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Milling, T. Dewitt, Brig. Gen. USAF. - Biog. File - Folder No. 2 Item No. 5A
Smithsonian Institution
National Air Museum

as passenger. We left Texas City in the early afternoon of March 28 with an East wind of 25 miles per hour. The flight was made without trouble except that it was extremely rough, hazy and poor visability. In addition, was throwing oil against my goggles which interferred with my eyesight. I finally, by kicking Sherman in the back, made him understand the situation and he then made it one of his principal duties to keep my goggles clean. We flew at an average speed of 68.9/10 miles per hour and after arrival at San Antonio, remained in the air more than another hour with a total endurance of [[redacted]] 4 hours and 20 min. establishing a new American endurance and distance record. Unfortunately, I did not know the qualifying record covering these flights or they could easily have been broken. The world's distance record for a pilot and one passenger was 249-4/10 miles, made over a measured course in England and the world's distance was 434 minutes only 12 minutes longer than the time I remained in the air. Had a measured course been layed out over the field at San Antonio, the distance record for the world should have been established.

We also received a Burgess, improved B-type, which was equipped with pontoons and with a Nacelle seating the pilot and passenger in tandem instead of as formerly on the wing. This was an entirely new type of plane and I was interested from an experimental flight standpoint but, of course, we were not able to use it over the land.

(NOTE: We military aviators July 27, 1912 (page 255) This should be inserted in the former operations at College Par for 1912)

On the first of April Captain Chandler, who had commanded the aviation school from its inception, was relieved from duty and ordered to the Philippines for a tour of foreign service. He was succeeded by Captain A. S. Cowen, from the Signal Corps, Chief Signal Officer of the Second Division.

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