27 Facts About Kenneth Whiting

Kenneth Whiting was a United States Navy officer who was a pioneer in submarines and is best known for his lengthy career as a pioneering naval aviator.

Kenneth Whiting was appointed as a naval cadet on September 7,1900, and became a midshipman from New York at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1901.

Kenneth Whiting squeezed into Porpoises 18-inch tube and clung to the crossbar which stiffened the outer torpedo tube door as the crew closed the inner door.

Kenneth Whiting became the first commanding officer of G-1 when she was commissioned on October 28,1912.

In 1910, Whiting applied for flight training by Glenn Curtiss and talked his friend from the submarine service Theodore G Ellyson into applying as well.

Ellyson was accepted and went on to become Naval Aviator No 1 in 1911, but Kenneth Whiting was not and continued his submarine duties.

On June 29,1914 Kenneth Whiting finally began his career in naval aviation, the field in which he was to make his name as a true pioneer, when he reported to the Wright Company at Dayton, Ohio, to learn to fly.

The last naval officer to take flight training from Orville Wright personally, Kenneth Whiting was designated Naval Aviator No 16 on September 6,1914.

Kenneth Whiting then became officer-in-charge of the Naval Aeronautic Station at Pensacola, Florida.

Kenneth Whiting served as acting commanding officer of its first carrier at a time when the United States was experimenting with many aspects of the operation of aircraft carriers and their aircraft.

On September 1,1921, Kenneth Whiting transferred to the Navys newly established Bureau of Aeronautics.

Kenneth Whiting reported aboard Langley on March 20,1922, the day of her commissioning, as her first executive officer, serving on an acting basis as her first commanding officer and thus becoming the first person to command a US Navy aircraft carrier.

On November 18,1922, Kenneth Whiting himself made the worlds first catapult launch of an aircraft from an aircraft carrier while aboard Langley, piloting a Naval Aircraft Factory PT while Langley was at anchor in Virginias York River.

Kenneth Whiting was credited with establishing many basic tenets of carrier aviation, largely worked out during his first Langley tour.

Kenneth Whiting established the first pilot ready rooms aboard Langley.

Kenneth Whiting had a hand-cranked movie camera film every landing on the carrier to aid in the evaluation of landing techniques, and had a darkroom and photography laboratory installed on board to allow the landing films to be developed at sea.

Langleys pilots had no signaling system with which shipboard personnel could assist them in landing, so when not flying himself, Kenneth Whiting observed all landings from the aft port corner of Langleys flight deck.

Kenneth Whiting was influential in the US Navys decision to make pilot qualification a requirement for command of an aircraft carrier.

In July 1924, Kenneth Whiting returned to duty at the Bureau of Aeronautics to serve as its assistant chief.

Kenneth Whiting became her first executive officer on November 16,1927, remaining in that position until May 1929.

Kenneth Whiting became aide and chief of staff to Commander, Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet, in September 1929.

Kenneth Whiting left Saratoga in July 1935 and next became Commander, Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet, serving simultaneously as commander of Fleet Air Base Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii.

On July 14,1939, Kenneth Whiting reported for duty as General Inspector of Naval Aircraft, Eastern Division, in the Third Naval District at New York City.

Kenneth Whiting was still in this position when he was placed on the retirement list on June 30,1940.

Kenneth Whiting was suffering from pneumonia and hospitalized at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, when he died of a heart attack on April 24,1943.

Edna Andresen Kenneth Whiting served as sponsor during the ships launching ceremonies on December 15,1943.

Kenneth Whiting was inducted into the Naval Aviation Hall of Honor at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida, in 1984.