64

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1926-Contin ued

14 May The Curtiss Marine Trophy Race, held off

Hains Point, D.C., over the Potomac, was won by

Lieutenant Thomas P. Jeter in a Curtiss F6C-l Hawk

with a speed of 130.94 mph.

6 June The last elements of the Alaskan Aerial Survey

Expedition departed Seattle, Wash., for Alaska. The

expedition, under command of Lieutenant Ben H.

Wyatt, was composed of the tender Gannet (AM 41),

the barge YF 88 housing a photo lab, and three Loening

amphibians. The work of the expedition, which extend-

ed through the summer and into September, was per-

formed in cooperation with the Department of the

Interior for early aerial mapping of Alaska.

16 June The Bureau of Aeronautics reported that

the emergency barricade on Langley had successfully

prevented landing aircraft from crashing into planes

parked on the flight deck.

24 June An Act of Congress, implementing the rec-

ommendations of the Morrow Board pertaining to the

Navy, provided that command of aviation stations,

schools and tactical flight units be assigned to Naval

Aviators; that command of aircraft carriers and tenders

be assigned to either Naval Aviators or Naval Aviation

Observers; that the office of an Assistant Secretary of

the Navy be created to foster naval aeronautics; and

that a five year aircraft program be set up under which

,

the number on hand would be increased to reach

1,000 useful planes.

1 July Provisions of a law enacted 24 June became

effective, establishing a requirement that the number

of enlisted pilots be not less than 30 percent of the

total number of pilots on active duty in the Navy.

2 July The Distinguished Flying Cross was autho-

rized by Congress as an award for acts of heroism or

extraordinary achievement in aerial flight by any mem-

ber of the armed services including the National

Guard and the Reserves. The award was retroactive to

6 April 1917.

10 July Edward P. Warner took the oath of office as

the first Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Aeronautics.

First Assistant

SecretaIY of the

Navy for Air

E. P Warner