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FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE

engineering assistant to Colonel E. J. Hall, Bureau of Aircraft Production, in Washington, D. C. After the Armistice he was a Captain in the Air Service Reserves until 1923. In December, 1918 he flight tested the new Berckmans Speed Scout biplane with 100 H. P. Gnome rotary engine on Long Island.

In 1919 Acosta continued his special test flying activities with him various concerns including the Curtiss Company. That fall he conducted flight tests of the new Curtiss "Eagle" 8-passenger cabin biplane using three Curtiss K-6, 150 H.P. engines. During these tests he made one flight carrying a 3,500 pounds load. In October he flew the "Eagle" from Garden City, New York to Washington, D.C., where in ten days he made 82 demonstration flights, carrying 476 passengers, most of whom were notable Government officials. That fall he also flew the "Eagle" to the west coast for demonstrations. While there Acosta flew his tests for a pilot license at Pacific Beach, California on September 19, 1919 and was granted Certificate No. 4885 on December 5th.

During 1920 Acosta did considerable flying for the JL Aircraft Company of New York. This firm was established and owned by wealthy J. M. Larson to import all-metal German Junkers 48-foot span low-wing enclosed cabin 8-passenger monoplanes with 6-cylinder 185 H.P. B.M.W. engines. This plane became known as the JL-6 monoplane, and with it Acosta established some unusual flight records and several notable cross-country flights that year. May 20th through 30th he made many demonstration flights in this machine at the Pan-American Aeronautic Congress at Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he carried many distinguished passengers. On June 1st he set a new 5-passenger American altitude record at New York of 20,600 feet with e JL-6 machine. On June 27th Acosta flew with three passengers from Omaha, Nebraska to Lancaster, Pennsylvania non-stop, 1,200 miles, in 12 hours, 52 minutes, for a new American passenger distance record. He has intended to fly into New York but extremely bad weather forced him down. 

On July 29th Acosta and Larson left New York on a round-trip flight to the west coast where they made numerous demonstrations at various cities, returning to New York on August 22d. Later Acosta made two special flights with a JL-6 from New York carrying wealthy sportsmen to view the American Cup races off

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