Though the airplane was still early in its development, Benson saw the advantages of having them in the fleet.   Between April 1917 and November 1918, the number of aircraft owned by the Navy grew from 54 to 2,107.  The most remembered naval aircraft type of the war was the Curtiss NC, or flying boat.  In 1919, this type was the first aircraft to fly over the Atlantic Ocean.  Here a flying boat is seen in company with USS Edwards DD-265, which ferried spare parts for planes to Newfoundland.  Benson felt that the place of aviation was as an integral part of the fleet, not separate, so he abolished the Aviation Division of the Office of the CNO and moved its functions to the Bureau of Navigation.