CGAA Author

1926 – The First Permanent Coast Guard Air Stations Established The prohibition of the manufacture, importing, transportation and selling of alcoholic beverages had become the law of the land on January 16, 1920. Enforcement of the law fell to the Treasury Department and as part of the Treasury Department, the Coast Guard was tasked with … Read more

1920 – The First Coast Guard Air Station, Morehead City, NC The Coast Guard was transferred from the Navy back to the Treasury Department on 28 August 1919. Coast Guard Captain Stanley V. Parker who had been the Commanding Officer of the Naval Air station Rockaway, New York was ordered to Headquarters and assigned as … Read more

1919 – NC-4 Transatlantic Flight In the summer of 1917 the United States was fully engaged in World War I and was very concerned about the sinking of Allied ships by German submarines. The Navy was convinced that aircraft had real possibilities as an anti-submarine weapon and developed a steadily improving series of patrol planes … Read more

Coast Guard Aviation in World War I 1917 The United States entered World War I during April of 1917.  There was a small group of aviation pioneers that had promoted and nurtured the early growth of Naval Aviation but the Naval Air establishment was too small and was not equipped for combat operations. There was … Read more

The Navy Offered Flight Training to the Coast Guard 1916 LT(jg) R.G. Thomas who was in charge of the Navy Hydrographic Office in Norfolk Virginia, like a number of others, had become interested in the flight tests being conducted in conjunction with the Coast Guard Cutter Onondaga.  Based on test result and an awareness of … Read more

The Beginnings of Coast Guard Aviation 1916 Rendering assistance to vessels in distress was not a specific mission of the Revenue Cutter Service until 1832 when the Secretary of the Treasury Louis McLane directed several cutters to actively cruise solely for that purpose. Revenue Cutters were kept busy searching for and assisting vessels in distress, … Read more

1915: The United States Coast Guard Was Established In 1911 President William H. Taft established a Commission on Economy and Efficiency under the direction of Professor Frederick A. Cleveland to recommend ways to increase the economy and efficiency of the government. The Commission determined that government agencies were more efficient and economical when unifunctional as … Read more