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FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE
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all season, out of all types of places, in all kinds of weather and had never missed a date.

During the winter months of 1913-1914 he toured the south. In March he was in Georgia and there flew over the practice grounds of the Philadelphia baseball club and dropped balls to the players. In May he was in Oklahoma, then worked north for the summer season. On June 4th he flew at Zanesville, Ohio; June 20th at Rochester, Indiana, then on July 13that New Castle, Indiana where he remained until August 3d carrying passengers. August 6th to 8th he flew at Kenton, Ohio, and September 5th he started several days at the Kokomo Exposition at Elwood, Indiana and while there flew for the movies. That summer he was having a new passenger carrying flying boat built for him by the Washington Aeroplane Company for work in the south that winter.

On November 10th Beech conducted first flight tests of his new Columbia flying boat with 80 Gyro engine on the Potomac River at Washington and was delighted with its performance. He made several flights up and down the river, carried passengers, circled the Washington Monument and the Capitol. Following this he contracted with the Savannah Electric Company through the Retail Merchants Association at Savannah, Georgia to fly his new boat there for the winter to attract winter resorters and carry passengers. At that time Savannah had several ocean beach resorts, all served by an interurban trolley line operated by the Electric Company. Beech first operated at The Thunderbolt and Isle of Hope beaches and arrived with his equipment on December 21st to start establishing his base of operations.

His first flight was made on January 9th, 1915 and on January 21st he flew over the city and surrounding territory. He had started his daily operations which continued for some time carrying tourist vacationers, he raced motor boats and carried social passengers from one beach to another. He had an arrangement with the Savannah Yacht Club to scout for passengers and on March 27th made eight flights for a movie for the Crystal Film Company. On March 31st he had a smashup when the fuel line failed causing a forced landing. In getting down without power he hit a big wave and a wing was torn off. Following repairs he flew again on April 7th. About that time he was trying to organize an Aviation Corps of the State Naval Militia.