Seventh all-Union issue.
Trotsky, constantly seeking popularity—especially among the youth—put forward the idea of organizing the Society of Friends of the Air Fleet (ODVF) and authorized the emergence of a gigantic propaganda wave in the press. The slogan "Give us wings!" was the main slogan of 1923. In 12 months, the number of members grew from 16,000 to 1,022,000 people. ODVF cells were created everywhere, even at Soviet embassies abroad. Aero clubs, aero courses, aero circles, air exhibitions, and aviation corners sprang up like mushrooms. There was no city where funds were not raised to build airplanes and gliders—and they were built in almost every city as well. Worker-correspondents set aside a percentage of their fees to build an airplane called "Rabkor"; the Chemical Workers' Union laid down an airship named "Red Chemical-Rubber Worker." In villages, frightened peasants were taken for rides on agitplanes; aero-agitation stands traveled around fairs; in clubs, "aero dramatizations" were staged; small aviation library collections were created. It was planned to bring ODVF membership to three million people by the summer of 1925. The importance attached to the new society can be judged at least by the fact that almost all major party and state figures were elected to the ODVF Council: Bubnov, Voroshilov, Kalinin, Kamenev, Mikoyan, Ordzhonikidze, Podvoisky, Rykov, Stalin, Trotsky, Frunze, Chubar, Eikhe, Yakir.
Around the same time, Trotsky and his associates established an entirely commercial "Russian Society of the Volunteer Air Fleet" (1923 was the peak year of the NEP), commonly known as "Dobrolyot." Soon, however, the society ceased to be commercial and became fully state-run, and ultimately turned into the well-known "Aeroflot" (1932).