Winged and don't know number

[Birdog8585]

You know, with the whole "Centennial of Naval Aviation" now being promoted in ready-room periodicals, you would think that CNATRA would have some aide digging for all the documentation on how many we have winged since they stopped counting.

Cause you guys know that whatever admiral that is going to be at the lectern that day is wanting a definitive number of Naval Aviators that have winged since Ely launched off the makeshift-flight-deck of a cruiser.

 

[Jim123]

Cause you guys know that whatever admiral that is going to be at the lectern that day is wanting a definitive number of Naval Aviators that have winged since Ely launched off the makeshift-flight-deck of a cruiser.

I predict that five different people will come up with six different numbers

Much like many other time you are preparing complex award inputs/data calls/facts and statistics/etc.

Good point though. The history buffs, myself included, will be curious.

 

[scoolbubba]

You know, with the whole "Centennial of Naval Aviation" now being promoted in ready-room periodicals, you would think that CNATRA would have some aide digging for all the documentation on how many we have winged since they stopped counting.

Cause you guys know that whatever admiral that is going to be at the lectern that day is wanting a definitive number of Naval Aviators that have winged since Ely launched off the makeshift-flight-deck of a cruiser.

I had a job similar to that when I was stashed in between Primary and Advanced...trying to find Aviator's flight records when they called and said they wanted them. Guys who winged back in the 50's and 60's needed their jackets tracked down because they thought (incorrectly) that they were going to be destroyed 50 years after their winging...the filing system back then was GREAT.
They took everyone's name and date of winging, mixed it into some sort of pseudo alphachronononlogical order, and put them in a gigantic filing cabinet in a shit room at CNATRA with rats in the ceiling. Really awesome stash job.

 

[Catmando]

http://www.history.navy.mil website:[/B]
...
" ... The Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) quit issuing Naval Aviator Numbers sometime in the 1970s. Documentation has not been located that gives the date or provides reasons why the assignment of Naval Aviator numbers was discontinued. To date, no complete listing of all Naval Aviator numbers, including the letter-number designations, has been found.
..."

Thanks. I was not aware they stopped issuing Naval Aviator Numbers so long ago. And I find it extremely disappointing that they stopped.

Although records seem to be no longer kept, the below PDF link is very interesting and germane. It lists the total number of aviators trained for each year from 1919 to 1995 and total number for all years. It also lists the first couple hundred Naval Aviators since 1915 by their "Navy Air Pilot Number," starting with Elyson.

And check out the massive numbers designated in the WW-II years!
Good stuff for the Naval History buff:

http://www.history.navy.mil/avh-1910/APP01.PDF

 

[A4sForever]

Thanks. I was not aware they stopped (sometime in the 1970s) issuing Naval Aviator Numbers so long ago. And I find it extremely disappointing that they stopped.

Yeah, me too ... I didn't know they'd stopped until I stumbled upon this tidbit a while back ... shades of the huge draw-down of the Ford/Carter Navy, circa mid-late 70's ... ???

 

[DFSpence]

Congratulations Kycntryboy!