The Curtiss Aviation Book

by Glenn Hammond Curtiss; Augustus Post

A new line of thought or to express it more accurately, the following out of a very old one was taking my interest and a great part of my time. The experiments I had in mind involved the problem of flying from the water and alighting on the water.

The season of 1910 was now far advanced and it was time to make plans for the winter. Flying meets were to be held at Los Angeles again, and also at San Francisco, and California seemed the best place to go, for the weather there would be most favourable not only for winter flying, but also for carrying on the experiments which I had in mind. Meantime, when it seemed as if all the paths were open to the aeroplane over the land, and it was only a question of development, not of pioneering, it was suggested to me by the New York World to launch an aeroplane from the deck of a ship at sea and have it fly back to shore carrying messages.

The Hamburg American Steamship Company offered their ocean liner Pennsylvania for this test, and I sent a standard Curtiss biplane to be operated by J. A. D. McCurdy. The ship was fitted with a large platform, erected on the stern, a platform sloping downward, and wide enough to allow an aeroplane set up on it to run down so that it could gather headway for its flight. The plan was to take McCurdy and the aeroplane fifty miles out to sea on the outward voyage from New York, and then launch them from the platform.

A mishap at the last moment upset all the well-laid plans. In trying out the motor just as the Pennsylvania was about to leave her dock at Hoboken, an oil can, carelessly left on one of the planes by a mechanic, was knocked off and fell into the whirling propeller. The result was a broken propeller, and as the ship could not delay its sailing long enough for us to get another, the attempt was abandoned.

In the meantime, however, the Navy became interested in the sea experiments and offered the armoured cruiser Birmingham, then at Hampton Roads, to be fitted up with a similar platform for launching an aeroplane. This was accepted and Eugene Ely, who was flying in a meet at Baltimore and already in the vicinity of Norfolk, took his Curtiss biplane over to the Birmingham for the test, fired with enthusiasm by McCurdy's attempt. On November 14 the Birmingham, equipped with a platform for starting the aeroplane, awaited good weather for the flight. The good weather did not come and after waiting impatiently on board for some time, Ely determined to risk a start, even though there was a strong wind coming off shore carrying a heavy mist that made it almost impossible to see more than half a mile. The ship was at anchor, but starting up his motor he flew off with the greatest ease, slightly touching the water with the wheels of his machine, but quickly rising and flying straight to shore, where he landed without difficulty.

This flight attracted world-wide attention, especially among the officers of the navies of the world. It was the first demonstration of the claims of the aeronautical enthusiasts of the navy that an aeroplane could be made that would be adaptable to the uses of the service, and it appeared to substantiate some of the things claimed for it.

When I found that business would bring me to California during the winter, and probably would keep me there for several months, I decided to grasp the opportunity to do the development work I had long wanted to do, and at the same time to request the honour of instructing representative officers of the Army and Navy in the operation of the aeroplane. I believed the time had arrived when the Government would be interested in any phase of aviation that promised to increase the usefulness of the aeroplane for military service.

So, on November 29, 1910, I sent letters to both Secretary Dickinson of the War Department and to Secretary Meyer of the Navy Department, inviting them to send one or more officers of their respective departments to Southern California, where I would undertake to instruct them in aviation. I made no conditions. I asked for and received no remuneration whatsoever for this service. I consider it an honour to be able to tender my services in this connection. Other governments had already organised their aeronautical military branches and instructed men to fly, and it seemed to me that our own Government would do likewise were the opportunity afforded the officers to familiarise themselves with the aeroplane.

The invitations to the War and Navy Departments were written just prior to my departure for the Pacific Coast, and three weeks later I was notified that the Secretary of the Navy had accepted, and that they would detail officers for instruction.

It began to look, even to the doubters, as if an aeroplane could be made adaptable to the uses of the Navy, as the aeronautic enthusiasts of the service had claimed. The experiment begun would have to be completed, however, by flying from shore to the vessel, and for this opportunity we were eager. The chance came when we were all at San Francisco and another Pennsylvania, this time the big armoured cruiser, was in the bay. Rear Admiral Thomas, and Captain Pond, in command of the Pennsylvania, readily consented to assist in these further experiments. The Pennsylvania went to Mare Island to be outfitted, Ely and I going there to tell the Navy officials at the station just what would be required for such a hazardous test.