Our Heritage
History of the Royal Aero Club
of New South Wales
A proud place in Australian aviation history
The story of the Royal Aero Club of New South Wales reaches back to the earliest years of powered flight in Australia.
Our origins can be traced to October 1914, when a group of young officers from the newly formed Australian Flying Corps gathered at Point Cook, Victoria. United by a shared belief in the future of aviation, they established the Australian Aero Club in affiliation with the Royal Aero Club of Great Britain.
World War I briefly interrupted the Club’s early development, but the idea of a dedicated New South Wales section continued to gather momentum. On 23 May 1919, a meeting at Royal Society House in Sydney laid the foundations for what would become the Royal Aero Club of New South Wales. Colonel Oswald Watt OBE, one of Australia’s most respected early aviators and a distinguished wartime pilot, was elected inaugural president.
Under Watt’s leadership, the NSW Section of the Australian Aero Club received its Certificate of Incorporation on 10 November 1920.
New South Wales section of the Australian Aero club, circa 1920s.
Image Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales
Photograph of Oswald Watt OBE.
Founding President of the Royal Aero Club.
Oswald Watt and the foundations of aviation safety
Colonel Oswald Watt’s influence on Australian aviation extended well beyond the Club itself. His leadership helped shape early thinking around aircraft airworthiness, pilot licensing and aviation safety at a time when civil aviation was still in its infancy.
At one stage, the NSW Section issued its own certificates of airworthiness, reflecting the important role the Club played in the emerging aviation system in New South Wales. Watt’s “Safety First” campaign also helped build momentum for national aviation regulation, contributing to the introduction of the Air Navigation Act 1920 and the Air Navigation Regulations 1921.
This early commitment to safety, standards and responsible aviation remains part of the Club’s identity today.
The beginning of flight training
In 1926, the Australian Government approached the Club with a proposal to establish a flight training section. The Club would organise and maintain the flying training operation, while the government provided three de Havilland DH.60 Cirrus Moths to support the new venture.
The first of these aircraft was delivered in July 1926. With one instructor, one engineer and a part-time secretary, the Club’s training operation was quickly established by August of that year.
Demand for flying training grew rapidly. Additional instructors were appointed, and the Club purchased further aircraft to supplement the three Moths on loan from the government. Several early instructors associated with the Club, including Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm and George Littlejohn, would go on to become significant figures in Australian aviation.
Royal Aero Club Formation Flight over Sydney Harbour.
Image Courtesy of the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences
Photograph of Royal Aero Club members at Mascot.
Image Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales
Mascot and the growth of a flying club
Becoming "Royal"
By the mid-1930s, the Club had grown substantially. Membership reached approximately 400, the fleet had expanded to eight aircraft, and within a decade of commencing flight training, the Club had trained more than 400 pilots and flown approximately 2,000,000 miles.
In 1935, the Club received one of its greatest honours when King George V granted the prestigious “Royal” prefix in recognition of its contribution to aviation in New South Wales.
From that time, the Club became known as the Royal Aero Club of New South Wales.
During the 1930s, the Club also became known for its Aero Pageants. These popular events brought aviation to the public through formation flying, parachute jumps, competitions, and aerial displays involving Club aircraft and the Royal Australian Air Force. They attracted aviation enthusiasts from across the country and helped build public interest in flying.
Front page of The Sydney Pictorial, 30 Nov 1930 featuring an aero pageant at Mascot.
Image Courtesy of the National Library of Australia
VH-FTA, a Royal Aero Club de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk.
Image Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales
Wartime service
With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the Royal Aero Club of New South Wales, like many flight training organisations, turned its resources toward the war effort.
The Club provided instructors, aircraft and maintenance support to help train aspiring cadets for the Royal Australian Air Force. In doing so, it contributed to the broader national aviation effort at a critical moment in Australia’s history.
A new home at Bankstown
As the Jet Age approached and Mascot developed into Sydney’s international airport, the Department of Civil Aviation directed the Club to relocate to Bankstown Aerodrome.
In 1949, the Club moved into the former Royal Australian Air Force hospital premises at Bankstown, which had become available after the end of World War II. The new facility was officially opened by the Club’s Patron, the Governor of New South Wales, Sir John Northcott with a cocktail party and buffet dinner in our brand-new clubhouse.
The move marked another major chapter in the Club’s development and gave the organisation a new base from which to continue training pilots and supporting general aviation.
Royal Aero Club Fleet at Bankstown in the late 1950s.
Image Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales
An instructor and student pre-flight a Piper PA-38 Tomahawk at Bankstown in the 1980s.
Image Courtesy of the National Library of Australia
Changing aircraft, changing times
The post-war decades brought major changes in aircraft, training and member flying.
The Club’s fleet evolved from de Havilland Tiger Moths to de Havilland Chipmunks, and later to Piper aircraft. By the late 1950s, the fleet included Tiger Moths, Chipmunks, Piper Tri-Pacers and a Piper Comanche.
As the Club moved through the 1960s and 1970s, aircraft such as the Piper PA-38 Tomahawk and Piper PA-28 Cherokee became familiar parts of the fleet, supporting new generations of students and private pilots.
Throughout these decades, the Royal Aero Club of New South Wales remained a place where people could learn to fly, hire aircraft, build skills, meet fellow aviators and take part in the wider general aviation community.
Challenge and renewal
Despite its proud history, the Club faced significant challenges in the late twentieth century. Financial difficulties during the 1980s and 1990s led to a difficult period for one of New South Wales’ most historic aviation organisations.
Yet the Club’s name, heritage and spirit endured. In 2023, a group of dedicated members and supporters came together to re-establish the Royal Aero Club of New South Wales and carry its legacy forward. Driven by respect for the Club’s history and belief in the future of community aviation, they set about rebuilding RACNSW as a modern, active and welcoming aero club.
Royal Aero Club of NSW members, instructors, and students in 2024.
Air Chief Marshal (retd) Mark Binskin presenting the Aero Club of the Year award to Club President Lachlan Hyde.
RACNSW today
Today, the Royal Aero Club of New South Wales is a registered not-for-profit organisation and CASA-approved Part 141 Flight Training Organisation based at Camden Airport. With renewed purpose, the Club supports safe, accessible and community-focused aviation through flight training, aircraft hire, member flying, youth pathways, volunteering and club activities.
Less than 18 months after its re-incorporation, RACNSW was recognised by CASA as Aero Club of the Year, reflecting the efforts of its instructors, volunteers, members and supporters in rebuilding a strong, safe and welcoming aviation community.
More than a century after its original incorporation, RACNSW remains committed to helping the next generation of pilots, leaders and aviators put wings on their dreams.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter to stay connected with the latest club news, events, training opportunities and aviation updates!