Aeroclub of Lithuania

Lietuvos aeroklubas, abbreviated as LAK) is the national association of Lithuania’s civil aviation federations and air clubs.

Among the founders of the Air Club were country's president Antanas Smetona, commander of armed forces general Silverstras Žukauskas, opera singer Kipras Petrauskas, industrial tycoon Jonas Vailiokaitis.

Since 1936 it was sponsored by Military Aviation, as most of civil pilots could not afford to pay for 20-40 training flight hours per year.

In 1939 the aerial ambulance services were launched in cooperation with the Red Cross Society of Lithuania and a dedicated aircraft (Farman F.393) was acquired.

Gregorius Radvenis-Heidrikis, the first Lithuanian glider's instructor, got his license under LAK sponsorship in Rossiten gliding school in 1931.

[5] First trainings took place in Pažaislis, near Kaunas, after 1932 the school was moved to Nida, after annexation of Klaipėda by the Nazi Germany and the return of Vilnius to Lithuania - to Aukštagiris.

By 1940 13 more aircraft (ANBO-II (August 1931), DH-60G Gipsy Moth (1933 and 8 April 1937), Letov Š.18 (1934), two ex-Air Force Albatros C.Ib (February 1935), autogyro C.30A (May 1935), four-seater Caudron C.280 Phalene (17 March 1936), DH-82 Tiger Moth (12 May 1936), Taylor Cub (24 October 1937), Bücker Bü 133 Jungmeister (15 June 1938), Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann (April 1939), Farman F.393 (12 July 1939))[8] and over 40 gliders[9] were acquired.

Aiming to bypass the supervision of those heavily militarized organisations, Lithuanian aviation enthusiasts found a legal way to establish public air club of Lithuania.

In April 1958 a social (meaning – non-institutional) Aeroclub of Lithuania was re-established and Bronius Oškinis, a prominent gliders’ designer, was elected its chairman.

The same year, on the basis of Social Aeroclub of Lithuania, an Aviation Sport Federation of Lithuanian SSR (Lith.

Lietuvos TSR Aviacijos sporto federacija (LASF)) was established (chair – Anatolijus Speičys, secretary – Zenonas Brazauskas).