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4 CHARLES A. ARENS Early Chicago Plane Builder - Manufacturer Charles A. Arens was born in Chicago, Illinois, December 17, 1985. He attended Armour Grammar School and at an early age started to work as an office boy for the Rock Island Railroad. During 1910 he became interested in aviation when several noteworthy early flying events occurred that summer. Curtiss aviators made flights at the Hawthorne Race Track, first on July 3rd through 5th, then again on October 2nd through the 8th. Also, Wright aviator Walter Brookins made flights at Grand Park on September 27th and 28th. Wilbur Wright was there supervising these activities, and on September 29th Brookins started on his celebrated flight from Washington Park, Chicago to Springfield, Illinois. During this time Arens spent as much time as possible out at the old Clearing Field. The first plane he saw fly was a Curtiss-type pusher. All of this created a profound impression on young Arens and from then on aviation and flying were uppermost in his mind. In 1911, while working as a clerk in the Rock Island Railroad offices, Arens started making model airplanes and joined the famed Illinois Model Aero Club which soon became on of the leading model building groups in the United States. Arens became a very proficient modeler and made the acquaintance of and competed with several other members of the group who went on to become renowned in the aviation world. Among these were Emil Laird and George Weaver. They soon comprised a trio destined to make aviation history. All three had the bug to make a real airplane, and in 1912, Laird took the lead when he decided to build one. As a result, Arens and Weaver both helped him build the first Laird Baby Biplane that really started all of them in aviation. When the plane was completed, both Arens and Weaver stayed on to assist Laird with his early flying operations and finally as helpers on his first exhibition dates.
