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

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM

what was later to become the aviation engineer division. The instruction at the ground schools took place after the morning flying. 
In the summer of 1913, I was asked by Norman Prince of Boston (later killed while flying on the front with the Lafayette Escadrille during the first World War in France) if I would be willing to pilot their racing plane in the annual Gordon Bennett International Race that fall. Of course, I was only too willing to do so, if the conditions were favorable. The plane was stored at Chicago, Illinois, so I took leave and went East to [[strikethrough]] meet Prince at Chicago to look the plane over. The plane [[strikethrough]] was the monoplane type, very roughly finished and was equipped with 160 h.p. Rohne motor. It was agreed that the airplane would be shipped East and thoroughly examined by the leading Aero experts before the flight was attempted. The matter was taken out of our hands as on the outbreak of the War in Europe, the race was discontinued.
I was placed on duty in the Office of the Signal Corps Officer, instead of returning to San Diego, for the purpose of visiting France, England and Germany for six months. While awaiting my departure, which was to be in the Fall, I made several [[strikethrough]] l [[/strikethrough]] quick inspection trips to the Burgess and Curtiss Companies in connection with inspection of planes being built for the Signal Corps. In September, I was on an inspection trip to the Burgess Company at Marblehead. Norman Prince, who had left Boston, was also there at the time. We had, under purcha se, one Burgess tractor (we were attempting to replace the pusher type with this plane) and it was equipped with floats and being flown from the bay which adjoined the factory. No field was available for landing planes. This was the same type plane I had flown at Texas City and with which I was thoroughly familiar. However, the difference in [[strikethrough]] weight was appreciable as the floats we had were about 400 lbs [[strikethrough]]. We had had verbal instructions at that time that no Army pilot would be allowed to fly a plane under delivery to the Government until it had passed its tests and been accepted. In spite of this, 

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