20. October 1894
The “Karlovy Vary” cycling club held a lecture entitled “The possibility of flight!” After the lecture, Dr. Kilian Frank suggested establishing a new club that would “focus on aviation sport by organising test flights with an Otto Lilienthal aircraft from Berlin to begin with”.
8. November 1894
In a letter, Otto Lilienthal, informed the 1st Club of Aviators about the conditions for supplying the aircraft and warmly welcomed the establishment of the club. This letter still exists and can be viewed at the airport in Gelnhausen.
30. November 1894
The Emperor and King Vicegerent for the Kingdom of Bohemia officially approved the constitution of the 1st Club of Aviators. Thus, the first aviation club in the world was established.
13. February 1895
The train from Berlin delivered the ordered aircraft to Karlovy Vary. It was a Normal-Segelapparat type glider (the eleventh Lilienthal type), it was probably the third or fourth aircraft of this type manufactured by Mr. Lilienthal or by his aircraft mechanic Paul Beylich. Compared to other Normal-Segelapparat aircraft, our aircraft had a wingspan that was 20 centimetres shorter.
5. May 1895
The Club began its first flight attempts on Roh hill. However, due to the lack of experience of the pilots, several ribs were broken (it is not clear from historical sources whether these ribs belonged to the glider or the pilot.). Nevertheless, Ing. Ladislav Dix later made a construction adjustment to the glider that enabled the replacement of the willow ribs without dismantling the entire wing.
