Byrd became an aviator
Byrd joined the U.S. Navy as an ensign after earning his degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1912. He acquired his piloting skills in the U.S. Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, and until the end of World War I, he distinguished himself in the navy. He created navigational techniques and apparatus for NC flying boats after the war, one of which flew the navy's first transatlantic voyage in 1919. He also worked on the construction of transatlantic dirigibles. When Commander D.B. MacMillan's Arctic expedition to western Greenland, stationed at Etah, was launched in 1924, he served as the commander of a small naval aviation detachment with that mission.
After that, Byrd provided navigational training and permission to utilize the newly enlarged runway for American aviator Charles A. Lindbergh's maiden transatlantic solo flight in May 1927. Byrd, therefore, decided to attempt to fly the Atlantic from west to east. In June 1927, he did so with three passengers and completed the voyage in 42 hours, crash-landing in Ver-sur-Mer on the Brittany Coast of France due to bad weather. He was appointed a Commandant of the French Legion of Honor in recognition of this successful flight.
He spent a lot of time consistently practicing since he wanted to be the best pilot. As he could now combine his passion for flying with his love of adventures and expeditions, he discovered a new sense of adventure.
