Portugal -

“ CENTENARY OF THE FIRST PORTUGUESE MILITARY FLIGHT.”

MNH ~ Miniature Sheet !

The first military flight, which took place on the 17th of July 1916 at the Military Aeronautical School, Vila Nova da Rainha, with Lieutenant Santos Leite at the controls, represents the culmination of the many efforts by individuals and collective entities that coalesced around the patriotic objective of establishing Aviation in Portugal.

The valuable contributions from different areas of society, such as the Army Engineers that kept pace with technical and scientific progress and its military applications, members of the Aero Clube de Portugal, elements of the Aeronautical Commission and aviation enthusiasts at large with their influence over government bodies, were all more than met by the massive popular support for this new aeronautical reality with the firm goal of seeing Military Aviation flying across the Portuguese skies.

The Military Aeronautical Commission, established in 1912, had ample time to undertake the studies required to adequately support the publication of Law 162 of May 1914, the founding document of the Military Aeronautical School ...

Date of Issue: 16 July 2016.

(PR4).