Aviation Firsts: Crissy Army Airfield

Aviation Firsts: Crissy Army Airfield. . , In the 1920s Army aviators flew wood-and-fabric covered biplanes on daring experimental missions. In 1919, Army Air Corps Major Henry "Hap" Arnold chose this site for a pioneer Army airfield. Arnold's pilots flew both regular aircraft and seaplanes. They served the harbor's coast defense artillery by spotting targets, determining range, and observing the effects of fire. They also conducted aerial surveys in the West and Alaska for the National Park Service. , , As the U.S. Army's westernmost airfield, Crissy Army Airfield was important in early history-making flights. Aviation firsts at Crissy Field include: June 23, 1924 , the first transcontinental flight in one day from Long Island, New York, to Crissy Field in 21 hours and 48 minutes; in 1924 the first around-the-world flight, by U.S. Army pilots, took 172 days and stopped at Crissy Field; in 1925 the U.S. Navy attempted the first flight from the mainland to Hawaii from Crissy Field; in 1927 a U.S. Army pilot completed the first flight from Crissy Field to Hawaii. , , Cross winds, frequent fogs, and short runways made this a difficult airfield. As aircraft became larger and heavier, and as the Golden Gate Bridge was being built in 1936, the Army Air Corps made this an auxiliary airfield for small military planes and later a heliport for Letterman Army Medical Center.