From that first year to 2011, we have seen the incredible transformation of our Naval Air Forces into the most potent and capable fighting force in history.  Shipboard aviation has played a vital role in nearly every conflict the United States has been involved in, from being the decisive element in the second World War in the Pacific to Global War on Terrorism missions today.  United States Navy and Marine Corps aircraft are capable of accomplishing a wide variety of missions from the sea, whether that is from big-deck nuclear powered aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, or from the decks of destroyers or other smaller ships.

Over seventy percent of Earth is covered by water and two-thirds of the world’s population lies within easy reach of naval aircraft.[3] These planes and helicopters are autonomous- they require no basing rights or direct support from any foreign nation while operating at sea.  Carrier battle groups are often within a few days, if not hours, of potential conflict zones.  At the outbreak of any conflict or natural disaster, the first question our president often asks is “Where are the carriers?”  In addition to supporting events on land, Naval Aviation also remains vital to keeping the seas open.  With the vast majority of commercial transportation taking place on the world’s oceans, the protection of sea-lanes of transportation cannot be understated.

Technology will continue to advance as we strive to improve the platforms we already have, as well as develop new aircraft like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the P-8 Poseidon and implement them into the fleet.  We will continue to see more un-manned aerial vehicles; however, the bread and butter of our strike force will remain the manned strike aircraft launched from the carrier battle group, or from an amphibious strike group for Marine Corps assets.  These aircraft consist of Navy F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets, as well as Marine Corps Hornets, AV-8B Harriers, and attack helicopters.  In addition to carrier and land-based fighter/attack aircraft, there are many other Naval Aviation assets which cover a wide variety of missions, whether it be the incredibly versatile H-60 Seahawk helicopter providing disaster relief, a P-3 Orion observing and controlling the battle space, or a C-130 Hercules transporting supplies into a warzone.

US Naval Aviation has come a long way in the past one hundred years. Despite increased operational demands and fewer operating ships, our Navy and its aviation assets will continue to remain at the tip of the spear, ready to carry out our nation’s most important missions at a moment’s notice.  The celebration of the Centennial will be held throughout 2011 at airshows and Naval Air Stations all around the United States.

LTJG Mike Scott, USN

For more information on events for the anniversary, visit: http://www.navalaviation100.org/

The US Navy’s official page for the Centennial:

http://www.navy.mil/flynavy/

or keep up with the events on the 100^th Anniversary of Naval Aviation Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/navalaviation100

[2]“Part 1 A Few Pioneers 1899-1916”

[3] Helprin, Mark, “The Decline of U.S. Naval Power” The Wallstreet Journal, 2 March 2011.

I became interested in aviation at a young age. My grandfather was an Eastern Airlines mechanic, and he built a plywood aircraft in his back yard complete with old aircraft instruments. He would explain how everything worked, and I was hooked. Once in high school I read everything I could about airplanes, and obtained a manual labor job at a helicopter hangar. This was my first experience with the aviation community, and I would pick pilot’s brains and occasionally go on short maintenance flights. I desperately wanted to take flight lessons, however my family could never afford it. Then the Homer Foundation blessed me with their scholarship, and my life was forever changed. The summer between my sophomore and junior year of high school was the best in my life. I flew almost four times a week, loving every minute of it. I earned my license on my seventeenth birthday, and finally was a pilot.

Being a private pilot motivated me even more to pursue a career in aviation. Obtaining my license enabled me to get a job at my flight school, which in turn led me to meet very interesting and influential people in my life. I found that I not only enjoyed flying airplanes, but I was very interested in their design as well. I also was able to listen to a variety of “shop stories” about naval aviation, which was something I had always been interested in. This led me to study aeronautical engineering at Purdue University, and enter the Navy ROTC program. At Purdue being a pilot introduced me to several of my closest friends, as we would stay up late on the weekends talking about flying and airplanes. Having my pilot’s license has also been an enormous advantage in aeronautical engineering, enabling me to visualize aeronautical concepts through experience, rather than only a textbook. In the aeronautical engineering school I have also found that same love of flight found among pilots, and this has helped me as I struggled through long hours of studying for endless exams.

I plan to graduate next year with my degree and a naval commission, and I hope to be selected for naval aviation. None of this would have been possible without the Homer Foundation. Their scholarship motivated me and opened doors in ways I would not have thought possible. I have found what I want to do with my life, a blessed quality that has its foundations in that memorable summer when I first earned my wings. I am eternally grateful to the foundation to their generosity, and it is my ambition to one day change another teen’s life as they changed mine.

Richard Valenta