The National Museum of Naval Aviation is located onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Blue Angels in Atrium

Photo - A4 Blue Angels Hanging in atrium

Frontiers of Aviation

Exhibits & Collections > Exhibits

Then and Now: Pushing the Frontiers of Naval Aviation

Lighter than Air: See how Naval Aviation began --- not with planes, but with balloons in the late 19th century. Through World War I, dirigibles served as aircraft carriers that could launch, recover and hangar aircraft while airborne by means of a retractable trapeze.
WWI Exhibit WWI: The new World War I exhibit portrays Naval Aviation’s role overseas in WWI and includes the Curtiss MF Flying Boat, Nieuport Fighter, JN-4 Jenny and a Dodge Ambulance. See how life would have been for an early aviator.
NC-4: The NC-4 Flying Boat is the actual aircraft that completed the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by air and is one of the sparks of the aerial revolution.
U.S. Coast Guard: An important element of Naval Aviation is search and rescue; the U.S. Coast Guard has mastered the technique of salvation by air through pioneering innovations in helicopter aviation. This exhibit also highlights the Coast Guard’s role in national security and gives you a look into its many other duties.
Space: “One giant leap for mankind.” Walk with the astronauts in America’s final frontier, and relive the first lunar landing on July 20, 1969. See the Apollo command module, Skylab 2, that carried an all-Navy crew to the earth-orbiting Skylab.
Squadron Patches: Take a look at the flight gear, jackets, and squadron patches worn by Naval Aviators since the dawning of the age of flight through the modern day.
   

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