Moffett, King, and the leadership models behind naval aviation

William Moffett was a politically formidable institution-builder who advanced naval aviation while working inside the rules. Billy Mitchell pursued public confrontation, while Moffett used bureaucratic knowledge and alliances to make aviation durable within the US Navy. Ernest King later emphasized aviation as a decisive strike weapon, and Arthur Cook favored improving proven systems after the earlier burst of innovation. Akron's future therefore depended on flight tests and on which leader controlled aviation priorities after Moffett.