The North Island era: Birth of naval aviation

Glenn Curtiss was responsible for the first aircraft to take off and land from the decks of ships at sea, thus starting the era of naval aviation. Much of the work that led to these important milestones occurred in 1910 and 1911 on North Island in San Diego Bay. Fortunately, photographer John H. Whitney was there the whole time and the Glenn Curtiss Historical Society inherited many of Whitney's photographs and writings. They are the basis for this part of the web site.

	December, 1910: Curtiss arrives on North Island
	Curtiss' prior "hydroplane" experiments
	Curtiss gets off the water
	The single pontoon
	First take-off from a ship
	First landing on a ship
	First hydroplane flight to a ship (part one)
	First hydroplane flight to a ship (part two: take-off & arrival)
	First hydroplane flight to a ship (part three: hoisting aboard)
	The tractor hydroplane's short life
	Hydroplanes for the Navy
	Hydroplanes for the Navy (part two: retractable floats)
	Hydroplanes for the Navy (part three: additional floats)
	Training the Military's first pilots
	Portraits of the military aviators