Representing the best in British Air Sport for over a century

• The Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom (RAeC) is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.
• Our Patron is Her Majesty the Queen, and our President is His Royal Highness The Duke of York, KG

• The Chairman is Patrick Naegeli, former Chairman of the British Gliding Association.

• Our history and origins date back to 1901, when we were founded as a Club for balloonists.

• The Club is made up of member organisationsand individual members. The Full Members are the national governing bodies of the major individual air sports in the UK, and they each appoint a representative to the Governing Council. Associate and Corporate Member Organisations and Individual Members provide valuable additional support. People who have made significant individual contributions to the Club are awarded the title Companion of the Royal Aero Club.

• Our principal role is to co-ordinate, promote and protect all forms of recreational and competitive air sport in the UK, and to represent UK air sport internationally.

• Directly and through our member organisations, we represent the interests of many tens of thousands of people who participate in a variety of air sports, on a wide range of committees, consultation groups, political contacts, etc.

• Our work is managed through the RAeC Council and the Parliamentary, International, Technical, Medals & Awards, and Finance Committees.
• Our Annual Awards Ceremony takes place in the Spring, recognising achievement and service in all forms of aviation in the previous year. The Awards are often presented by the Club President, HRH The Duke of York, subject to other official duties.
• We have been making awards since 1908 to recognise achievement in aviation. The Historical List of RAeC Awards includes several of the most famous names in British and World aviation, as well as many people who have made major contributions serving in background roles. It has now been expanded to include a list of UK recipients of FAI awards. Also abbreviated citations back to 1995 have been added and it is planned to go further back in time as information becomes available.

• Our sister organisation, the Royal Aeronautical Society(RAeS), was founded in 1866 and now represents all aspects of professional aeronautical and aerospace engineering and operation in the U.K. Its primary role is as a Learned Society covering Engineering Council registration, education and career development in this field. It also encompasses a variety of special interest groups. Its local branches, in the UK and overseas, organise programmes of lectures and events. A series of major conferences, lectures and events is held at the headquarters in central London. Lectures and conferences are normally open to interested non-members, see the events page on the RAeS website.