On 15 February 1943, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest J. King—having quickly determined that rotary-wing aircraft's unique capabilities would increase World War II maritime security—assigned sea-going development of the helicopter to the U.S. Coast Guard. Naval aviation’s first designated helicopter pilot, Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Frank Erickson, tested and accepted the first such aircraft in the Navy inventory, an HNS-1, at Bridgeport, Connecticut, on 16 October 1943. Erickson had brought along his trusted lead mechanic, Aviation Machinist’s Mate Oliver Perry, to inspect the helicopter and sit in the copilot’s seat during the one-hour test flight.
This proved to be the beginning of a continuing journey featuring man’s ingenuity, skill, and daring, as industry and technology constantly improved rotary-wing aircraft.
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