1910-Continued

11 October The General Board, of which Admiral

George Dewey was president, recommended to the

Secretary of the Navy that, in recognition of "the great

advances which have been made in the science of avi-

ation and the advantages which may accrue from its

use in this class of vessel," the problem of providing

space for airplanes or dirigibles be considered in all

new designs for scouting vessels.

7 October In a letter to the Secretary, the Chief of

the Bureau of Steam Engineering, Captain Hutch 1.

Cone, pointed to "the rapid improvement in the

design and manipulation of airplanes and the impor-

tant role they would probably play" and requested

authority to requisition an airplane for Chester (CL 1)

and the services of an instructor to teach one or more

officers to fly the machine.

13 October The Secretary of the Navy approved the

recommendation of the Chief Constructor that an offi-

cer from the Bureau of Construction and Repair and

another from the Bureau of Steam Engineering be

appointed to investigate the subject of aviation and

gain technical knowledge of airplanes, and directed

that these officers keep Captain Washington 1.

Chambers, previously designated to serve in a similar

capacity in the Secretary's office, fully informed of

work contemplated and the results of all experiments.

22 October The International Aviation Tournament

opened at Belmont Park, N.Y. Attending in an official

capacity as Navy observers were the three officers

recently named to investigate aviation: Captain

Washington 1. Chambers, Naval Constructor William

McEntee, and Lieutenant N. H. Wright.

31 October The Chief of the Bureau of Construction

and Repair suggested to the Secretary of the Navy that

steps be taken to obtain one or more aeroplanes to

develop their use for naval purposes and recommended

that in the absence of specific funds for their purchase,

specifications for the battleship Texas (Battleship No.

35) be modified so as to require its contractors to sup-

ply one or more aircraft as a part of their obligation.

14 November First take-off from a ship-Eugene

Ely, a civilian pilot, took off in a 50-hp Curtiss plane

from a wooden platform built on the bow of

Birmingham (CL 2). The ship was at anchor in

Hampton Roads, Va., and Ely landed safely on

Willoughby Spit.

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

3

29 November Glenn H. Curtiss wrote to the

Secretary of the Navy offering flight instruction with-

out charge for one naval officer as one means of

assisting "in developing the adaptability of the aero-

plane to military purposes."

23 December The first naval officer to undergo

flight training, Lieutenant Theodore G. Ellyson, was

ordered to report to the Glenn H. Curtiss Aviation

Camp at North Island, San Diego, Calif.

1911

18 January At 11 :01 a.m., Eugene Ely, flying the

same Curtiss pusher used to take off from

Birmingham (CL 2), landed on a specially built plat-

form aboard the armored cruiser Pennsylvania

(Armored Cruiser No.4) at anchor in San Francisco

Bay, Calif. At 11 :58 he took off and returned to

Selfridge Field, San Francisco, completing the earliest

demonstration of the adaptability of aircraft to ship-

board operations.

26 January The first successful hydro aeroplane

flight was made by Glenn H. Curtiss at North Island,

San Diego, Calif. This important step in adapting air-

craft to naval needs was witnessed by Lieutenant

Theodore G. Ellyson, who assisted in preparing for

the test.

1 February Glenn H. Curtiss made two successful

flights from the water at San Diego, Calif., in his stan-

dard biplane using a single main float in place of the

tandem triple float used in earlier tests. These take-offs

demonstrated the superior efficiency of the sled profile

float which was used on Navy hydro aeroplanes up to

World War 1.

10 February Acting Secretary of the Navy Beekman

Winthrop directed the Point Loma, Calif., Wireless

Station to cooperate with Captain Harry S. Harkness,

U.S. Aeronautical Reserve, in experiments in connec-

tion with use of wireless from aeroplanes.

17 February In another of the early demonstrations

of the adaptability of aircraft to naval uses, Glenn H.

Curtiss taxied his hydro aeroplane alongside

Pennsylvania (Armored Cruiser No.4) at anchor in

San Diego Harbor, was hoisted aboard and off again

by ship's crane and then returned to base.

4 March The first funds for Naval Aviation were

appropriated, providing $25,000 to the Bureau of

Navigation for "experimental work in the development

of aviation for naval purposes."