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U.S. Navy Aviation celebrates
100-year anniversary
To celebrate the 100-year anniversary of naval aviation, the U.S. Navy will hold a special air show on February 12 at North Island Naval Station in Coronado - often called “the birthplace of naval aviation.”
The free event begins at 8 a.m. and is highlighted by a massive flyover of San Diego Bay by more than 150 aircrafts.
“It is expected to be the largest aerial flyover since World War II and the largest in San Diego since November 1918,” said Lt. Cmdr. Alli Myrick-Ellison.
Those in attendance will have the opportunity to view a display of aircraft—from vintage planes to new fighter jets—and see inside a $4 billion Navy flattop.
Tours of Navy aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships will be available, and Marine aircraft and ground equipment will perform tactical demonstrations.
Navy's Blue Angels will be appearing as part of the celebration
100 years ago on May 8, 1911
On May 8, 1911, Navy Capt. Washington Irving Chambers, Officer in Charge of Aviation, requisitioned the Navy’s first aircraft from aviator and inventor Glenn H. Curtiss.
From the Curtiss A-1 Triad, to the F/A-18 Superhornet, from the USS Langley (CV 1), to the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77), naval aviation has scored an impressive list of achievements in peace and war.
The first crossing of the Atlantic by air, victory at the Battle of Midway, the first life rescued by helicopter at sea, and the first American in space, to name a few, put naval aviation as a respected and essential part of our nation’s military.
"North Island called “The Birthplace of Naval Aviation”
The Navy’s flying roots start in the San Diego region.
In the early 1900s, aviation pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss was a key contributor to the development of the U.S Navy’s initial aviation program.
At the end of 1910, Curtiss established a winter encampment in San Diego to teach flying to Army and Naval personnel. At the encampment he trained Lt.
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Replica of a Curtiss A-1 Triad, the Navy's first plane, at the San Diego Space Museum.
Source San Diego Space Museum
Theodore Ellyson, who was to become the first U.S. Naval Aviator. The original site of this winter encampment is now part of Naval Air Station North Island and is referred to by the Navy as “The Birthplace of Naval Aviation.”
Curtiss named the seaplane he developed the Triad, standing for land, sea and air. He took the first flight on January 26, 1911 from North Island, flying at an altitude of about 800 feet. That day, with Navy observers present, he took off from and landed on the beaches of Coronado and waters of San Diego Bay.
The Navy took notice and ordered Curtiss’ A-1, a virtually identical derivative of the Triad, and it became the U.S Navy’s first aircraft. In 1911, the Navy’s first aviator, Lt. Ellyson, later qualified in the A-1 Triad.
The Navy’s A-1 became the first amphibious aircraft, the first plane to be launched by catapult, the first U.S. Navy aircraft to use an airborne radio, and the winner of many speed and endurance records.
Due to the success of the aircraft, Curtiss was awarded the 1912 Collier Trophy, and also earned the title of “The Father of Naval Aviation.”
So mark Feb 12, 2011 as the date to go to North Island and participate in many of the activities. If you are anywhere near North Island, it will be hard not to see the largest airplane flyover in San Diego since 1918.
Curtiss TS-2 seaplanes fly above North Island the aircraft carrier USS Langley (CV-1), circa 1926
Source Naval History and Heritage Command
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