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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> Miami and Florida AVIATION Historical Photos Gallery - Airports, Airlines, Aircraft - All Years - click on image to view > 1918 - the Navy's first Aerial Photography class held at Naval Air Station Miami at Dinner Key
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1918 National Archives

1918 - the Navy's first Aerial Photography class held at Naval Air Station Miami at Dinner Key

NAS Miami, Dinner Key, Florida


This class graduated in June 1918.

The below items are from the U. S. Navy's historical site - I'm storing them here for future reference:

APRIL 15, 1918 - The First Marine Aviation Force, commanded by Captain A. A. Cunningham, was formed at NAS Miami from personnel of the First Aviation Squadron and the Aeronautic Detachment, USMC, both of which had disbanded the day before. A Headquarters Company and four squadrons designated A, B, C and D, were organized within this Force on 16 June and it later transferred overseas to operate as the Day Wing of the Northern Bombing Group.

MAY 18, 1918 - The Chief of Naval Operations set training goals to provide pilots for foreign service, and to meet them, directed that eight elementary training squadrons be operated, two at Key West, four at Miami, and two at Bay Shore; that elementary training at Pensacola be discontinued as soon as students on board were graduated; and that six advanced training squadrons be organized there to begin training patrol plane and night bomber pilots as soon as practicable.


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Mark Lincoln 10-Nov-2016 16:29
Naval Air Facility Dinner Key was on the former Dinner Key which was connected with the mainland with fill in 1914. The site was selected in 1917 by Lt. Patrick Bellinger (Naval Aviator #8). Dinner Key was the first Naval air station created for WWI. The base opened in 1918 and was home to 12 airplanes and 1 blimp.

The Navy conducted preliminary flight instruction at Miami as well as other aviation related schools. The USN abandoned Dinner Key after WWI.

The facility was used by commercial operators. Facilities were drastically improved by The New York, Rio & Buenos Aires Airline which began service from Dinner Key in 1929. The NY, R&BA Airline was the subject of an unfriendly takeover by Pan American in 1930. Dinner Key appeared on aeronautical charts as "Pan American" while the adjacent Cost Guard station appeared as "Biscayne Bay (U S Coast Guard).
veeval6927-Feb-2012 13:51
Does anyone have a high resolution of this photo? Please contact me at vidal.valentin@navy.mil. Thanks!