| | KSAK is the second oldest aero club in the world. Svenska Aeronautiska Sällskapet (Swedish Aeronautical Association, abbreviated SAS!) was founded in 1900, the name changing in 1921 to Kungliga Svenska Aeroklubben (KSAK).
Since 1937 KSAK is the national organisation of all clubs and associations active within non-commercial powered flight in Sweden. More on the KSAK »» history further down.
About 150 flying clubs in Sweden
are affiliated to KSAK. Each and every club member has his/her membership in KSAK through his/her own aviation club.
There is also the possibility to be associated to KSAK as a "direct member" through the organisation »» KSAK-DM.
KSAK is affiliated to:
History
KSAK today is a federation of about 150 motor flying clubs, the oldest being the one in Gothenburg founded in 1918, the city getting its first airport in 1923.
The Royal Swedish Aero Club (Kungliga Svenska Aeroklubben - KSAK) is the second oldest aero club in the world, founded on December 15th, 1900 as Svenska Aeronautiska Sällskapet (Swedish Aeronautical Association, abbreviated SAS!). The oldest aeronautical organization still existing in the 22nd century is of course the Aéro Club de France, founded in 1898, and it was the inspiration of SAS. Swedish military balloonists having visited Paris formed SAS in order to promote Lighter-than-Air activities in the eye of the general public and to prepare civilians for positions within a military balloon organization. SAS operated its own balloons and was responsible for the licensing of early pilots.
From 1907 onwards SAS was contacted by Swedish inventors working with the problem of flight Heavier-than-Air. A special committee was formed in order to support this line of development.
The first to fly in Sweden in a fixed-winged aircraft was - in the summer of 1909 - a visiting Frenchman. This happened at an event organized more or less as a travelling circus. However, as a result of this, a Swede (the baron Carl Cederström) was inspired to go to France at his own expense to get a pilot's licence and to buy an aeroplane. All future flying events were supervised by SAS which became "Royal" in 1910, when the Crown Prince of Sweden accepted the honorary chairmanship.
At the end of 1912 there were 10 licensed pilots in Sweden, and additionally at least half a dozen that were flying "without formalities". Annually, SAS organized week-long meetings, and in 1915 even an aeroplane exhibition. At the start of the war on the European continent, all pilots, airplanes, and training facilities were ordered to become part of the Swedish defence forces.
In 1918 SAS changed its name to KSAS - the Royal Swedish Aeronautical Association - and a local organization in Gothenburg was formed, thus beginning the development to the present-day situation, where KSAK is the center of a federation of flying clubs all around Sweden. The name KSAK - Kungliga Svenska Aeroklubben - was introduced in 1921.
Not until 1922 did Sweden get a separate governmental agency that took over the task of issuing training curricula and pilot licences from KSAK.
List of the »» current KSAK board members
Read more in Swedish on
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