Download or read book The United States Army Air Arm, April 1861 to April 1917 written by and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This monograph recounts the development of aviation in the United States Army from April 1861, when the Army first became interested in balloons as a means of observation, to April 1917, when America entered World War I. The origins and organization of the Army's air arm are told in detail, with an emphasis on early air force personnel, planes, and experiments. In the process, the monograph traces the early development of what today is The United States Air Force. Because the story of the air arm from April 1917 to the beginning of World War II also has not been fully covered, it is expected that the present monograph will be the first of three monographs that will become the basis for a published history of the Army Air Arm, 1861-1939. Chapter 1, Balloons and Airships in the U.S. Army, 1861-1913, describes balloon use during the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and from 1902 to 1914, Chapter 2, Early American Planes and Their Inventors, examines the Langley plane, the Wright brothers' plane, and others. Chapter 3 focuses on The Signal Corp's First Air Installations and First Military Aviation Rating. Chapter 4 examines College Park and Other Air Schools, including those in Augusta, Texas City, the Philippines, and Hawaii, 1912-1913. Chapter 5 describes the Signal Corps Aviation School at San Diego. Chapter 6 examines Aviation Legislation and the Aviation Section through 1914. Chapter 7 focuses on Aviation in 1915 and 1916, including the Aero Club of America and the National Guard, pyrotechnics and airplanes tested, the San Diego School, and the San Antonio Air center. Chapter 8 examines the Aviation Section in 1916, including the Aviation Center at Fort Sam Houston, reserve corps expansion, and balloons and Zeppelins. Chapter 9 describes the 1st Squadron with Pershing's punitive expedition of 1916. Chapter 10 examines the Army Flying Training Schools, the National Guard, and the Air Reserve. The final chapter focuses on the Aviation Section to 6 April 1917.