100 years of Royal Navy flying

On 7th May 1909 the Admiralty placed an order for it's first aircraft, an airship. Now 100 years later the Royal Navy is celebrating 100 years of aviation, through the RNAS to the Fleet Air Arm, such that it is these days.



The Royal Navy has often been at the forefront of Naval aviation including the first take-off of an aircraft from a moving ship in 1912, angled flightdecks and steam catapults which defined carrier design post war and of course VTOL aircraft in the shape of the Harrier and ski-jumps.



A number of events are being held across the country, HMS Illustrious is currently docked in London and there have been a number of flyovers by current and former FAA aircraft including the Sea Vixen.