Pioneering pilot proved to Navy that sea could be used as runway

For the first time in the history of aviation, Glenn H. Curtiss yesterday performed the feat of launching his hydro-aeroplane from the water into the air, and after remaining in the air one minute and 21 seconds, alighted upon the water. He repeated his performance at will, skipping about Spanish Bight, off North Island, and circling around the craft in the harbor, with the ease and grace of the ordinary sea-bird. — The San Diego Union, Jan. 27, 1911 The early months of 1911 were a remarkable time in the history of aviation, particularly for pioneer flier Glenn Curtiss. By age 33, the former motorcycle racer had become America’s most accomplished aviator. Curtiss, the winner of prestigious speed races, also was a successful aircraft builder and a respected consultant to the military. Curtiss arrived in San Diego on Jan. 3, 1911, searching for a site to house a training school for Army and Navy fliers. He found it on the north end of the Coronado peninsula. The scrubby, flat terrain was perfect for building runways and was isolated from curious crowds that could interfere with his work. The peninsula also had firm, sandy beaches, and the calm water of “Spanish Bight” – a mile-long strip of shallow water that once separated North Island from Coronado – was ideal for the aviator’s planned water experiments. Read the entire Union Tribune article here.