U.S. Naval Aviation

Since its founding in 1911, U.S. naval aviation has been characterized by courage and innovation. Today's sophisticated crews owe their careers to men like self-taught flyer Eugene Ely, who, wearing a football helmet and a bicycle inner tube as a life preserver, was the first man to take off and land on the deck of a ship. In this comprehensive account, historians, authors, and experts, as well as active duty and retired Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard officers, contribute essays on naval aviation history and past and present aviators. Oversized and magnificently illustrated, this book will be cherished by aviators and the countless others who have been inspired by the feats of U.S. naval aviation.