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Centennial of Naval Aviation Parade of Flight Celebrated on San Diego Bay

Monday, 14 February 2011

Recreation

The tidelands surrounding San Diego Bay were jam packed on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011, as crowds were awed by the Centennial of Naval Aviation Parade of Flight.

The event featured one of the Navy's largest flyovers, with more than 250 U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aircraft soaring across the Bay and the Port of San Diego.

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The planes spanned from pre-World War II to the Blue Angels. There was also a jump by the Navy Seals, as they lept from 30,000 feet to land on the USS John C. Stennis.

Thousands of people took advantage of the great views from Port parks surrounding the Bay, as well as the new Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier.

San Diego is considered the birthplace of Naval aviation. On Feb. 17, 1911, aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss landed his "hydroaeroplane" on the cruiser USS Pennsylvania, which was anchored in San Diego Bay. This historic landing inspired the secretary of the Navy to invest in the A-1 Triad, Navy's first aircraft.

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