[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="502" caption="Retired Navy Commander Bob Coolbaugh pilots his replica Ely-Curtiss Pusher aircraft on board USS George H. W. Bush. Here he is on catapult number 3 ready to be shot...NOT! (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Richard J. Stevens/Released)"]
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This event onboard the USS Bush (CVN-77) yesterday, 15 November, was a part of a ceremony to commemorate 100 years of naval aviation. The original Curtis Pusher flown by Eugene Ely took off from the light cruiser USS Birmingham on 14 November 1910 marking the beginning of Naval Aviation. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Richard J. Stevens/Released)
To read more about Ely and CDR Coolbaugh and his replica Curtiss Pusher, go to this post here...
Visit the U. S. Navy's Centennial of Naval Aviation page here...
