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in our disclaimer.
Permission for this cache has been graciously granted - for all to
enjoy. This cache is located at the edge of the largest manmade
wetlands in the Norfolk area. The overlook walkway is open during
business hours in the spring and summer. Also the following took
place here.
In October 1910 Captain Washington I. Chambers, who was responsible
for aviation matters at the Navy Department, traveled to Belmont
Park, New York, to inspect the flimsy aircraft and meet with
pioneer aviators at the International Air Meet. While discussing
the prospects for the taking aircraft to sea, he was impressed by
the technical abilities of Eugene Ely, a demonstration pilot
working with airplane builder Glenn Curtiss.
Early the following month, the Captain visited another air show,
near Baltimore, Maryland, and again saw Ely. Upon hearing that
Chambers was interested in having a plane fly from a ship, Ely
volunteered for the task.
In less than two week's time, with financial help from wealthy
aviation enthusiast John Barry Ryan, official backing from
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Beekman Winthrop, and Eugene Ely's
drive and iniative, Chambers managed to generate a historic
achievement that marked the physical beginning of U.S. Navy
flying.
At the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, a wooden platform was quickly
constructed over the foredeck of the scout cruiser Birmingham.
Designed by Naval Constructor William McEntree and paid for with a
few hundred dollars of Ryan's money, this structure sloped down
five degrees from the cruiser's bridge to her bow to provide a
gravity-assisted 57-foot takeoff run for Ely's Curtiss pusher
airplane. The plane, placed on board by the morning of 14 November
1910, had its engine installed by Ely and his mechanics as the ship
prepared to leave port.
Shortly before noon, Birmingham steamed down the Elizabeth River
toward Hampton Roads, where the flight was to take place.
However, the weather was dreadful, with squalls rolling by and
threatening to thwart the affair. Birmingham anchored to await
improved conditions.
In mid-afternoon, with things looking somewhat clearer, she began
to raise her anchor chain. Eugene Ely, warming up his plane's
engine and checking its controls, waited impatiently during this
lengthy process. Noticing that visibility was again deteriorating,
he concluded that the attempt had to be made immediately, even
though the ship was still stationary.
At 3:16 PM he gunned his engine, gave the release signal, rolled
down the ramp and was airborne, almost. The Curtiss briefly touched
the water, throwing up enough spray to damage its propeller, and
vibrated heavily as it climbed.
Ely, a non-swimmer, realized that a quick landing was essential. He
touched down on nearby Willoughby Spit after some five minutes in
the air. This two and a half mile flight, the first time an
airplane had taken off from a warship, was something of a stunt.
However, it received wide publicity. On 18 January 1911, on the
opposite side of the Continent in San Francisco Bay, Eugene Ely
would again operate from a ship, landing and taking off from the
armored cruiser Pennsylvania. One day later, Lieutenant Theodore G.
Ellyson began the flight training that would make him the U.S.
Navy's first aviator.
PLEASE REPLACE CACHE JUST AS FOUND..... THANKS. Notes: 13 Jun 2009
- Zazth & Co moved to Corpus Christi TX and the cache adopted
by Ibwacko. 15 Jan 2011 - Ibwacko has moved to Tampa FL and the
cache adopted by BillHSKC.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)