A strong impulse to have driven transformation of flying from a rather extravagant individual hobby into a new industry was the First World War that proved the feasibility of heavier-than-air aircraft. After the War there existed good conditions to establish a special air organization which was needed by both the army and the coming civil air transport. This need was met in May 1, 1922 when the Ministry of Defence set up by its decree the Air Navigation Institute with the aim to test new aircraft types and variants for Czechoslovak air force. Both political and military officers, as well as university professors and chief designers (Hajn, Husnik, Vlasak) from airplane factories AVIA and AERO founded after the War took part in the preparatory talks.
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