutes

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United States legislation for the governance, service, and training of airships designed and developed for military operations.

U.S. Statutes for Aviation Standards

| Date of Enactment  | Public Law No.  | U.S. Statute No.  | U.S. Bill  | U.S. President

|
|
|
|

July 18, 1914  | P.L. 63-143  | 38 Stat. 514 | H.R. 5304  | Woodrow Wilson
June 24, 1926  | P.L. 69-422  | 44 Stat. 764 | H.R. 9690  | Calvin Coolidge
February 23, 1927  | P.L. 69-629  | 44 Stat. 1105 | S. 5622  | Calvin Coolidge
May 11, 1928  | P.L. 70-366  | 45 Stat. 498 | H.R. 5465  | Calvin Coolidge
February 16, 1929  | Pub. Res. 70-87  | 45 Stat. 1222 | H.J.Res. 153  | Calvin Coolidge
March 2, 1929  | P.L. 70-994  | 45 Stat. 1530 | H.R. 16539  | Calvin Coolidge

## See also

[edit]

1917 in aviation | Gordon Bennett Cup

|

1930 Graf Zeppelin stamps | Helium Act of 1925
Aero Club of America | History of aviation
Airship hangar | List of aerospace museums
Aviation Service Act | National Defense Act of 1916
Balloon buster | Observation balloon
Balloon Pilot Badge | Observer Badge
Dirigible Pilot Badge | Strategic bombing during World War I
German bombing of Britain, 1914–1918 | Timeline of US Navy airship units (pre-WWII)

Historic Airship Hangars in United States

Goodyear Airdock | Marine Corps Air Station Tustin

|

Hangar One (Mountain View, California) | Naval Air Station Tillamook
Henry Post Army Airfield | Scott Field Historic District
Lakehurst Hangar No. 1 | Weeksville Dirigible Hangar

Lighter-Than-Air Aircraft of United States

Aerostat | R38-class airship

|

Alclad | U.S. Army airships
E-class blimp | U.S. Navy airships
Metal-clad airship | ZMC-2

## Historical bibliography

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* Baldwin, Thomas (1786). "Airopaidia: Narrative of a Balloon Excursion". Internet Archive. Chester, G.B.: J. Fletcher Publisher. OCLC 3759036.
* Hearne, R.P.; Maxim, Sir Hiram Stevans (1910). "Airships in Peace & War". Internet Archive. John Lane Company. OCLC 68833818.
* Talbot, Frederick A. (1915). "Aëroplanes and Dirigibles of War". Internet Archive. W. Heinemann. OCLC 41419082.
* Talbot, Frederick A. (1915). "Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War". Internet Archive. LibriVox.
* Royal Flying Corps (1916). "Silhouettes of Aeroplanes and Airships". Internet Archive. Harrison & Sons. OCLC 506014009.
* Orcy, Ladislas d' (1917). "D'Orcy's Airship Manual". Internet Archive. New York: The Century Co.
* Navy Relief Society (1936). "Airships Souvenir Booklet Summer 1936". Internet Archive. George F. O'Connell Printing Company. OCLC 44071962.
* Office of Air Force History (1978). "The U.S. Air Service in World War I: Volume I". Internet Archive. U.S. Air Force. OCLC 1975157.
* Office of Air Force History (1978). "The U.S. Air Service in World War I: Volume II". Internet Archive. U.S. Air Force. OCLC 1975157.
* Office of Air Force History (1978). "The U.S. Air Service in World War I: Volume III". Internet Archive. U.S. Air Force. OCLC 1975157.
* Office of Air Force History (1978). "The U.S. Air Service in World War I: Volume IV". Internet Archive. U.S. Air Force. OCLC 1975157.

## Historical video archives

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Early 20th Century Global Flight by Airship

| "Another Columbus Sails West" [Graf Zeppelin Trans-Atlantic Flight 27742]. Internet Archive. William J. Ganz Company. October 1928.

"1929 Graf Zeppelin Dirigibile Flight Around the World William Randolph Hearst XD10334". Periscope Film. William H. Ganz Company. August 1929.
Around the World by Zeppelin (1929) on YouTube
Graf Zeppelin Returns to New York After World Tour (1929) on YouTube
First All Metal Airship (1929) on YouTube
Early Balloons: History Of Flight (1972) on YouTube
"Dirigible Hindenburg Visits NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey, Circa 1932". Internet Archive. United States Navy. 1932.
"Lighter-Than-Air History Rigid Airship". Periscope Film. United States Department of War. 1937.
"L.T.A. History: Balloons" [U.S. Navy Training Film #MN2722A]. Internet Archive. U.S. Department of Defense. 1944.
"Montgolfier Brothers & Hot Air Balloon". Internet Archive. INTER/AKTION GmbH. 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Woodrow Wilson: "Address at The Chicago Auditorium in Chicago, Illinois," January 31, 1916". The American Presidency Project. University of California - Santa Barbara.
* Peters, Gerhard; Woolley, John T. "Calvin Coolidge: "Address to the International Civil Aeronautics Conference in Washington, D.C.," December 12, 1928". The American Presidency Project. University of California - Santa Barbara.

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Aviation in World War I

People and aircraft|

* Commanders
* Aces (accuracy)
* Aircraft of the Entente Powers
* Aircraft of the Central Powers
* Zeppelins

Campaigns
and battles|

* Strategic bombing
* German
* Cuxhaven
* Bombing of cities
* Aerial reconnaissance
* Fokker Scourge
* Zonguldak
* Istanbul
* Flight over Vienna
* Bloody April
* Battles

Entente Powers
air services|

* British air services
* Royal Flying Corps
* Royal Naval Air Service
* Royal Air Force
* Australian Flying Corps
* Canadian Air Force (1918–1920)
* French Air Service
* Imperial Russian Air Service
* Royal Italian Air Corps
* Romanian Air Corps
* United States Army Air Service
* Greek air services
* Army Air Service
* Naval Air Service
* Japanese air services
* Imperial Japanese Army Air Service
* Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

Central Powers
air services|

* Imperial German Air Service
* Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops
* Ottoman Aviation Squadrons
* Bulgarian Army Aeroplane Section

Portals:

* 1920s
* Aviation

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