Naval Air Station North Island, located on Coronado Island, holds a significant place in military history as the birthplace of American naval aviation. Established in 1917 and originally known as Naval Air Station San Diego until 1955, it has been pivotal in the development of air power for the US Navy.
The base is renowned for training early aviators such as Lieutenant Ellyson and his peers. It covers over two thousand acres and has played a crucial role in pioneering flights, modern carrier operations, pilot development, and air warfare tactics.
According to NAS North Island's homepage: “Forefathers of today's "Blue Angels", the three-plane "Sea Hawks" of VF-6B, the "Felix the Cat" squadron, were thrilling audiences with flight demonstrations as early as 1928. They demonstrated the training skills of Navy fighter and bomber pilots and on many occasions, even flew their aircraft in formation with the wings tethered together.”