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MILLING, T. DEWITT, BRIG. GEN. USAF. - BIOG. FILE- FOLDER NO. 2 ITEM NO.5A

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 
NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM

DRAFT

[[crossed-out]] Arnold and myself took these tests [[strikethrough]] a [[/strikethrough]] the first part of July and were issued Certificates #2930 29+30 by the FAI on 19 July. Since we qualified at the same time we were rated alphabetically and Arnold was given #29. We were both indeed sorry that we had not known of these tests while in Dayton as we could easily have passed them at that time and would have been rated with even an earlier number. This rating of aviator [[strikethrough]]s [[/strikethrough]] was much prized throughout the world and recognition was given by the Air Fraternity [[strikethrough]] THROUGHOUT the world to anyone [[/strikethrough]](nor capped) possessing it. The next year an expert aviators' certificate was instituted by the FAI and [[strikethrough]] on [[/strikethrough]] in September 1912, I received Certificate No. 3 and Arnold Certificate No. 4. [[/crossed-out]]

As may well be imagined, flying at this period was quite a novelty. Large crowds visited the school to see and applaud the flying and the papers covered it, giving the flights great publicity. Jack K [[strikethrough]] Daley [[/strikethrough]] Daly, a cub reporter from the Washington Post (who still lives in Washington and is a successful journalist) was constantly on the field and left an excellent record of the flights in his stories. [[strikethrough]] from a public standpoint. [[/strikethrough]] With the Washington Times, Dick Richards acted in the same capacity and John Mitchell for the Washington Star. Naturally, there could not be sensational flights every day, but they were perfectly willing to let their imagination run wild in writing the stories. The headlines from the papers at that time were interesting reading such as, "NEAR DEATH -- LIEUT. ARNOLD NUMBED BY COLD AT HIGH ALTITUDE - MAKES NEW RECORD AND NEARLY LOSES CONTROL OF MACHINE WHILE 4,000 FEET IN THE AIR." "STRENGTH OF WILLPOWER SAVES A COLLEGE PARK AVIATOR FROM BEING DASHED TO EARTH." Any flight of a few miles was a cross country flight. With Lieut. Kirtland as passenger, I landed and took off at Washington Barracks(the present Ft. McNair) on the parade ground. Viewing the size of the parade grounds today, it seems impossible that a plane could  [[strikethrough]] be [[/strikethrough]] land safely. 

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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM
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