8,078
edits
Changes
no edit summary
=== Naval Aeronautical Station ===
Meanwhile, great strides were being made in aviation. The [[Wikipedia:Wright Brothers|Wright Brothers]] and especially [[Wikipedia:Glenn Curtiss|Glenn Curtiss]] were trying to prove to the Navy that the aircraft had a place in the fleet. The first aircraft carrier was built in January [[1911]], and a few weeks later, the seaplane made its first appearance. Then, civilian pilot [[Wikipedia:Eugene Ely|Eugene Ely]] landed a frail craft aboard USS ''Pennsylvania'' (ACR-4) in San Francisco Bay, and the value of the aircraft to the Navy had been demonstrated.
The Navy Dept.Department, now awakened to the possibilities of Naval Aviation through the efforts of Capt. [[Wikipedia:Washington Irving Chambers|Washington Irving Chambers]], prevailed upon Congress to include in the Naval Appropriation Act enacted in 1911–12 a provision for aeronautical development. Chambers was ordered to devote all of his time to naval aviation.
In October [[1913]], Secretary of the Navy [[Wikipedia:Josephus Daniels|Josephus Daniels]], appointed a board, with Capt. Chambers as chairman, to make a survey of aeronautical needs and to establish a policy to guide future development. One of the board's most important recommendations was the establishment of an aviation training station in Pensacola.