The man who bridged the skies and the seas

January 18, 1911 will forever remain etched in the history of naval aviation. It was on this day that aviation pioneer Eugene Burton Ely accomplished the first successful landing and take-off from a naval vessel, marking the birth of naval aviation. A.S.Ganesh brings you the short, eventful life of Ely, the man who demonstrated that the skies and the seas could in fact be joined…

The aviation industry gave wings to humanity’s dreams of flying. For a little over 100 years now, the world has been better connected than ever before as aeroplanes have linked the lands and skies with ease. These same aeroplanes also enabled early aviators to show that it wasn’t just the lands and skies, but also the skies and seas that could be joined. The first such demonstration was carried out by American aviation pioneer Eugene Burton Ely.

Born in Williamsburg, U.S. in 1886, Ely grew up in Davenport in Iowa. He attended local schools before going on to obtain an engineering degree from the Iowa State University in 1904. Drawn towards mechanics, Ely began his career in the automobile industry, working as a salesman, mechanic, and race driver. 

Ely taught himself to fly in 1910 and took to these crafts like a duck to water. He, however, had an unusual beginning. When an auto dealer in Portland bought a Curtiss biplane and was afraid to fly it, Ely offered to try… only to royally smash the plane. Embarrassed by this turn of events, he bought the wreck from the agent, repaired it and taught himself to fly in the following months. 

Ely encountered aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss during one his flying meets and it served as a turning point in his fledgling flying career. Always on the lookout for promising talent, Curtiss knew one when he saw one and signed Ely on as a member of his exhibition team. What followed were a series of air shows as the Curtiss team criss-crossed the country, promoting Curtiss planes and showing them to be better than their rivals. 

In that same year, the Navy had identified Captain Washington Irving Chambers “to observe everything that will be of use in the study of aviation and its influence upon the problems of naval warfare.” In order to keep himself abreast with aviation matters, Chambers attended one of the flying meetings being held at New York in October and encountered both Curtiss and Ely. While there was no money for such a proposition, Chambers said that he would be able to provide a ship should someone be willing to attempt a take-off from its deck. Finding the proposal tantalising and excited at the prospect, Ely readily agreed. 

November 14, 1910  turned out to be a gloomy Monday and the afternoon had intermittent rain showers. Ely got onto his Curtiss Pusher aircraft that was mounted on an approximately 80-foot long wooden platform erected on the bow of the light cruiser USS Birmingham. The short runway meant that there was very little room for error and also quite a short distance before Ely had to take-off. 

Ely barely managed it, but the first take-off from a ship was a success. Plunging down after clearing the ship’s bow, Ely’s craft settled before its wheels dipped into the water before rising. While the propeller was damaged and Ely’s goggles were covered with the spray, he managed to stay airborne. Spotting a stretch of beach just ahead, Ely landed just 4 km from where he started, having created history.