The First Across Organization
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NC-4 departs
Trepassey Bay, Newfoundland for the first flight to Europe. Photo© L. D.
Sheely.
Photo from
the Collection of Irving E. Sheely, 9/24/1893 - 12/16/1962
Purpose
| | Help the
Organization is Seeking | What We Already Have
Bio of the Director
| Contacting the Organization
| Links
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Irving was a Chief Machinist's Mate (Air) or CMM/A, US Navy, from 1917 -
1922. He enlisted in March of 1917 as a Landsman (old Navy term for
candidate) for Machinist's Mate, 2nd Class, and given a higher rank due to
his mechanical experience. Irving
Sheely went overseas in the First Aeronautic Detachment in 1917, which not
many realize was the first American unit to see combat. He served at the
USNAS Moutchic in France, and was trained as an Aerial Observer by the Royal
Naval Air Service (RNAS) in England.
He was involved in air combat and ASW patrols around NAS Dunkerque,
France, later being stationed at NAS Eastleigh, England to finish out the
war. After the war, Chief Sheely was
stationed at Naval Air Station Anacostia (Washington, D.C.), and was deployed
in support of the NC Transatlantic Expedition in 1919. He later was stationed at NAS Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba and NAS Hampton Roads, VA. CMM(A) Sheely worked with those
perfecting the aircraft arrestor system installed on the USS Langley (CV-1) our
first aircraft carrier, prior to its' commissioning in the spring of 1922,
and was discharged from his second and final enlistment on August 22,
1922. Irving's
nephew, Lawrence D. Sheely, who, along with his wife, Liz, edited a book of
his Uncle Irv's experiences from his letters and diary, completed in 1993. It
was published by the University of Alabama Press, and
entitled: |
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Sailor of the Air |
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(ISBN 0-8173-0709-5) |
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I highly recommend "Sailor of the
Air" as the best book to get the real flavor of Naval Aviation
in the First World War (ed. - I recommend the book search site "AddAll.com"
for finding new or used copies of any book mentioned on this site). It is through the generous spirit of
Larry Sheely, and the technical work of his son-in-law Donald L. Roux, who
transformed photos to CD, that I have the above photograph available. |
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Look for more of Irving E. Sheely's
involvement with the NC Transatlantic Expedition here soon! |
Updated 11/2006
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The purpose of The First Across Organization is to spread the history of the NC-4, the U.S. Navy flying boat (seaplane), which
was the first aircraft to successfully cross the Atlantic (or any
ocean). Anyone not familiar with this milestone in history should link to: For in-depth information on the NC-4's flight, see: For further reading, see: "First Across!, The U.S. Navy's Transatlantic Flight of 1919", by Richard K. Smith, Naval Institute Press, 1973, second edition 1986; the definitive work on the flight. Help the Organization is
Seeking for the NC-4 Project
What we already have on the NC-4
Biography of the Director, John Bayer John Bayer worked with mainstream, Dropout, and Learning Disabled students from 1997-2002, as Vocational Instructor / Director of the Opportunity Skyway and Skyward Bound programs, youth employment programs, where they built the entire airframe of the RANS S-6ES Coyote II (above, in photo) a total of 7 times! Mr. Bayer also created/instructed in two other programs for two middle schools in Seattle. In one, the students constructed a Pietenpol Air Camper (a two seat, open cockpit monoplane design from 1929), and learned flight theory, aerodynamics, the ground school for a Private Pilot's certificate, among other topics, through hands-on learning and flight simulation. Students culminated their year with an actual flight in Cessna 172 aircraft. Students at Zion Preparatory Academy prepared an African-American Aviation Heritage Exhibit, opened in 2001, under instruction from the Director, who also produced a companion curriculum. Students from these programs participated in two of Opportunity Skyway's Aviation Olympiads, with 1st and 3rd place finishes, and the pilot program for the EAA Wild Blue Wonders competition in 1999. The Director was also Judge for the 2000 iteration of the Wild Blue Wonders NW Regional Competition. Mr. Bayer grew up around aviation in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and
has served in the Navy and Navy Reserve since 1978, where he currently serves
on active duty. Thank you! Thanks for all the generous help we have received thus far. Without the
support of the aviation, historical, and educational communities, this
project would be nearly impossible. Special thanks to: The
Families of A.C. Read, John Towers, and Jim Breese Don
Clarke, El Paso, TX The Curtiss Museum, Kirk House, Director, Hammondsport, NY EAA
Chapter 26 The EAA Museum; John Gaertner, Past Curator The
Florida Aviation Historical Society, Warren Brown John
Fryant, Alexandria, VA The
G&O Manufacturing Company, New Haven, CT - original mfg.'s of engine
radiators Cecil
Hendricks, Tukwila, WA The Herreshoff
Museum; the late Carlton
Pinhiero, Curator C.A.E.
Johnson, Lancaster, VA George
Millar, LeClaire, IA Bob
Monroig, Woodinville, WA The
Mysterious Stranger from the East The National Museum of
Naval Aviation; Robert
Rasmussen, Director, and Hill Goodspeed, Historian Opportunity
Skyway of King County, WA;
Dave Gering, Past Director Pete
Paoloni, Bayside, NY Carl
A. Petersen, Long Island, NY Roman
Polaski, Enfield, CT The
Rockaway Museum, Mr. Steve Yaeger, Rockaway Beach, NY Larry
and Liz Sheely, Zephyrhills, FL Jeff
Sigsworth, Elyria, OH Mark
Sink, Denver, CO Tom
Susor, Seattle, WA The
entire crew of the Vimy
Project, for their
inspiration, especially Peter and Mark John
Ware, St. Louis, MO Ted
Wilbur, McLean, VA Don
and Marilyn, my parents My
sons …and
all others I may have missed; And,
not least of all, to Laura, my wife, without whose help and support I would
never have considered this venture. Sincerely, John Bayer Director, The First Across
Organization Original ideas and content
©1998-2006, The First Across Organization This
Page Will be updated... so Stay Tuned!! Purpose
| Help
the Organization is Seeking | What We Already Have |
