View source for Richard C. Saufley

{{Short description|Naval aviator (1884–1916)}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Richard Caswell Saufley
|birth_date= {{birth date|df=yes|1884|9|1}}
|death_date= {{death date and age|df=yes|1916|6|9|1884|9|1}}
|birth_place=[[Stanford, Kentucky|Stanford]], [[Kentucky]], U.S. 
|death_place= [[Santa Rosa Island, Florida|Santa Rosa Island]], [[Florida]], U.S.
|placeofburial= [[Stanford Cemetery]], Stanford, Kentucky
|image=Richard C. Saufley- formal.jpg
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance= [[United States|United States of America]]
|branch= [[United States Navy]]
|serviceyears=1908-1916
|rank=[[Lieutenant, junior grade]]
|commands=
|unit=
|battles=[[United States occupation of Veracruz|1914 Veracruz campaign]] 
|awards=
|laterwork=
}}
[[File:Richard Saufley in cockpit.jpg|200px|right|thumb|<div style="text-align: center;">Saufley in the [[cockpit]] of an unidentified aircraft.</div>]]
'''Richard Caswell Saufley''' (1 September 1884 – 9 June 1916), was a pioneer of [[naval aviation]] in the [[United States Navy]].

== Career ==
Saufley was born on 1 September 1884 at [[Stanford, Kentucky|Stanford]], [[Kentucky]]. He graduated from the [[United States Naval Academy]] in June 1908 and was [[Commissioned officer|commissioned]] as an [[Ensign (rank)|ensign]] in June 1910. He served aboard the [[battleship]] {{USS|Kansas|BB-21|6}}, the [[torpedo boat]] {{USS|Biddle|TB-26|6}}, and the [[destroyer]] {{USS|Terry|DD-25|6}} before reporting to the Naval Aviation Camp on the grounds of the Naval Academy in [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]], [[Maryland]], for training in aviation in 1913. On 6 June of that year, he was promoted to [[Lieutenant, junior grade]], and designated Naval Aviator No. 14.

During the [[United States occupation of Veracruz|Veracruz campaign]] of 1914 in [[Mexico]], Saufley was attached to the battleship {{USS|Mississippi|BB-23|6}} and the [[armored cruiser]] {{USS|North Carolina|ACR-12|6}}.

In 1915 and 1916, Saufley{{'}}s assignments were concerned with the technological development of naval aviation. Concentrating on "hydro-aeroplane" ([[seaplane]]) development, he set altitude and endurance records and was attempting to better his own record when he died in a plane crash on [[Santa Rosa Island, Florida|Santa Rosa Island]] on a flight out of the [[Naval Air Station Pensacola|Naval Aeronautic Station]] at [[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]], [[Florida]] on 9 June 1916. His [[Curtiss Model E]] hydroplane, ''AH-8'', went down at the 8-hour-51-minute mark of the flight.<ref name="Baker">{{cite book| last = Baker| first = David| title = Flight and Flying: A Chronology| year = 1994| isbn = 978-0-8160-1854-3| page = [https://archive.org/details/flightflyingchro0000bake/page/84 84]| url-access = registration| url = https://archive.org/details/flightflyingchro0000bake/page/84}}</ref> The Aeronautic Station{{'}}s commandant, [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] [[Henry C. Mustin (1874–1923)|Henry C. Mustin]], later faced accusations that his "wrong flying instruction methods" had caused the deaths of Saufley and another aviator, Lieutenant, junior grade, James V. Rockwell.

Saufley is buried at Stanford Cemetery in Stanford, Kentucky.

== Commemoration ==
[[Naval Air Station Pensacola]]{{'}}s [[Saufley Field]] and the U.S. Navy [[destroyer]] {{USS|Saufley|DD-465}} have been named in Saufley{{'}}s honor.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Find a Grave|35910201}}
* [http://history.navy.mil/danfs/s6/saufley.htm history.navy.mil: USS ''Saufley'']
* [http://www.usssaufleydd465.com/text/filson/filson.htm ''The Filson Historical Quarterly'' biography]

== See also ==
{{Commons category}}
* [[List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft (pre-1925)]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saufley, Richard}}
[[Category:1884 births]]
[[Category:1916 deaths]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in Florida]]
[[Category:American aviation pioneers]]
[[Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States]]
[[Category:People from Stanford, Kentucky]]
[[Category:United States Naval Academy alumni]]
[[Category:United States Naval Aviators]]
[[Category:United States Navy officers]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1916]]
[[Category:Victims of flight test accidents]]