BRIEF HISTORY OF AVIATION 

The Wright brothers (Orwell and Wilbur) are the first people to perform a flight by an aircraft in the history of the aviation. On December 17, 1903, they brought their 12 HP engine aircraft on the slopes of Kitty Hawk (USA), and initiated their research. After brief short preparations, Orwell Wright set in it and to his great joy, the aircraft separated from the sandy land and continued to move in the air. The flight lasted for 12 seconds only and 36.5 m were flown over. On the same day, the brothers accomplished two more flights. The second flight lasted for 59 seconds and covered 250 m.

After only twenty years from the historical flight performed by the Right brothers, In 1928, the first airport was built in Skopje. This airfield was used only in daytime conditions. Its dimensions were: 600 m north-east direction, and 1500 m east-west direction and southeast-northwest direction - 1400 m. Air traffic was performed at this airfield until 1963.

The Ohrid airport was built in 1952, north of the Lake, between the Gorenci and Orovnik villages. It had a grass runway, which was a200 m long. Therefore, this airport was used only with favorable weather conditions, mainly in the months from June to September.

The first aircraft (POTEG 29-2) that took-off from the Skopje airport in 1928, was of French manufacturer, and the first flight was on route Belgrade-Skopje-Podgorica-Mostar-Saraevo-Belgrade route. Its carrying capacity was 5 passengers and 250 kg of load. In 1930, the first international route was initiated, i.e. Vienna via Graz-Zagreb-Blegrade-Skopje to Thessaloniki and vice verse.

The first air route to be established after the World War II, was the Belgrade-Skopje one, and in 1948 reached six frequencies a week. In 1951, the first international route was established, i.e. Belgrade-Skopje-Thessaloniki-Athens and vice verse.

The general social development gave rise to the establishment of the Aeronautical Association of Yugoslavia, and as a part of it, the first institution of this kind was established in the Republic of Macedonia too.

   It was the Aeronautical Society in Skopje and apart from it another five centers were established in Macedonia.