Viewing page 7 of 47

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

where it was necessary to replace two engine bearings.  From there he flew to Governor's Island where he landed on August 25th.  This flight set up a new Worlds distance record and was made with the same plane he used in the Boston-to-Washington, D.C. flight.  No passengers were carried and he merely had a suitcase of clean clothing and a small tool roll.  No serious trouble was experienced throughout the trip except the bearings replacement.  He earned very little money, approximately $5,000 for this trip, but was awarded two Medals of Merit.  This flight was 1266 miles and his daily flying average was about 105 miles.

Immediately upon returning East, he flew in the Harvard-Boston Air Meet August 26 -September 4, 1911, then at Riverhead, L.I. September 21 and at the Nassau Boulevard Air Meet on Long Island September 23 - October 1.  Later in October he flew at Brockton, New Bedford, and Middleboro, Mass.  About this same time he began flying the new Burgess Hydro-Aeroplanes from the water.

In December he left the Burgess Co. to become chief Instructor and Pilot for the newly formed Clayton and Craig Flying School of Boston with flying grounds at Saugus, Mass. for both land and water planes, where he continued his love for cross-country flying.  On December 21 he flew from Saugus to Providence, R.I., 110 miles in two hours, forty minutes.  In 1911 he became known as "THE KING OF THE AIR" and flew approximately 5000 miles of cross country, gaining great renown for himself.  On December 24 - 25 he flew from Providence, R.I. to Point of Pines, Mass. and back to Saugus.

In 1912 he continued to fly for Clayton and Craig, instructing, carrying passengers, exhibition engagements and cross country, flying in and about the New England States.

In 1913 he left the Boston area and settled in Sandusky, Ohio, where he conducted passenger hydro-aeroplane flying and cross country jaunts to Toledo, Lorain and other nearby Lake Erie points.  He also formed a Company and built and experimental flying boat having two pusher propellers driven from a single Curtiss OX engine in the hull.  That year he carried passengers from Sandusky to Put-in Bay and made a flight across Lake Erie to Canada and return in his Burgess Hydro.  Later that Fall he moved his operations to Toledo, Ohio, where he was sponsored by the Toledo Railways and Light Co., and there he installed a new Wright 6 cyl. engine in his plane which improved its performance for off-water flying.  That Fall he also did considerable flight testing of the new Wright Airboat for the Wright Co. and in the Spring of 1914 he bought one for his own use that season in Toledo.  In May, 1914 he did some test flying of Wright Airboats for the Navy on delivery from the Wright Co.  On June 1st, 1914 he flew his Airboat from Toledo to Detroit where he spent a few days carrying passengers and demonstrating it to members of the Detroit Yacht Club.  He returned to Toledo on June 6.  Earl Utter, who later became a pilot, was his assistant and mechanic at Toledo.

After 1914 he apparently gave up active flying and turned promoter, forming Companies to build both planes and engines at various points, none of which ever succeeded in going beyond the experimental stages.  In May of 1917 he offered his services to his Country as a civilian flight instructor and was first assigned to a field at Wilmington, Del. which was established by the DuPonts and the Roskobs for both land and water flying.  He continued to serve throughout the World War I period, but it is not known whether he was commissioned.

Following this, his whereabouts became unknown, but it is believed he is still living.  A great pioneer, and very active pilot who contributed so very much to the development of early aviation by his wonderful flights and energetic activity.  He trained many early renowned pilots.