Aircraft Carrier USS Langley (CV-1) Action in 1923-24 

And here's a look at pre-war activity aboard USS Ranger from the Airailimages Channel: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5xhZd8wUH-A.html

Only half a century after these videos, I would be on an aircraft carrier with F14 Tomcats. What a transformation... Now it's been nearly 100 years ago that these pioneers of Naval Aviation, made these incredible Landings and videos. Nice to see them!

It really is fascinating watching these pioneers of Naval Aviation! I do not recall ever seeing a photo, let alone a movie, of a float plane taking off from an aircraft carrier. Awesome find!

And I thought the flight deck was a tough place to work back in the mid 70's when I worked on the flight deck of the USS Independence, CV-62!

Thanks for this historic find. I really enjoyed it, and learned more about early carrier operations. I had a friend who was a pilot on the Langley, during this period.

On March 22, 1922, the "first American", converted from the Jupiter collier, was adopted by the fleet under the name CV-1 "Langley" A storage facility for aviation gasoline was equipped in the bow coal hold, and an ammunition cellar was placed in the fourth. The other four holds were used for storing aircraft. A dovecote was arranged at the stern of the ship, where carrier pigeons lived, intended for communication between aircraft and an aircraft carrier. Over time, the dovecote was rebuilt into the chief mate's cabin. The hangar deck was the cover of the coal holds, and the ceiling was the flight deck. The procedure for lifting one aircraft from the hold onto the flight deck took tens of minutes. Only one transfer of the aircraft from the hangar deck to the platform of the aircraft lift could take up to 12 minutes. It was necessary to come up with and work out complex algorithms for moving aircraft on the hangar deck, but they gave impetus to the development of a unique American technology of deck operations, which provided serious advantages to the aircraft carriers of the US Navy during the World War II.

Loved the one that swerved to the right on takeoff and just kept going. Talk about early VTOL.

Thanks for the great video! Seems sort of simple back in the early days of Naval Aviation. By the time my dad served in WWII, it was much more complicated. And now, well, you've posted the videos. Can't thank you enough for all you do! As always God bless you and yours! 🇺🇸👍😊

Can't fathom that these images are almost a century old. Thanks for your efforts.

Great footage of the early navy's first carrier. Thanks for posting.

You have don it again, Fred. These are fantastic films of early carrier operations. Thanks.

💯 years ago !! Amazing footage; thank you for the uploads !! BTW, I am about to start a 1:700 scale model kit of LANGLEY. That you're aware of ? Is there a USN list of the different types of aircraft assigned to her on a year by year basis ? I want to depict my model of LANGLEY & it's attendant aircraft as accurately as possible.... Again, thank you !! 🚬😎👍

Excellent video. I really enjoyed the soundtrack and informative narrative!

Love the float planes, thanks for the great video.JDS

Thanks! This was a remarkable watch!

very interesting! Never heard of catapulting float planes before. I guess they landed next to the ship and a crane retrieved them?

thanks for that

Would have been awesome to have had some sound, but this was even before the talkies. These planes look so fragile

Sunk by the Japanese.