This Day in Aviation History
January 18th, 1911
First successful shipboard landing of an aircraft.
 
On January 18, 1911, Eugene Burton Ely landed his Curtiss pusher airplane on a platform on the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania anchored in San Francisco Bay. Ely flew from the Tanforan Racetrack in San Bruno, California and landed on the Pennsylvania, which was the first successful shipboard landing of an aircraft. This flight was also the first ever using a tailhook system, designed and built by circus performer and aviator Hugh Robinson. Ely told a reporter: “It was easy enough. I think the trick could be successfully turned nine times out of ten.”….
 
Source:
Wikipedia, Eugene Burton Ely: http://gstv.us/1OzBn3O
 
Wikipedia, USS Pennsylvania (ACR-4): http://gstv.us/1OzBz3b
 
YouTube, EUGENE ELY, 1ST TO LAND & TAKEOFF FROM A SHIP, REMEMBERED: http://gstv.us/1OzBigK
 
YouTube, 1911 Coolbaugh Curtiss Pusher in flight: http://gstv.us/1OzCrVr
 
In addition to the video linked in today’s post, here is a video of Kermit Weeks flying a two place Curtiss Pusher from a first person POV.
Kermie Cam – Curtiss Pusher http://gstv.us/1OzCGQx
 
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Photo from: http://gstv.us/1OzBzjK
 
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