Originally Posted by
Ernie P.
Sorry, Hydro Junkie; but things have been stupid busy for the last couple of weeks. I think you're talking about Eugene Burton Ely, the first man to take off from, and later to land on, a ship. Ely didn't invent the tail hook, although he was the first to use it; nor did he come up with the idea of the platform from which he took off; but he was the first to accomplish the feats. Thanks; Ernie P.
Answer: Eugene Burton Ely
And I would agree, he didn't invent any of the things needed to make his historic flights. What he did do was prove that taking off and landing on a ship was possible. In doing so, he also inadvertently changed the future of naval strategy and tactics.
Now, it's time for the clues:
1) This aviation pioneer was self taught
2) He made history less than a year after learning to fly
He safely took off from a ship and, a few months later, landed on and took off from a ship
3) He was killed in a crash less than a year later
He was killed doing and exhibition flight
4) He was posthumously awarded a flying medal for the feats he previously performed
5) In his first "history making" flight, he actually damaged his plane
He bounced off the water and damaged his prop
6) His flight lasted only 2.5 miles
Due to the damaged prop, he landed on the first land he found, Willoughby Spit
7) He fatally crashed in the southeastern part of his home country
He died in Macon Georgia
8) His fatal crash was only two days short of his 25th birthday
He crashed on October 19, 1912. His birthday was October 21st
9) During his "history making" flights, he and his plane both were equipped with flotation since part of the flights were over water
He had flotation under the wings and bicycle inner tubes around his body
10) Between two of his flights, he had a meal with a high ranking military officer
He had lunch with a Navy captain while his plane was being spotted for launch
11) This person NEVER flew a combat mission
12) This person NEVER served in the military
13) This person flew a plane that was built by another aviation pioneer's company during his "history making" flights
He flew a Curtis Pusher during his flights, according to the Smithsonian Institude
14) This person's flights indirectly led to an innovation in another country during a major conflict a few years later
His flights led to shipboard aircraft flying off of platforms on their gun turrets and, eventually, the conversion of the battlecruisers Furious and Courageous to handle aircraft as well as the conversion of a cruise liner into the flat decked carrier Argus
15) The innovation referred to in clue 14 is still having a major affect on world politics and the military strategy of countries that use it, 100 years later
The invention of the aircraft carrier shaped naval strategy during WWII and, even today, is used to project power far from land bases of those countries that have them
16) This person had no contact, that I know of anyway, with the Wright Brothers or their planes
17) He was awarded his flying award, a DFC, 21 years after his fatal crash
He was awarded his DFC in 1933
18) The "history making" flights involved a city and an unrelated state
The ships he flew from, and to, were the USS Birmingham and USS Pennsylvania
19) The runways for these flights had to be specially made just for the flights to be possible
The Birmingham was fitted with a 80 foot platform, allowing 57 feet of take off roll. The Pennsylvania was fitted with a 120 foot platform, allowing 97 feet to land and take off
Okay Ernie, you're up again