Aviation was born in the twentieth century, and right from the start, the Portuguese Navy was interested in this new capability. During the First World War, the Navy used aircraft to patrol Portuguese waters. Naval Aviation was extinguished upon the establishment of the Air Force. Recently, though, Naval Aviation has witnessed a “rebirth” thanks to the existence of some helicopters aboard navy vessels.
The Maritime Museum exhibits some aircrafts from the Portuguese Naval Aviation period (1917-1952), as well as several other related objects. The first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic, in 1922, features prominently in the museum’s exhibition. Various tributes were paid to the two aviators responsible for the feat, Naval Officers Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral, some of them highly valuable works of art. Some of these objects are part of Museum’s collections.