1917 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1917:

Table of contents

1 Events 2 First flights 3 Entered service

Events

• The first British night fighter unit is formed, No.100 Squadron, RFC

• The Royal Flying Corps loses 140 of its 265 aircraft in the first two weeks of the month, leading it to become known as "Bloody April"
• April 6 - the United States declares war on Germany

• May 7 - British ace Maj Edward Mannock claims his first kill.
  • British ace Albert Ball is killed in a crash during combat.
• May 20 - German submarine U-36 is sunk by an RNAS flying boat
• May 25 - A mass air-raid by twenty-one Gotha bombers attacks Kent

• June 13 - 14 Gotha bombers make the most destructive air raid on London of the war. 162 people are killed and 432 wounded.

• August 2 - A Sopwith Pup flown by Sqn Cdr Edwin Dunning became the first aircraft to land aboard a moving ship, HMS Furious.
• August 7 - Dunning is killed on his third landing when the Pup falls over the side of the ship.

• September 3 - The US 1st Aero Squadron arrives in France
• September 11 - French ace Capitaine Georges Guynemer goes missing in action. Kurt Wisserman of Jasta 3 is credited with shooting him down, but his body is never found.

• November 20 - the Battle of Cambrai begins

• Junkers J.4
• Sopwith Triplane

• September 14 - Fairey III

• November 30 - Vickers Vimy

• Sopwith Camel