American Aviation Historical Society
A nonprofit society that preserves, researches, and shares the history of American aviation.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
The American Aviation Historical Society (AAHS) is a United States nonprofit organization devoted to preserving and disseminating the history of American aviation. Founded in 1956, it combines the functions of a historical society, specialist publisher, archival repository, research network, and public-education organization. Its work covers the development of American aircraft, airlines, military aviation, general aviation, aerospace manufacturing, airports, aviation personalities, and the technical and social history surrounding flight. The society's principal publication is the AAHS Journal, a peer-reviewed quarterly periodical distributed in print and digital formats. The journal provides a venue for original historical research, aircraft and industry studies, documentary material, photography, biographies, and exchanges of information among aviation historians and enthusiasts. AAHS also publishes AAHS Flightline, a quarterly online newsletter that evolved from an earlier print newsletter and communicates organizational news, research developments, member activities, and aviation-history material. AAHS maintains a substantial research collection of aviation documents and photographs. Its photographic holdings have been reported as numbering more than two million images, although the society has faced the continuing challenge of identifying, cataloging, digitizing, and making this material accessible. To address that backlog, the organization has used volunteer participation and online collaboration. Its AAHS Planespotter application allows aviation enthusiasts to examine scanned images and submit information about aircraft type, location, serial number, and other identifying details for incorporation into the society's records. The society also operates and supports online historical resources. In addition to its principal website, AAHS has hosted the restored website of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, an extensive online reference resource on United States aviation history. It has also directed users to APT Collectibles, a related resource for locating back issues of the AAHS Journal. AAHS is organized nationally but has also supported local chapters, sometimes referred to as wings, in several parts of the United States. Its membership is open nationally, while chapters conduct their own meetings and activities. The annual membership meeting is generally held in California or Arizona and may include visits to aviation museums, historic airports, aircraft collections, or other sites of historical interest. The membership office remains in Huntington Beach, California, while the headquarters operation moved from Huntington Beach to historic Flabob Airport in Riverside in 2017. Beyond publishing and archiving, the society serves as a source of expertise for museums, educational institutions, journalists, researchers, and public programs. Members have assisted aviation-history projects and presentations and have contributed knowledge to institutions including the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. The organization is therefore positioned less as a commercial aviation brand than as a specialist cultural and educational institution whose value lies in its publications, archives, expert community, and public-access resources.
History
The American Aviation Historical Society was established in 1956 during a period when many aircraft, airports, manufacturers, and aviation records from the first half of the twentieth century were at risk of being lost or inadequately documented. From its beginning, the society developed around the preservation and communication of American aviation history rather than around the operation of aircraft or the sale of aviation services. Ray Wagner was among its founders, and the organization attracted authors, engineers, photographers, collectors, museum professionals, and specialist researchers. The AAHS Journal became the society's central historical instrument. Published quarterly, it created a continuing platform for research into aircraft design, manufacturing, airlines, military aviation, general aviation, aviation personalities, and the development of the wider American aviation industry. Contributors included prominent aviation writers and historians such as Peter M. Bowers, Joseph P. Juptner, Edward H. Phillips, Paul R. Matt, Len Morgan, and John W. Underwood. Harold E. Morehouse contributed a recurring feature on early aviation pioneers, while the journal also published historical photographs, technical information, and documentary material. AAHS expanded its role beyond publishing by building an archival collection of aviation documents and photographs. The collection grew to more than two million photographs according to descriptions of the society's holdings, creating both an important research resource and a significant cataloging problem. Many images required identification and contextual information before they could be reliably used by historians or made broadly searchable. The society consequently sought help from volunteers and aviation enthusiasts, including through its AAHS Planespotter web application, which supports collaborative identification of aircraft and places shown in scanned images. The organization's digital activities broadened further through its own website, the online version of AAHS Flightline, and its hosting of the restored U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission website. These resources extended the society's educational mission beyond its membership and helped connect archival material with a wider public. AAHS has also maintained relationships with museums, researchers, and educational institutions, and members have contributed expertise to aviation-history initiatives, including work associated with the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. AAHS operated for many years from Huntington Beach, California. In 2017, its headquarters office moved to historic Flabob Airport in Riverside, while the membership department remained in Huntington Beach. The location reflects the society's connection to Southern California, a major center of American aircraft production, aerospace engineering, airport development, and aviation culture. The society continues to hold annual meetings, generally in California or Arizona, often incorporating tours of historically significant aviation sites. Local chapters have provided another layer of activity. Chapters or wings have been associated with Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Virginia, including groups in Phoenix and Northern Virginia. Not all chapter relationships remained permanent. The San Francisco-area chapter, founded in 1985, separated in 2006 and became the Society for Aviation History after disagreements concerning national insurance requirements. The Dayton-area Huffman Prairie Chapter, founded in 1990, also separated in 2006 to form the Huffman Prairie Aviation History Society, citing disagreements involving dues, officers, and meeting organization. Today, AAHS remains a member-oriented historical and educational organization. Its continuing identity rests on the AAHS Journal, Flightline newsletter, archival holdings, digital tools, chapter activities, and the knowledge of its contributors and members. It functions as a custodian and disseminator of aviation heritage rather than as a conventional consumer brand.
