1916

Master Index

1918

1917 Chronology of Aviation History
Major Aviation Events

1917 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: 28,561-lbs, Staaken, R. VII

• Engine Power: 400-hp, Packard & Hall Scott, Liberty

January 1917

• January — First flight of the Sopwith Camel flown by Harry Hawker.

• January — The Airco DH.4 entered service with No. 55 Squadron RFC.

• January 27 — French air-raid on Freiburg.

February 1917

• February — First flight of the Junkers J.4.

• February — First The Sopwith Triplane entered service with No.1 (Naval) Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service.

• February — No. 100 Squadron RFC, the first British night fighter squadron is formed.

March 1917

• March — The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 entered service with No. 56 Squadron RFC.

April 1917

• April — Known as Bloody April. The Royal Flying Corps, while supporting the Arras offensive, loses 245 aircraft — 140 in the first two weeks — out of an initial strength of 365. Aircrew casualties are 211 killed or missing and 108 prisoners of war.

• April — The Bristol F.2A entered service with No. 48 Squadron RFC.

• April 4 — First flight of the - SPAD S.XIII

• April 6 — The United States declares war on Germany.

May 1917

• May 7 — British ace Major Edward Mannock claims his first kill.

• May 7 — British ace Captain Albert Ball (44 victories) is killed in a crash following a dogfight with Lothar von Richthofen, who also crashes but survives.

• May 9 — French ace René Fonck shoots down six German aircraft in a day.

• May 19 — United States "star in a circle" national insignia adopted.

• May 20 — North Sea … On this date, a Royal Naval Air Service flying boat, commanded by Flight Sub-Lt. C. R. Morrish, attacked and sunk the German Submarine U-36 marking the first sinking of a submarine by an aircraft.

• May 20 — German submarine U-36 is sunk by an RNAS flying boat.

• May 25 — A mass air-raid by 21 Gotha G.V bombers attacks Kent.

June 1917

• June — The Sopwith Camel entered service.

• June — First flight of the Sopwith Cuckoo.

• June 13 to 14 — Gotha bombers make the most destructive air-raid on London of the war. Attacking in daylight, 162 people are killed and 432 wounded.

• June 22 — First flight of the Port Victoria P.V.7

July 1917

• No data.

August 1917

• August 2, 1917 — Scotland … A Sopwith Pup, flown by Squadron Commander E. H. Dunning, made the first landing of an aeroplane on a ship under way onto the Royal Navy Cruiser HMS Furious that had been converted to carry aircraft. Unfortunately, several days later, on August 7, Dunning was killed during another landing attempt.

  

• August 2 — A Sopwith Pup flown by Sqn Cdr Edwin Dunning becomes the first aircraft to land aboard a moving ship, HMS Furious.

• August 7 — Dunning is killed on his third landing when the Pup falls over the side of the ship.

September 1917

• September 3 — The US 1st Aero Squadron arrives in France.

• September 7 — First flight of the Port Victoria P.V.8

• September 11 — French ace Capitaine Georges Guynemer goes missing in action. Kurt Wisserman of Jasta 3 is credited with shooting him down, but his body is never found.

• September 14 — First flight of the Fairey III

• September 26 — For the second time, French ace René Fonck shoots down six German aircraft in a day.

October 1917

• October 15 — First flight of the Alcock Scout.

November 1917

• November 20 — The Battle of Cambrai (1917) begins.

• November 21 to 24 — The Zeppelin L 59 (LZ104) makes a 6,757 km journey through Africa in 96 hours (average speed 71 km/h).

• November 30 — First flight of the Vickers Vimy.

December 1917

• No data.

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, 1917 in aviation
4. Shupek, John (photos and card images), The Skytamer Archive. Skytamer.com, Whittier, CA