This film is a color film with B&W clips. Produced by the U.S. Navy and narrated by Rod Serling. A summary of the pioneers of the U.S. Naval Aviators and their accomplishments over time. 1:10 Opening Title Screen: “Wings of Eagles, Wings of Gold”. Executive Producer: Cdr. Wes Larson, USN. 1:25 View of men preparing to board Aircraft on an air carrier. 2:21 Naval Aviators are called “eagles”. 2:47 Pensacola Florida, a city synonymous with the birth of naval aviation, began in January 20th, 1914. Aviation unit from Annapolis, under John G. Towers, arrived to set up a flying school. 3:06 Sign of Naval Aviation Museum. Flight students have totaled in the tens of thousands. Students are challenged purposefully towards their goals of surviving on land and sea. 4:00 Naval men seen in basic and free flight training. 4:17 Flight students attend classroom activities. 5:25 “Dual Aces”, an advanced designation for aircraft accomplishments, are seen training naval students. 6:01 Air tactics over time are discussed. 6:55 Illustrations of naval men are viewed. 7:07 At the Naval Aviation Museum, the past influences the present and affects the future. 7:25 Men who have received the Medal of Honor during aerial combat are presented in the museum. 8:12 In November 1910, Eugene Ely, a civilian aviation pioneer, is credited as flying the first shipboard aircraft to takeoff from a ship. From the perch of a wooden platform built over the bow of the light cruiser USS Birmingham ship, Ely successfully takes flight from the ship deck in a Curtis Pusher. This event ushers in the age of Naval aviation. Early photos of aircraft are shown. 8:52 Early flights and their mishaps are shown. 9:28 Naval enthusiasm for aviation grows over time. World events, including depression and dictatorship impact their motivation. 11:30 Footage of Pearl Harbor and the destruction of battle ships and aircraft. 12:50 Aircraft fighting from major battles are shown. 13:00 Various WWII battles are mentioned including and beyond the Pacific Theatre: Guadalcanal, Bougainville, the Coral Sea, Midway, Tarawa, Sicily, Salerno, Normandy, Saipan, Luzon, Guam, Okinawa. 13:44 Aviation carrier ships totaling 165 are active during operations, but soon turn to silence at the war’s end. 13:50 Total active ships quickly falls to less than two dozen. 16:15 As war activity begins for the Korean War, it is difficult to restock the equipment and men needed for battle. 16:20 Vice Admiral Bill Hauser remembers fondly the use of the Corsair during the Korean War, also known as the “bent wing monster” and the “hog”. 17:13 Korea was positioned as a land power, not a sea power. 17:51 After the Korean War, peace extends new strategies to the naval airforce, with experimentation and exploration of new technologies. Larger air carriers learn to land on carriers. 18:20 Project “Test Pilot” during C-130 carrier trials aboard USS Forrestal with Commander James Flatly, III, whose father and grandfather served before him. Jim is seen visually checking an aircraft before take-off. 19:43 Air bombers drop bombs from the sky over Vietnam. 20:06 Naval jets land on carriers. Commander Jerry Danton does not come back, but is captured and held by the enemy. 20:34 The Apollo program lifts the hearts of Americans after the Vietnam War. 21:44 Captain Jeremiah Denton returns safely to American soil. Denton walks off aircraft, and makes announcement regarding his service to the country. He thanks the commander in chief and the American Nation. 23:32 The Naval Aviation Museum will be home to the many old historical artifacts of the men and old machines of the past. A process of recovery at the museum begins. 23:55 Men are seen repairing and rebuilding old aircraft from times gone by. 24:32 Retired Captain Charles Pete Conrad discusses his naval history. 25:54 Image of the lunar module landing on the moon. Excitement of the crew as they see the crater awaiting their landing. 26:27 Astronaut seen exiting the module. 27:11 View of the galaxy, as Edward R. Murrow expounds the promising future for mankind’s planetary exploration. 27:26 Closing screen of an eagle flying in slow motion. For Naval Aviation, the journey may have just begun.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com