1919 US Army Air Corps US Balloon Pilot. This is a three inch replica with pin back in Sterling Silver of the balloon Pilot wings shown, number 54 with the letters US, in Duncan Campbell's book on Aviation Badges and Insignia. This wing is believed to have been made between 1919 and 1921 it was made both with and without the US letters. The US letters are 24 karat gold plate. The first Balloon wings that was introduced in 1919 as the Balloon Observer Wings but were redesignated as Balloon Pilot Wings on Feb. 20, 1940