Rodgers was the great-grandson of Commodores
Rodgers and
Perry. He was born in
Washington, D.C. and graduated from the
Naval Academy in 1903 where he played football and rowed crew. His early naval career included service on ships of various types before studying flying in 1911 and becoming the second American naval officer to fly for the
United States Navy, designated as U.S. Naval aviator No. 2.
Early aviation career Rodgers learned to fly in San Diego under the instruction of
Glenn Curtiss. On March 17, 1911, Rodgers reported to the Wright Company in Dayton, Ohio, to receive flight training. This was in response to the
Wright Brothers offering to train one pilot for the Navy. He was only the second Navy officer to receive such instruction, and the first to receive it from the Wrights. On July 1, 1911, Rodgers was on a leave of absence from the Navy while the aviation facilities at Greenbury Point on the grounds of the
United States Naval Academy were being prepared. He filled this time performing aerial demonstrations in Ohio with his cousin,
Calbraith Perry Rodgers. On their way back to Dayton from Springfield, having just finalized a contract to perform at the Fourth of July celebration there, they reportedly borrowed the Wright flyer kept at the Wright brothers' field at Simms, Ohio, without permission. The two made a few successful flights and things were going well, until they damaged a wing on one of the landings. Once informed, the Wright brothers insisted upon the use of the Rodgers plane until theirs was repaired, costing them some business engagements. The Wright biplane arrived at Greenbury Point on the grounds of the
United States Naval Academy on September 6, 1911. Rodgers completed the acceptance flight for it the next day then embarked on a flight from the Naval Academy to Washington, D.C. This was the first time it had ever been attempted. After circling the academy grounds for several turns, he set out on the 45-mile trip to D.C., following the tracks of the Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis electric line, flanked by his friends following in automobiles. After flying around a thunderstorm near
Odenton, Maryland, he overflew the Army aviation camp at
College Park, Maryland. He then overflew the Bennings neighborhood in D.C. and commenced down the eastern branch of the Potomac. After passing over the
United States Army War College, he turned toward the city at an altitude of 2000 feet. He reached the city at about 4:45 pm then circled the Washington Monument for 15 minutes where he executed several maneuvers before landing near the
White House at 5:04 pm in front of a small crowd. At the time, it was one of the longest, most successful flights in Naval Aviation. After exchanging greetings with CAPT
Chambers, he flew back to Annapolis. On September 16, Rodgers became the first man in America to visit his parents by airplane. He departed College Park, Maryland, at 1:15 in the afternoon; passing over the northwestern section of Baltimore, he landed at the Pimlico racetrack, where he refueled. Afterwards, he circled Pimlico for half an hour at various altitudes and was then off to
Havre de Grace, arriving at the Rodgers home at
Sion Hill at 5:35. His father, Rear Admiral John Augustus Rodgers Sr., his mother, and brother
Robert greeted him upon landing in a field 200 yards from their house. Following the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad from Baltimore into the city, he landed with less than a quart of fuel. Crowds gathered in along his route of flight to cheer him on. His intention was to leave the next day for New York, where his cousin
Calbraith Perry Rodgers was to depart Sheepshead Bay for San Francisco that afternoon to compete for the
$50,000 Hearst Prize. In late November 1911, Rodgers was at the Navy aviation camp at Annapolis developing a life preserver for use in hydroplane flights. The life preserver was described as being "very similar to a baseball catcher's breast protector" and was worn in a similar fashion. Designed to keep a man afloat until help arrived, the waist and neck straps were rubber tubes that were inflated along with the rest of the vest when in use over water.
Return to sea He commanded Division 1, Submarine Force,
Atlantic Fleet in 1916; and, after the United States entered
World War I, he commanded the Submarine Base at
New London, Connecticut. Following the war, he served in
European waters and received the
Navy Distinguished Service Medal for outstanding work on minesweeping operations in the
North Sea.
First non-stop flight to Hawaii attempt After several important assignments during the next five years, he commanded Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet, in
Langley in 1925. That year he led the first attempt at a non-stop flight from
California to
Hawaii. Given the technology of the time, this tested the limits of both aircraft range and the accuracy of aerial
navigation. The expedition was to include three planes. Rodgers commanded the flying boat
PN-9 No. 1. The PN-9 No. 3 was commanded by Lt. Allen P. Snody. The third plane was to have been a new design, which was not completed in time to join the expedition. Due to the risks, the Navy positioned 10 guard
ships spaced 200 miles apart between California and Hawaii to refuel or recover the aircraft if necessary. After their return, Rodgers and his crew were treated as heroes. Also, despite not reaching Hawaii by air, their flight established a new non-stop air distance record for seaplanes of 1,992 miles (3,206 km). After this experience, Rodgers served as assistant chief of the
Bureau of Aeronautics until his accidental death in an airplane crash after the plane he was piloting suddenly nose-dived into the
Delaware River on August 27, 1926. He is interred at
Arlington National Cemetery. After Rodgers' untimely death, it would be the first time since 1776 that the United States Navy did not count a serving member of the Rodgers family amongst their ranks. ==Legacy==