This brief history puts into the public domain, as has not been done previously, the circumstances leading to the formation of the Air Safety Group in 1964. It continues by describing the Group's subsequent history emphasising its remit embracing almost every issue of safety which surfaced during the period under consideration. While some such items are touched upon in the main text, the reader is referred to the Group's website for fuller information, although some issues current at the time of the 45th anniversary in 2009 are discussed in an Appendix. Written by John Rickard, one of the Group's founder members, the account includes an overview of some of the other non-statutory organisations promoting safety. As an independent monitoring body, working with others when appropriate, the Group feels assured of a continuing role.