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Humble beginnings

It all began, as big things often do, with someone taking a chance. And Eugene Ely would soon pay an awful price for his daredevilry. But his moment in the sun a century ago was the Navy’s springboard into a …

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During World War I, David Ingalls was Navy's sole air ace

Lt. j.g. David Ingalls was not pleased. He had enlisted to work on Navy airplanes in March 1917, become qualified as a naval aviator...
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'Thach Weave' helped overcome Japanese technical advantage

It was such a simple concept. But it worked. The coming war in the Pacific would mark the first time carrier-based fliers would face off...
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In Korean War, Navy helicopters took on rescue role, other missions

The Korean War was a period of major transition for naval air. With the seas around the Korean peninsula easily neutralized...
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'Black Ponies' worked closely with ground forces

For a bunch of naval aviators, they didn't really act the part. They spent time on land patrols in South Vietnam's Mekong Delta...
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Rise in enemy subs increases importance of Navy air power

An enemy periscope sticking out of the Pacific is never a good type of surprise. While off the coast of Southern California in January 1968...
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Aircraft take on multiple roles in modern warfare

In the days leading up to 1991 Persian Gulf War, the aircraft car riers America and Theodore Roosevelt cruised toward the Middle East...
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