1913

Master Index

1915

1914 Chronology of Aviation History
Major Aviation Events

1914 Aviation Records

• Speed: 134.54-mph, Norman Spratt, RAF S.E. 4, June 1914

• Distance: 1,180.61-miles, Werner Landman, Albatros, 28 June 1914

• Altitude: 26,739-feet, Heinrich Oelerich, DFW14, July 1914

• Weight: 10,582-lbs, Igor Sikorsky, Ilya Muromets A

• Engine Power: 225-hp, Sunbeam

January 1914

• January — Russia … First flight of the Sikorsky Ilya Muromets.

• January 1 — St. Petersburg, Florida, United States … On this date, the world's first scheduled service by an aeroplane, the St. Petersburg/Tampa Airboat Line commenced service between the two Florida cities. At 10 am, the Benoist flying boat with Tony Jannus at the controls, took off for Tampa with A. C. Pheil, the former Mayor of St. Petersburg as the first passenger.

  

• January 20 — Pensacola, Florida, United States … The United States Navy establishes its first permanent “Aeronautic Station” at Pensacola, Florida. The station has 9 officers, 23 men, and 7 aircraft.

February 1914

• February — Russia … The Sikorsky Ilya Muromets sets a load-to-altitude record, lifting 16 people to 2,000 meters (6,562 ft).

• February 8 to 10 — Bitterfeld, Germany to Perm, Siberia, Russia … Berliner, Haase and Nikolai fly 3,053 km in their free balloon from Bitterfeld to Perm. This record lasted until 1950.

• February 12 — Paris, France … Jean Ors flying over Port-Avions near Paris, leaps from a Deperdussin monoplane at 1,640 feet to test a parachute he designed. Using a chord, he opened the chute at 1,000 feet and landed safely. The jump took 39 seconds.

  

• February 12 — Russia … Once again, the heavyweight honors go to the Russians as Igor Sikorsky's giant four-engine aircraft, the Ilya Muromets takes to the air. The giant new 10,582-lbs aircraft is an improved version of the Bolshoi Baltiskii flown the previous year.

• February 23 — England … First flight of the Bristol Scout.

March 1914

• March 23 — Siam … Royal Siamese Flying Corps was formed.

April 1914

• April 20 — Pensacola, Florida, United States … Three U.S. Navy aircraft depart Pensacola on board the USS Mississippi in support of troops at Vera Cruz, Mexico. They will fly reconnaissance missions until May 12.

• April 20 — Monaco … Cecil Howard Pixton wins the Schneider Trophy at Monaco. Pixton averages 139.66 km/h (86.78 mph) over the course in a Sopwith Schneider.

May 1914

• May 2 — Sidney, Australia … Before an enthusiastic crowd of 60,000, Maurice Guillaux loops his Blériot monoplane ten times in succession. He has been making exhibition flights with this aircraft since April 20 of this year.

  

June 1914

• June 27 — England … The Pemberton-Billing aircraft company is officially registered, using the name Supermarine.

• June — Wiltshire, England … The Royal Flying Corps (FRC) concentrates all six of its squadrons near Netheravon for a month's long training program.

July 1914

• July — England … First flight of the Vickers F.B.5 Gunbus.

  

• July 1 — Washington, DC, United States … The Office of Naval Aeronautics was formed to oversee the U.S. Navy's air operations.

• July 10 to 11 — Germany … German Reinhold Böhm flies his Albatros-biplane 24 hours and 12 minutes without refueling and nonstop. This one-man-flight record lasted until 1927.

• July 14 — Washington, DC, United States … On this date, Dr. Robert H. Goddard was granted a US Patent for his liquid fuel rocket.

• July 18 — Washington, DC, United States … On this date, the Aviation Section of the US Army Signal Corps was formed. The Corps started off with 60 officers, 260 men, and 6 aircraft.

• July 28 — England … On this date, Royal Navy pilot Arthur Longmore launched a 14-in torpedo from a Short seaplane.

• July 28 — World War I, Europe Outbreak of World War I Aviation changes war in a twofold way. The aeroplane turns the sky into a new battle field where about 20,000 flyers, most of them trained pilots die. Aircraft eliminate the distinction between frontline and hinterland, with the civilian population far behind the frontline also becoming a target.

• July 30 — North Sea … Norwegian Tryggve Gran flying a Blériot monoplane makes the first crossing of the North Sea by aeroplane.

