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First landing on the Navy's first aircraft carrier!

Waring Hills Oct 26, 2010

Aeromarine 39-B approaches the flight deck of USS Langley, CV-1, for a landing in 1922. Photo NH 93178

On 26 October 1922, Lieutenant Commander Godfrey de Chevalier, USN, flew his Aeromarine 39-B on to the flight deck of the United States Navy’s first aircraft carrier, USS Langley (CV-1), while cruising off Cape Henry, Virginia.

Chevalier had launched from the Navy’s Yorktown Naval Aviation Field at Yorktown, Virginia (more on Yorktown Airfield).

Yorktown's Naval Aviation Field in the early 1920's.

History was made with America’s first carrier landing, vice the ship landings made earlier.

Lieutenant Commander Godfrey de Chevalier, USN. Library of Congress collection.

Unfortunately, young naval aviator de Chevalier died a few weeks after his moment in history when he crashed near Norfolk, Virginia.  A theater in his hometown of Medford, Massachusetts was later named for him, read more about de Chevalier here…

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5 thoughts on “First landing on the Navy's first aircraft carrier!

  1. anthony says:

    I thought that H>B>MILLER was the first to land on a aircraft carrier.

    1. anthony says:

      I thought that ADM>H,B.MIller was the ist to land on a aircraft carrier.

  2. Mike Anderson says:

    It refers to the first landing on the Langley, while underway – not the first ever landing on a carrier.

  3. Mark S. Chevalier says:

    Yes, the above comments are correct. Godfrey was the first to land on a moving aircraft carrier as a test to see if the rope and sandbag arresting gear with tail hook combo would work. If you see the British equivalent it shows that the crew of the ship had to grab the wings of the plane when it got over the deck to stop it. Although the British landing is earlier it doesn’t really qualify.

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