Richard C. Saufley
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Richard Caswell Saufley (1 September 1884 – 9 June 1916), was a pioneer of naval aviation in the United States Navy.
Saufley born on 1 September 1884 at Stanford, Ky., was graduated from the United States Naval Academy in June 1908 and was commissioned Ensign in June 1910. Service in Kansas (BB-21), Biddle (TB-26), and Terry (DD-25) preceded his return to the Naval Academy for training in aviation in 1913. On 6 June of that year, he was promoted to Lieutenant (j.g.) and designated Naval Aviator No. 14. During the Mexican campaign of 1914, he was attached to Mississippi (BB-23) and North Carolina (ACR-12). In 1915 and 1916, his assignments were concerned with the technological development of naval aviation. Concentrating on hydro-airplane development, he set altitude and endurance records and was attempting to better his own record when he died in a plane crash at Pensacola, Florida on 9 June 1916.
NAS Pensacola's Saufley Field, and the destroyer USS Saufley (DD-465) were named in his honor.
