"Royal Naval Air Service, Pre-1914" Commander C. Samson of the Royal Naval Air Service taking off from HMS HIBERNIA in his modified Shorts S.38 "hydro-aeroplane" to be the first pilot to take off from a ship underway at sea. The S.38 T.2 aircraft had air-bag floats to enable landing on water and was launched via a trolley-shuttle system off of a ramp which stretched from Hibernia's bridge to bow, over her forward 12 inch guns.