THE centenary of the first ever aircraft landing on the deck of a moving ship was marked in Orkney yesterday.

August 2 has long since gone down in history as the dawn of aviation from aircraft carriers and yesterday saw the Royal Navy’s latest aircraft carrier forming an impressive background to the commemoration.

It marks 100 years since Squadron Commander Edwin Dunning embarked upon the daunting task of touching down in a Sopwith Pup biplane on HMS Furious as the warship steamed through the waters of Scapa Flow — a body of water in the Orkney Islands surrounded by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy.

Whereas these days arrest wires would help bring the plane to a halt, Dunning’s landing was markedly more dangerous in the absence of such aids as he relied solely on the deck crew to grab the wings. Dunning died five days later trying to repeat the accomplishment.

Yesterday Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm Keith Blount, assistant chief of Naval staff paid tribute to Dunning’s courage and sacrifice when he unveiled a new memorial to the pioneering pilot at Scapa Flow.

Earlier in the day the largest Royal Navy warship ever built, the HMS Queen Elizabeth arrived and a short time later a Royal Navy helicopter touched down on its flight deck, in tribute to Dunning’s feat.

The enormous new carrier, capable of carrying up to 4-0 aircraft, is currently undergoing sea trials after setting out from Rosyth dockyard in Fife in June. The vessel steamed away from Scapa Flow at the end of the memorial event.

A plaque commemorating Dunning was also unveiled, produced by local craftsman Stuart Wylie.

Rear Admiral Blount, who laid a wreath at the new memorial plaque, said: “We’re commemorating the very first landing by an aircraft on a ship that was moving at sea, a huge event in the history of the Royal Navy, for the Fleet Air Arm and for Orkney.

“Squadron Commander Dunning’s achievement is of enormous significance and, of course, tragically he died five days later trying to touch down again on HMS Furious. He caught a gust of wind, the crew couldn’t hold on to his plane, and he went into the water, knocked himself unconscious and drowned.

“Dunning quite literally sowed the seed that led to the take off and landing of aircraft from ships at sea becoming common place. He convinced the doubters that this was the way forward and very quickly aircraft carriers became an important part of naval operations.

“It was very fitting that the next generation of aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, was out in the bay at the beginning of a new chapter in maritime aviation. It all started with Edwin Dunning. Every nation around the world operating aircraft carriers owes him a debt of gratitude.”

The service of thanks giving was also marked by a fly-past by a modern day Royal Navy aircraft — a Hawk T Mk 1 from 736 Naval Air Squadron. At first, the Hawk flew fast and low over the bay and the wider waters of the Scapa Flow.

It then passed for a second time performing a landing configuration — with wheels and wing flaps extended — simulating an aircraft carrier landing approach.

The outdoor service was led by the Rev Fraser Macnaughton, Minister of St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall. He said the pioneering aviators like Edwin Dunning had shown a courageous can-do attitude that had become legendary.

“There can be no more magnificent backdrop to our service in his memory than to be graced the presence of the new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, out in the bay,” he said.