The winners of the Navy hosted Nationals (C/L, F/F, R/C) were treated to a cruise aboard the USS Lexington. They flew demonstration flights aboard the carrier while Ed, Doc Brooke and others flew RC demonstrations. They then put to sea to observe first hand, Navy carrier qualifying trials using the NA T-28. This practice was done (I think) up to about 1966 - 1968 as the Navy was winding down sponsorship of the Nats. The posted photos were taken after the 1963 California Nats. The nationals were rotated around the country in a four year cycle between Philadelphia (NAS Willow Grove), Chicago (NAS Glenview), Los Angeles (NAS Los Alamitos), and Dallas (NAS Dallas). Navy sponsorship ended around 1971 or 1972.

One of the competition categories created as a result of Navy sponsorship, C/L Navy Carrier, is still flown to this day.