Discover Aviation History
From the pioneers of powered flight to the jet age, the American Aviation Historical Society preserves and shares the people, aircraft, and artwork that shaped a century of aviation. Choose a path below to begin exploring.
Centennial of Flight
Explore a century of powered flight across fourteen themes — from the prehistory of flight and the Wright brothers to spaceflight and air power.
Aviation Biographies
The aviators, engineers, and visionaries behind the machines — from the Wright brothers to the designers of the modern airliner.
Aviation Links
A curated directory of museums, archives, societies, and resources for researchers and enthusiasts across the aviation world.
Aviation Art
Paintings, illustrations, and artwork that capture the romance and drama of flight through the eyes of aviation artists.
AAHS Book Library
An extensive reference library of aviation books and publications, available to members and researchers for study.
Did You Know?
Surprising facts from a century of flight.
Forgotten footnotes and remarkable stories drawn from the depths of the AAHS collection — more than two million photographs and counting.
2M+
Photographs preserved
The Society safeguards over two million aviation images, with the collection growing every month.
1956
Founded by three
AAHS began on January 29, 1956, when Willis Nye, Chalmers Johnson, and William Larkins met in a Hayward living room.
$3
The first dues
The founders mailed 61 collectors asking for $3 and “a little faith in future developments.”
70 yrs
Continuous publishing
The AAHS Journal has appeared without interruption since 1956 — among the longest runs in aviation history.