Pioneering U.S. Naval Aviation
Aeronautics literally advanced by leaps and bounds during the early twentieth-century, with many warships playing critical roles in the development of naval aviation. Most of today’s naval planes and helicopters are launched from the decks of sophisticated aircraft carriers. During the early 1900s, however, aviation was generally a nascent technology, with fragile planes barely capable of executing land-based takeoffs and landings. Nevertheless, rapid technological advancements, coupled with bold naval experiments, culminated in the introduction of seaborne aircraft. Initial attempts involved pilots departing from coastal airfields and landing on vessels at sea. Later pioneers eventually launched their planes from modified platforms aboard a variety of ships.
Some of the earliest naval aviation developments came out of Europe, where innovative pilots and policy-makers pursued the idea of aerial sea-power. Ships of the period possessed the appropriate displacement and propulsion necessary to launch and capture aircraft at sea, while airplanes became lighter and more powerful with each successive design. Capitalizing upon these developments were nations like France and Great Britain, that instituted some of the world’s first organizations and schools dedicated to naval aviation. Royal Navy Lieutenant Charles Samson was the first pilot to launch an aircraft from an underway vessel, aboard the HMS Hibernia, in January 1912.
During the winter of 1910, American pilot Eugene Ely took-off from an anchored vessel off the coast of Virginia. On a subsequent flight, Ely later landed on a cruiser anchored in San Francisco Bay. Over the course of a decade, the U.S. Navy established the Bureau of Navigation, purchased several specialized aircraft, and trained pilots to become dedicated naval aviators. On March 10, 1919, Medal of Honor recipient, Edward Orrick McDonnell, launched his Sopwith Camel off a converted gun turret aboard the USS Texas. McDonnell was thus the first pilot to take-off from an American battleship, with the Texas taking center stage during this incredible moment in naval aviation history.