Soaring Century: 100 Years of Langley Air Force Base

Nearly 100 years after the first plane took off from Langley Field, it can be hard to see this busy stretch of land along Back River in Hampton, Va., as anything other than one of the most important hubs of American air power on the planet.

But when the first officers from the fledgling Aviation Section of the Army Signal Corps came to evaluate what is now Langley Air Force Base in late 1916, what they saw was not a highly developed complex of airplane hangars and runways but rather a backcountry expanse of fields, woods and old plantation homes.

Only in their imaginations could they envision the pioneering military aviation center that would play an indispensable role in defining the potential of air power and the importance of a separate, wholly independent Air Force.

This book was originally published as a series in the Daily Press commemorating the 100th anniversary of Langley Air Force Base. Highlighting the founding of Langley Field in 1917, to looking at the fighter jets of yesterday and tomorrow, Langley has been a key part of the history of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Additional photos also show some of the highlights from history, including the tragic crash of the Roma and the first Raptor and B-17 to land at Langley Air Force Base.