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Babcock and his manager then conceived the idea of building a full-scale Wright biplanewith a dummy wooden engine and some small scale model planes to exhibit in a tent at fairs and carnivals. As they traveled from place to place, the charge was $1.00 for adults and 50 cents for children over ten years of age, to their surprise that scheme made they some money, becoming his first successful aeroplane. 
They finally reached Seattle, Washington, in the fall of 1907 and Babcock liked the area so well he decided to stay. He soon started to build another Wright-type biplane with which he began to teach himself to fly in 1908. That year he and another aeronautically minded friend for the Babcock-Breinger Aeroplane Supply Company in Seattle, the first airplane supply company west of Dayton, Ohio. There, through 1912, they developed a small business making propellers, turnbuckles, fittings, and various fabricated wood aircraft components. During that time they supplied parts and because acquainted with most of the early west coast pioneer plane builders and aviators of that era. 

While operating this shop and business, Babcock built and experimented with different planes and continued his flying practice. One was a light high wing parasol monoplane with a 2-cylinder motorcycle engine, another was a gull wing Taube-type monoplane with a 2-cylinder Detroit Aeromotor and a third was another light Deperdussin-type monoplane with a 4-cylinder Curtiss air-cooled engine. He also began flying various other types owned by fellow builders in the Seattle area.

During this period, Babcock at times assisted other aviators mechanically and was one of the mechanics with Phil Parmelee and Clifford Turpin when they started flying exhibitions in the northwest area with their new Gage tractor biplanes in late May, 1912. Following this, Babcock built a modified Curtiss-type plane. The top wing of their plane had a greater span than the lower; it also had a 3-wheel landing gear and used a 50 h.p. Gyro engine. With this plane he reportedly did some flying at Dominguez Field and Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, during 1913.

In September, 1914, Babcock went to France and joined the in aviation service. 
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