- Helicopter Association of Great Britain
Trade, professional and other related organisations
Location:
- London
History:
- The Helicopter Association of Great Britain (HAGB) was established in 1945 as a non-profitmaking company limited by guarantee. It was set up on the initiative of pilots of 529 Squadron Royal Air Force - the only air force unit to fly autogyros and helicopters during the Second World War – who had attended meetings of the American Helicopter Society (established 1943) during training courses in the United States of America. The objective was ‘to bring together all those interested in the art, by the holding of meetings, lectures and other events and to exchange information on all subjects, so as to foster the development of the helicopter in this country’. In 1948 the Royal Aero Club provided the Association with a small office in Londonderry House, London, and in 1954 more spacious accommodation was found at 4 The Sanctuary, Westminster, London. The Association was soon well-established due to financial support from the British companies involved in the development of helicopters. An annual dinner and programme of lectures was offered. The lectures were generally held in London, often at the library of the Royal Aeronautical Society or in conjunction with other related institutions. The Association published a Bulletin from 1946. This became the Journal of the Helicopter Association of Great Britain from 1947 and was issued free to members and published lectures and association discussions. In 1946-7 the Association instituted a memorial prize, for the best technical paper on some aspect of rotary-wing flight, in commemoration of the pioneering work of Juan de la Cierva. In 1955, following the death of its chairman Alan Marsh, the Association also set up the Alan Marsh Memorial Trust Fund, for the advancement of education and the encouragement of the science of helicopter flight, which offered annual awards to both pilots and students. The Association provided an important channel for those involved in the helicopter sector to discuss issues of common concern and to lobby for change, such as for a heliport for London. Membership of the Association increased from 95 founder members in 1946, to 452 members by 1959. In 1959 the Association merged with the Royal Aeronautical Society to form a semi-autonomous new Rotocraft Section within the Society.
Publications:
- J W Richardson, ‘The Helicopter Association of Great Britain’, Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, 65, Jan.1961, pp.51-58.
Records:
Membership records n.d.; Journal of the Helicopter Association of Great Britain 1946-59.
CID: