A Century of Aeroclub of Lebanon
23 October 1923
Aero Club of Lebanon and Syria
Press clipping from “L’aéronautique Paris” January 1923.
Created under the leadership of Commander Danain head of the Levant French Air Force the club was called Aero Club of Lebanon and Syria. It is with the help, management and support of the French Air Force, which provided equipment and instructors that sports aviation was born in Lebanon.
September 1924
International Aeronautical Federation
The club is affiliated to the international aeronautical federation.
September 1924
15 April 1924
The Club Opens In Rayak
The first aerial meeting was held in Rayak, organized by the founding committee of the aero-club. Chaired by Alfred Sursock (who died later in 1924), it included Habib Trad as vice-president, Youssef Audeh as treasurer and Michel Zaccour as secretary.
The founding committee Newspaper owners are part of a commission to give this activity the most publicity; the event reputation attained an international level.
Press clipping “Les Ailes”, journal hebdomadaire de la locomotion aérienne 16 October 1924.
The club opens its doors in Rayak and quickly enrolls 24 students. The first Lebanese to fly alone is Youssef Acar.
Some of the first lebanese students enrolled in 1923.
Part of correspondence attesting the support of the French mandate to the project. It should be emphasized that the founding committee of the club was eminently francophile and France took advantage of it for its own propaganda.
Vignette issued to collect funds for the Aero-Club.
The Aero-Club committee opens a subscription to the Syrian and Lebanese populations to acquire training equipment.
Unsuccessful, the club will have to be satisfied with equipment that the French put at disposal of the Lebanese.
Military correspondence emanating from the High Commissioner General Gouraud, and Commandant Denain, concerning the cession of a Limousine plane to the aero-club with restrictions!
Flown cover by French military aviation from Rayak to Rakka
28 April 1925. Notice the heading of cover.
flown cover by French military aviation from Rakka to Deir ez zor
01 july 1925. Notice the heading of cover.1938
Aeroclub Of Lebanon
The Aero Club detaches from Damascus and by Presidential Decree becomes the Aero Club of Lebanon, recognized of public utility and receives a subvention.
Membership card 1936 of Mr. Michel Aoun (from Aley).
The Syrian section took the name of « Maurice Nogues Aero-club ». Notice the logo on cover and front of the plane.
07 August 1938 F-ANFU Farman F.402
Aero Club de Syrie et du Liban / Damascus Maurice Nogues Aero-club.The president of the Aeroclub of Lebanon, Mr. Habib Trad, one of the first Lebanese pilots buys the first aircraft school and built a hangar at the airport in Bir Hassan, with the intention to acquire a second plane.
Bir hassan airport layout.
Bir Hassan airport under construction in 1938 with the hangar to protect airplanes.
1938
1939
Second World War.
With the start of the Second World War, the club stopped its activity.
1960
Operations Resumed
With the gusto of its president Mr. Gabriel Trad, the club resumed its operations from Beirut International Airport after receiving a donation of 2 “Auster” training aircrafts, from King Hussein of Jordan. In 1961, the club receives its first Cessna 150 offered by Mr. Gabriel Trad and operates from MEA hangars.
King hussein of jordan – 1984
Auster aircraft
Cessna 150 – OD-APL
1960
1961 to 1975
Golden Age
This is the golden age of the Club, its fleet is composed of 3 Cessna 150, 1 Cessna 172 and a piper Cherokee and flies almost 3000 hours per year.
1976 to 1990
Activity Downed
Activity was downed due to the instability of the country and the partial loss of its fleet.
Scale of the destruction in beirut international airport.
1976 to 1990
1977
Board Members
Since 1977, the board members are Mr. Abdo Ayoub as President, Mr. Michel Abboud and Mr. Anis Sinno as Executive Presidents and Mr. Naji Habis as Treasurer.
1991
The Climb
Since then, the club has been flying and smoothly climbing the slope, operating mainly on Cessna 172.
Occasionally, the Aeroclub of Lebanon collaborated with private owners of other aircraft, whether 6 seaters single engine, Piper PA-32R-300 OD-PCB, or twin engine Piper PA-34-220T OD-PCC and Cessna 310 OD-PBC.
Piper PA-32R-300 “lance” OD-PCB
(Cessna 310 OD-PBC behind)
Piper PA-34-220T “seneca III”
formerly registered N341BW
Cessna 310 OD-PCB
1991
2012
New Acquisitions
A brand new Tecnam P92JS – 2 seater trainer – joins our fleet.
Tecnam P92JS – OD-PMB
2016
More Acquisitions
The acquisition of a 2013 Cessna 172SP Garmin 1000 – Glass cockpit – strengthens our ranks.
Cessna 172SP G1000 – formerly norwegian registered LN-FTK
2016
October 2019
Crisis
The global sanitary pandemic combined with the unfortunate and immense Lebanese Pound devaluation have given the Aero Club hard time maintaining its pace of activities.
13 October 2021
Dark Times
After 83 years of operations, a very tragic accident takes both lives of our dear and most regretted Chief flight Instructor Ali el Hajj and Student Pilot, Pascale Abdel Ahad, may their souls rest in peace. Official and final report found here.
13 October 2021
February 2022
Aircraft Replacement
The club purchases another Cessna 172SP Garmin 1000 to replace the lost one.
CESSNA 172SP – G1000 – OD-AAA
December 2023
Going Upwind Again
After a little more than 2 years of restructuring, the club wings started flapping again operating 2 Cessna 172SP OD-PMA & OD-AAA (G1000 Glass Cockpit) and a Tecnam P92JS OD-SAA.
December 2023
