1920 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1920:

Events

Juan de la Cierva y Cordoniu invents the autogyro. His first autogyro, the Cierva C.1, fails to become airborne, but is the first aircraft to demonstrate the principle of autorotation as it taxis on the ground.
The Argentine Navy establishes a naval aviation division and allocates funds for the founding of a naval aviation school.
The Peruvian Navy establishes a Naval Aviation Corps.

January

January 21 - The last Royal Navy balloon ship, HMS Canning, which has operated since December 1916 as a balloon depot ship, is sold.

February

February 1 - the South African Air Force is established as an independent air arm.
February 4 - Pierre van Ryneveld and Quentin Brand set out in a Vickers Vimy from Cairo to cross Africa by air from North to South. They will arrive in Cape Town on March 20.
February 5 - the Royal Air Force College is established at Cranwell, Lincolnshire.

March

March 24 - The United States Navy decommissions the collier USS Jupiter at Norfolk Navy Yard in Norfolk, Virginia, for her conversion into its first aircraft carrier, designated CV-1.
March 24 - The United States Coast Guard opens Coast Guard Air Station Morehead City at Morehead City, North Carolina. It is the first Coast Guard Air Station.
March 28 - Croydon replaces Hounslow Heath Aerodrome as London's airport.

April

Three Imperial Japanese Navy Yoko-type seaplanes fly from Yokosuka, Japan, to Kure, Japan; Chinkai, Korea; Sasebo, Japan; and back to Yokosuka. On the last leg they fly non-stop for a world-record 11 hours 30 minutes, the first time any aircraft has flown nonstop for more than 10 hours.
April 17 - the Venezuelan Air Force is formed, with a flying school at Maracay

May

May 17 - KLM and Aircraft Transport and Travel begin a joint air service between London and Amsterdam.

June

June 4 - The US Army Reorganization Act is passed, dashing hopes for an American independent air arm like Britain's Royal Air Force.

July

July 1 - Belgium establishes the first internal air-service of any European colony with the Lara-Ligne Aérienne Roi Albert in Belgian Congo
July 3 - the first Royal Air Force Pageant is held, at London
July 29 - U.S. Postal Office's first transcontinental airmail flight takes off from New York

September

Geoffrey de Havilland creates the de Havilland Aircraft Company.
September 8 - the final leg is added to the US transcontinental airmail service, across the Rocky Mountains from Omaha to Sacramento
September 20 - Schneider Trophy race flown at Venice, Italy. Lt. Luigi Bolgna in a Savoia S.12 is the only starter and wins simply by finishing the race. Speed 172.6 km/h (107.3 mph).

November

No. 60 Squadron RAF sees active service against rebel tribesmen in the Northwest Frontier Province of India.
November 1 - the US Post Office awards a contract for international air mail to Aeromarine West Indies Airways.
November 16 - Qantas is formed at Longreach, Queensland.

First flights

April

April 8 - de Havilland DH.18
April 13 - Nieuport London

September

Blackburn T.1 Swift

Entered service

August

the Fokker F.II with KLM

1920 in Aviation Pictures

More aircraft.

Source: WikiPedia