- 2017
Headquarters moves to Flabob Airport
[1]The headquarters office moves from Huntington Beach to historic Flabob Airport in Riverside, California, while the membership department remains in Huntington Beach.
- 2006
Two regional chapters become independent
[1]The San Francisco-area and Dayton-area chapters separate from the national society and establish independent aviation-history organizations.
- 2000
Flightline moves online
[1]The society's newsletter, formerly distributed in print, transitions to an online format during the early 2000s.
- 1990
Huffman Prairie Chapter formed
[1]The Dayton-area Huffman Prairie Chapter was established and later separated from AAHS in 2006.
- 1985
San Francisco-area chapter formed
[1]A San Francisco-area chapter was formed and later became independent from AAHS in 2006.
- 1956
Society founded
[1]The American Aviation Historical Society was established to preserve and disseminate the history of American aviation.
- 1956
AAHS Journal begins
[1]The society's principal quarterly aviation-history journal begins publication and develops into its central research and educational platform.
Products and positioning
A specialist nonprofit authority and member-supported research community focused on preserving and interpreting American aviation heritage.
Quarterly historical journal · 1956
AAHS Journal
The AAHS Journal is the society's flagship publication and is issued quarterly in print and digital formats. It publishes peer-reviewed research and richly illustrated material on American aviation history, including aircraft, manufacturers, airlines, military programs, general aviation, airports, personalities, historical documents, and photographs. It serves both as a scholarly outlet and as a communication medium for the specialist aviation-history community.
Online newsletter
AAHS Flightline
AAHS Flightline is the society's quarterly online newsletter. It developed from an earlier print newsletter and provides a more regular channel for organizational updates, member information, aviation-history notices, and research-related material than the principal journal.
Collaborative archival identification platform
AAHS Planespotter
AAHS Planespotter is a web-based application created to help address the society's large backlog of unidentified aviation photographs. Users can view scanned images and contribute information about aircraft type, location, serial number, and other clues, allowing the society to improve the documentation and discoverability of its photographic archive.
Historical archive · 1956
AAHS aviation archives
The society maintains an extensive collection of aviation documents and photographs, reportedly exceeding two million photographs. The archive supports research and public inquiries, while ongoing volunteer and digital efforts seek to identify, catalog, digitize, and make the material more accessible.
Online encyclopedia and historical resource
U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission website
AAHS has hosted a restored website associated with the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. The resource presents a broad online reference collection concerning the history of aviation in the United States and extends the society's educational reach beyond its membership publications.
Brand decisions
2017
Move headquarters to Flabob AirportStrategyBackground
After operating from Huntington Beach for many years, the society maintained its membership department there but relocated its headquarters office to historic Flabob Airport in Riverside.
Action taken
AAHS moved its headquarters operation to Flabob Airport while retaining the Huntington Beach membership office.
Aftermath
The move placed the headquarters within Southern California's aviation-manufacturing and historical environment while preserving continuity for membership administration.
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