First Plane Takes Off from a Ship: Ely Flies from USS Birmingham
The deck was only 83 feet long. Eugene Ely didn't care. He gunned his Curtiss pusher forward on November 14, 1910, lifted off the USS Birmingham's makeshift wooden platform, and immediately dipped so low his wheels skimmed the water. Most watching figured he'd crash. He didn't. Ely landed safely ashore, climbed out, and went for lunch. Two months later, he'd land *on* a ship too. But that first terrifying dip toward the water? It wasn't a flaw — it was the whole point. Naval aviation was born in a near-miss.
November 14, 1910
116 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Virginia
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Hampton Roads
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aviator
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takeoff
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Eugene Burton Ely
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Eugene Ely
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take off
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Hampton Roads, Virginia
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USS Birmingham (CL-2)
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Curtiss
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pusher configuration
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Curtiss pusher
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Virginia
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Eugene Burton Ely
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Aircraft pilot
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Hampton Roads
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Takeoff
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USS Birmingham (CL-2)
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Curtiss Model D
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