Military powers of World War I sought to exploit the potential of aviation.  On 8 May 1919 three Navy Curtiss (NC) “flying boats” took off from Naval Air Station Rockaway, New York attempting to complete the first successful crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.  Only one of the three aircraft, NC-4, completed the trip from New York to Lisbon, Portugal, arriving 27 May after many stops and repairs.  Here, USS Edwards (DD-265) is on Station No. 8, providing the aircraft with position, wind direction, and other information.  The record set by NC-4 was surpassed by the British two weeks later with the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic.