On 7 May 2009, the Royal Navy will be celebrating 100 years of Naval Aviation, on the anniversary of the date in 1909 when the Admiralty placed its first order for a Naval Airship. It was a radical shift in military thinking that was to lead to the formation of the Royal Naval Air Service, later renamed the Fleet Air Arm, and which marked the beginnings of the formidable versatility and capability of Naval Air Power.
Fly Navy 100 is a programme of centennial events running throughout 2009 aimed at raising awareness of the legacy of the Fleet Air Arm, its history and ethos and the enduring importance of Naval Air Power to our island nation.
