1919

Master Index

1921

1920 Chronology of Aviation History
Major Aviation Events

1920 Aviation Records

• Speed: (France), 194.49-mph, Joseph Sadi-Lecointe, Nieuport-Delage 29, 12 December 1920.

• Distance: (UK), 1,884-miles, Alcock and Brown, Vickers Vimy, 15 June 1919.

• Altitude: (USA), 34,610-feet, Roland Rohlfs, Curtiss Wasp, 18 September 1919.

• Weight: (UK), 44,672-lbs, WG Tarrant Ltd., Tarrant Tabor.

• Engine Power: (Italy), 700-hp, Fiat, A. 14

January 1920

• No data.

February 1920

February 1 — The South African Air Force is established as an independent air arm.

February 4 — Pierre van Ryneveld and Quentin Brand set out in a Vickers Vimy from Cairo to cross Africa by air from North to South. They will arrive in Cape Town on March 20.

February 5 — The Royal Air Force College is established at Cranwell, Lincolnshire.

March 1920

March 29 — Croydon replaces Hounslow as London's airport.

April 1920

April 8 — First flight of the de Havilland DH.18.

April 13 — First flight of the Nieuport London.

April 17 — The Venezuelan Air Force is formed, with a flying school at Maracay.

May 1920

May 17 — KLM and Aircraft Transport and Travel begin a joint air service between London and Amsterdam.

May 26 — First flight of the Tarrant Tabor.

June 1920

June 4 — The US Army Reorganization Act is passed, dashing hopes for an independent air arm like Britain's Royal Air Force.

July 1920

July 1 — Belgium establishes the first internal air-service of any European colony with the Lara-Ligne Aérienne Roi Albert in Belgian Congo.

July 3 — The first Royal Air Force Pageant is held, at London.

July 29 — U.S. Postal Office's first transcontinental airmail flight takes off from New York.

August 1920

August — The Fokker F.II entered service with KLM.

September 1920

September — First flight of the Blackburn T.1 Swift.

September 8 — The final leg is added to the US trans-continental airmail service, across the Rocky Mountains from Omaha to Sacramento.

September 20 — Schneider Trophy race flown at Venice, Italy. Lt. Luigi Bolgna in a Savoia S.12 is the only starter. Speed 172.6 km/h (107.3 mph).

October 1920

• No data.

November 1920

November 1 — The US Post Office awards a contract for international air mail to Aeromarine West Indies Airways.

November 16 — Qantas is formed at Longreach, Queensland.

December 1920

• No data.

Works Cited

1. Gunston, Bill, et al. Chronicle of Aviation. Liberty, Missouri: JL Publishing Inc., 1992. 14-17
2. Manufacturers Aircraft Association, Inc. Aircraft Year Book 1920. New York City: Doubleday, Page and Company, 1920. 246-258
3. Parrish, Wayne W. (Publisher). "United States Chronology". 1962 Aerospace Yearbook, Forty-Third Annual Edition. Washington, DC: American Aviation Publications, Inc., 1962, 446-469.
4. Wikipedia, 1920 in aviation
5. Shupek, John (photos and card images), The Skytamer Archive. Skytamer.com, Whittier, CA