 He spent three years, from 1935 to 1938, as a flight instructor at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida.Between 1938 and 1955, he served as flag secretary of the aircraft command of the United States Atlantic Fleet, commander of the Naval Operational Training Command, executive officer of the aircraft carrier in the Pacific and assistant chief of staff for operations of the United States Pacific Fleet.During the mid-1950s, McDonald commanded the aircraft carrier .