Aero Club d'Italia

In 1911, the Societa Aeronautica Italiana (SAI) or Aeronautical Society of Italy was dissolved and reconstituted as the Aero Club d'Italia (AeCI) with the members passing from the one to the other. The Aero Club d'Italia retained the SAI's affiliates at Rome, Milan, and Turin, and its affiliation with the international FAI. The SAI Sezione di Roma immediately became the Aero Club di Roma. The AeCI continued to publish the Revista Tecnica d'Aeronautica published by its predecessor. The AeCI's first volume, that of 1911, was Vol. 8. Publication was suspended in 1912 and 1913. In 1914, the AeCI began publication of the Revista Italiana di Aeronautica as the official journal of the AeCI and its affiliates. The 1914 volume was numbered Vol. 9 to indicate that it was the direct successor of the Revista Tecnica d'Aeronautica. In Vols. 9 through 13, No. 9 (1914-Sept. 1918), the affiliates of the AeCI were listed as the Società Aeronautica Italiana Sezione di Milano, the Societa Aviazione Torino, and the Aero Club di Roma. This would seem to indicate that at least into 1918, the Milan affiliate was still known as the SAI Sezione di Milano, while at some time between 1911 and 1914, the SAI Sezione di Torino had somehow been replaced by the Societa Aviazione Torino, which had been founded in 1909.

His Majesty Vittorio Emanuele III was the high patron of the AeCI and its first president was the Potenziani Prince Ludovico. In 1911 there were nearly 200 members, including 50 founding members. The first "La Navigazione Aerea" for Italian aeronautics was published by the AeCI Oct.-Nov. 1912. Regulations per the Commissione Sportiva Centrale were approved December 1912. It appears that under the authority of the Supreme Army Command, the AeCI held aerial events across Italy in April and May 1916. In 1927, the club's name was changed to Reale Aero Club d'Italia or Royal Aero Club of Italy.

• Address: Palazzo Auguillara, 5 Viale del Re, Rome (at least 1911-); 112 Pelazzo Doris, Via Plebiscito, Rome (1912-); 52 Via Colonna, Rome (1914-1919); 24 Piazza Mentecitorio, 52 Via Colonna, Rome (l919); 24 Via Tor De'Specchi, Rome (1919)
• Cable address: Aero-Club, Rome (at least 1910-?) Aeroclub-Italia, Rome (at least 1919)
• Phone: 5-75 (at least 1911-); I-90 (at least 1919)

Some sources say that the first club in Italy devoted exclusively to heavier-than-air craft was founded at Padova (Padua), 18 Feb. 1910. We would benefit from more information about that club. It may have joined into this Aero Club but we don't see a branches/chapters/affiliates of this club in Padua at that tie.

References and sources

• 1911-1912 Annuario dell' Aeronautica 390-393 (Sept. 1911)
• 1913 Aviation Pocket-Book 159 (Jan. 1913)
• ACA annuals (1912-1917, 1919)
• FAI Conference Statutaire Proces-Verbaux (1912-)
• FAI Conference Extraordinaire, 19-21 May 1919
• Sommaire, FAI Reunion, 23-24 Oct 1919, in 1:1 Bulletin Officiel de la FAI (Jan. 1920)
• 1921 Brockett 1139
• 1:1 Bulletin Officiel de la FAI (Jan. 1920)
• National Union Catalog Pre-1956 Imprints
• LOC OPAC
• WorldCat.org and WorldCat-OCLC; Dir1920

Organization names	Aero Club of Italy; Aero Club d'Italia; AeCI; Reale Aero Club d'Italia; Royal Aero Club of Italy
Entity type
Country	Italy
Locations	Rome
Affiliated with	FAI, Revista Tecnica d'Aeronautica, Revista Italiana di Aeronautica, Società Aeronautica Italiana Sezione di Milano, Societa Aviazione Torino, Aero Club di Roma, SAI Sezione di Milano, Societa Aviazione Torino
Scope	National
Started aero	1911 (predecessor founded 1904)
Ended aero	1992 or later
Keywords
Key people
Wikidata id