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The story starts with the legend of Daedalus and
Icarus. Legend has it that they escaped the Island of
Crete by fabricating wings made of feathers, wax and
string. Daedalus told his son, "Don't fly too close to the
water or your wings will become water logged and don't
fly too high or the heat of the sun will melt the wax and
your wings will fail." Icarus, however, was so enthralled
by the experience of flight that he soared too high
melting the wax and he fell into the sea which now bears
his name.

In October of 1933, a group of career officers in the
Army Air Corps, stationed at Maxwell Field,
Montgomery, Alabama consolidated the ideas which had
long been developing with regard to the formation of a
fraternity of military pilots. On March 26, 1934 there
was formally instituted the Order of Daedalians, the
name taken from the legendary Greek flyer, Daedalus.
This group was composed of pilots who, no later than
the armistice of 1918, held ratings of pilots of heavier-
than-air powered aircraft.

The Order of Daedalians was constituted as a military
fraternal association, membership being fully
consummated only by giving the "promise of a
Daedalian." The promise of a Daedalian is:

First: To place Nation above self. This means you will
forever keep uppermost in your heart those high ideals
of patriotism and self sacrifice which places service to
nation above personal safety or position.

Second: To be worthy of the trust and confidence of
fellow Daedalians. Your conduct in your relations with
other members of this order shall be irreproachable.

Today, there are approximately 15,000 Daedalians in
Flights across the United States, Europe and the Middle
East.