August 1914

• August 1 — Europe … Since June 28, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, was assassinated at Sarajevo in Serbia, tensions throughout Europe have continued to escalate. The relations between Serbia and Austria worsened when Serbia refused Austria's demands to be allowed to investigate the killing itself. Diplomatic links were broken, and Austria subsequently declared war on Serbia. The situation deteriorated even further as the major powers lined up behind the protagonists, Germany with Austria, and France, Britain and Russia with Serbia. Britain offered to mediate the conflict, however the offer was refused. Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II warned Russia to stop mobilizing or Germany would do so also. The inevitable happened, World War I began.

• August 1 — France … A group of industrialists, including Louis Blériot, purchased the bankrupted Deperdussin airplane company.

• August 3 — Lunéville, France … On this date, the day that Germany declared war on France, a German airplane flew over and drops six bombs on Lunéville, France. The damage was slight.

• August 8 — France … A French aerial observer is injured by small-arms fire, becoming that nation's first casualty of air war.

• August 12 — he 1 … Lieutenant R.R. Skene and mechanic R. Barlow crash their Blériot monoplane on the way to Dover, they become the first members of the Royal Flying Corps to die on active duty.

• August 13 — France … A Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2 becomes the first British aircraft to arrive in France for the war.

  

• August 13 — France … On this date, the Nos 1 and 2 RFC Squadrons arrive in France. The Nos 3 and 4 RFC Squadrons quickly followed.

• August 22 — Belgium … An Avro 504 on patrol over Belgium is shot down by German rifle fire, the first Royal Flying Corps destroyed in action.

• August 25 — World War I, Europe … The first German aircraft of the war is forced down.

• August 30 — Paris, France … Paris is bombed by a German aircraft for the first time - an Etrich Taube flown by Lt Ferdinand von Hiddessen.

September 1914

• September 3 — England … On this date, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), was made responsible for British air defense.

• September 16 — Canada … The Canadian Aviation Corps is formed.

• September 27 — France … The first French bomber group is formed.

• September 28 — Germany … On this date, the German Air Service, adopts the Iron Cross insignia for its aircraft.

  

October 1914

• October 5 — Reims, France … Sgt Joseph Frantz and Cpl Louis Quenault of Escadrille VB24 score the first air-to-air kill of the war (and the first aircraft in history to shoot down another aircraft), shooting down a German Aviatik B.II with machine gun fire from their Voisin III over Jonchery, Reims.

• October 8 — Germany … Wing Cdr Charles Samson, RNAS plans the first strategic air raid on Germany. Two Sopwith Tabloids set out to attack the Zeppelin sheds at DÜsseldorf. One of the aircraft attacks the Cologne railway station, but the other, piloted by Flt. Lt. "Reggie" Marix finds his target and destroys a shed holding the Zeppelin Z.IX (LZ25).

• October 26 — Europe … On this date, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), aircraft are ordered to display an insignia based upon Great Britain's Union flag.

• October 31 — France … On this date, RFC pilot Lt. Humphreys, of No 4 Squadron attacks a German convoy by firing 250 rounds at them.

November 1914

December 1914

• December 4 — Germany … On this date, the Imperial German Navy, formed its first seaplane unit.

• December 10 — Russia … The Russian Army formed its Flotilla of Flying Ships (EVK). The Flotilla is equipped with Ilya Muromets four-engine long-range reconnaissance bombers.

• December 11 — Europe … On this date, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), aircraft are ordered to drop their insignia based upon Great Britain's Union flag in favor of a roundel with blue and white rings with a red center as used by the French.<

• December 21 — Germany … Three RNAS Avro 504s bomb the Zeppelin sheds at Friedrichshafen.

• December 21 — Kent, England … The UK is bombed by a German aircraft for the first time - a Taube drops two bombs near the Admiralty Pier, Kent.

• December 25 — World War I … HMS Empress, HMS Engadine and HMS Riviera launch a seaplane attack on the Zeppelin sheds at Cuxhaven. Fog prevents the aircraft from reaching their target, and only three of the nine aircraft find their way Back to their mother ships.

Works Cited

1. Gunston, Bill, et al. Chronicle of Aviation. Liberty, Missouri: JL Publishing Inc., 1992. 14-17
2. Parrish, Wayne W. (Publisher). "United States Chronology". 1962 Aerospace Yearbook, Forty-Third Annual Edition. Washington, DC: American Aviation Publications, Inc., 1962, 446-469.
3. Wikipedia, 1914 in aviation
4. Shupek, John (photos and card images), The Skytamer Archive. Skytamer.com, Whittier, CA