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When Atwood reached College Park the new Burgess-Wright plane for the War Department was there waiting for him to flight test and demonstrate to government officials. In doing so, motor trouble caused a forced landing, damaging the plane somewhat. That week he has the "aviation attraction" of Washington. On July 12th he was taken into the city and presented to President Taft. On July 13th Atwood purchased Hamilton's plane, then made an extended flight over Washington, D.C., down Pennsylvania Avenue, circled the Capitol dome and the Washington Monument, and returned to College Park.
On July 14th Atwood again flew over Washington and made his historic landing on the south lawn of the White House grounds where he was met by President Taft, a distinguished group of Cabinet Members, Army and Navy officers, Aero Club members and other notable society people. There the President presented him with a gold medal offered by the Aero Club of Washington and congratulated him for his wonderful achievement. When the ceremony was over he took off successfully and flew to the Polo Grounds. Atwood also received a trophy from the New York Times commemorating his flights.
He remained at College Park for a time and on August 1st flew over downtown Baltimore. Following this he flew at Nassau Boulevard, Long Island, until August 7th, with Beach, Beatty and Arthur Stone. Not one to rest on his laurels, Atwood then decided to undertake a flight from St. Louis, Missouri, to New York to compete for the $10,000 prize offered by Victor J. Evans of Washington, D.C., for the aviator who could do this between August 14th and 27th. His plane was shipped from New York to St. Louis on August 8th and he took off from there as scheduled on the 14th, flying to Chicago that day, with stops at Springfield and Pontiac, Illinois, for fuel and his dinner. This flight of 283 miles was made in just over six hours of flying time. The famed Chicago Aviation Meet of August 12 to 20, 1911, was in progress at Grant Park and Atwood received a tremendous ovation when he landed in front of the judge's