In 1911, Lt. Theodore "Spuds" Ellyson became the first designated Naval Aviator, as well as the first Navy Test Pilot. This documentary traces the legacy that began with Ellyson’s groundbreaking flight training and continues today at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. As the Navy’s premier flight test and evaluation center, Pax River carries forward more than a century of innovation, where aviators, engineers, and maintainers work together to ensure the safety, capability, and superiority of the fleet. Through archival footage, personal stories, and rarely seen imagery, the film honors the generations who have advanced Naval Aviation from its earliest days to the cutting-edge systems of today.
