The Three Sea Hawks: The Navy's First Aerobatics Team

Lieutenant Daniel W. Tomlinson, IV, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with the class of 1918 at the end of World War I. He earned his wings as a naval aviator in 1921. During his naval career, Tomlinson was not the straightest arrow, but he did appreciate everything that an airplane had to offer the U.S. Navy. He firmly believed that both the pilot and the airplane itself needed to be prepared to fly under all conditions. He fought for the improvement of instrument guidance in Navy airplanes. He was a "hotshot," an experienced pilot, but he still made mistakes. He was tried for general court martial in 1923 for negligence while piloting an aircraft. Although he was acquitted, his career was a bit rocky for a few years. In 1927, he was based in San Diego when he received a temporary assignment to the Boeing factory in Seattle, Washington. On his way back to San Diego, he requested permission to attend the National Air Races in Spokane, Washington. Watching the performance by the U.S. Army's Three Musketeers, he became inspired to start his own aerobatics teams. And so, the idea behind the Three Sea Hawks began . . . Read more: The Three Sea Hawks: The Navy’s First Aerobatics Team, 1928–29