Education, Preservation, & Respect for Aviation Aero Club of Louisville (502) 456-9707
Hey Aero Club:
SUper Bowl Party
5 BIG SCREENS
Come cheer your team on with friends!
Lots of food, fun, and activities
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Chili cook-off Contest… Prizes will be awarded! No Charge to enter!
$5.00 to eat and help judge!
See your bartender for your ‘squares’
Mark your calendar….
Valentine’s Day Dance at the Aero Club
Feb. 11th, 9:00 p.m. till 1:00 a.m.
Music by “See No Evel”
Including Tracy George, formerly with ‘My Dog Jack’
$3.00 per person, $5.00 per couple
And keep watching the emails….
BIG SURPRISE COMING SOON!
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Super Bowl Party -------Feb 5th - Get There Early - Stay Late
Valentine Dance --------Feb 11th - With a band called See no Evel ...
(this band features former lead singer Tracy George of My Dog Jack fame.
She has played at the club several times and have always been a huge hit! ...)
More information on these two events next week!
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Mark your Calendar and Save the Date –
Saturday, March 17th,
St. Patrick's Day Dinner
by Jerry Givens and Crew –
Details to follow
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****** NOTICE ******
Special General Membership Meeting
January 15, 2012 @ 4:00 p.m.
Board meetings will be on the 3rd Sunday of each month
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Some History on the Aero Club of Louisville (This article was discovered in archived files – written probably in the mid 1980’s. Hope you enjoy!)
For a historical look at the Aero Club, we have to go back to the end of WW1 and look at aviation in the Louisville community. The war had brought military aviation to Camp Henry Knox, however, civil aviation was virtually nonexistent. It was at this point, that Mr. A. H. Bowman led this cause and is known as the "Father of Aviation in Louisville". He soon realized the possibilities of a municipal flying field here and brought together a number of interesting and well known citizens to help him achieve his goals.
It was a long and hard journey, but Mr. Bowman was not to be denied. In the early part of 1922, Mayor Huston Quin, Mr. Frank B. Russell and Mr. Wm. E. Morrow of the Board of Trade, lined up with Mr. Bowman and started work to secure a government station for Louisville. After months of hard work and several trips to Washington, they accomplished their purpose and the government had accepted the property on Taylorsville Road which had been offered to them. They consented to place a flying field there. Under the terms of the agreement between the City of Louisville and the U. S. War Department, Louisville would guarantee the use of Bowman Field at a rental of $1.00 annually and would pay all expenses involved in moving several hangers from Camp Knox to the Taylorsville Road site. The Federal government in return, would designate the site officially as a landing field and establish an Army Air Service Reserve unit there.
Near the end of 1922, Mr. Bowman brought together a group of former servicemen and citizens interested in aviation and set a meeting to form the Aero Club of Kentucky in January, 1923. The club had eighteen charter members. The officers of the Club were elected as follows: Mr. Joseph Peeler, President; Mr. Albert M. Woody, Vice President; Mr. C. Wesley Keisker, Secretary; Mr. Bowman was a member of the Board of Governors. It was the Aero Club that started things moving and, through manual labor and untiring efforts, soon had the field bearing the semblance of an aviation station. The government placed Lt. Raymond Brown in charge of the field and under his guidance, hangers were erected, markers placed, gas pumps put in, roads built and numerous other improvements made. Lt. Brown also became a member of the Aero Club’s original Board of Governors.
The Air Service Reserve Corps was organized next and named the 465th Pursuit Squadron stationed at Louisville Airdrome-Bowman Field. The Unit insignia was a flying cardinal upon a white map of the State of Kentucky as a background.
All of the hard efforts of these people was rewarded on Saturday, August 25, 1923 when there was an official field dedication conducted by the Aero Club of Kentucky.
Through the continuous efforts of the Aero Club members and local citizens, a bond issue was passin in 1928 which permitted the city to purchase Bowman Field. Thus Louisville was assured a permanent airport for its use.
Another note of interest is that on October 1, 1929, the Aero Club of Kentucky loaned $2,500 to the newly established Louisville and Jefferson County Air Board to help them get started.
Over the time from its formation to the present day, the Aero Club has made many significant contributions to the development of aviation in Louisville. It is with this spirit that the Aero Club of Louisville continues the fine traditions of its founding fathers.
For our trivia buffs, the Aero Club of Kentucky changed its name to the Aero Club of Louisville on April 16, 1946.
The Aero Club of Louisville has built a fine club facility on Bowman Field, overlooking the approach to runway 32. We have a great group of interesting members with many different backgrounds and interests. However, they all support one common goal – to encourage and foster interest in aviation and to unite all those interested into one organization.
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Ever wonder what it would be like to fly with the BLUE ANGELS?
Thanks to Charlie Lynn for sending this link which gives you a Fantastic Idea of what it is really like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=W6tB8Lf7YoU
| If you have an idea - We want it!
Aero Club Board - 2011-12 President, Wes Odle - realestatewesley@aol.com Bill Brummett - mrb@gibsonboats.com
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