It began life as a computer-bulletin board system on CompuServe Information Service before the start of the Internet proper.
It was founded by The Aviation Safety Institute's John B. Galipault (1930–1993) and Sandy Trevor on the CompuServe Information Service in 1981.
Forum participants represent all areas of the aviation industry, and core discussion ranges from airmanship to regulatory issues.
The Aviation Safety Institute moved the AVSIG forum to the web concurrent with its termination of a hosting contract with CompuServe in 2004.
The forum is noted for requiring real names for posting to encourage both authenticity and polite discourse.