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he left to become test pilot for Charles Day at the newly formed Aircraft Company, Incorporated at Bound Brook, New Jersey.
There during the late summer months Blakely conducted the first flight tests of the new Sloane-Day military tractor biplane, powered by a 6-cylinder 130 H.P. Hall-Scott engine. This plane was the forerunner of the famed World War I Standard J-1 trainer, and Blakely assisted with the development, part of which was done at Garden City, Long Island, New York. Through Blakely, Cato also joined the firm in December and was there until the end of April, 1916 when both men resigned to join the L. W. F. Company at College Point, Long Island, New York. 
In early 1916 Blakely became a lieutenant, 1st Aero Company, New York National Guard, Aviation Reserves at Garden City. The Guard unit arranged for the use of the Sloane-Day plane, and through April Blakely instructed a class of guardmen with this machine. Later that month Guard took delivery of a new Sloane-Dayton tractor.
As Blakely left to go with L. W. F. the Atlantic Aircraft Company engaged DeLloyd Thompson to do some flying for them and for the National Guard. Since Thompson was accustomed only to Wright controls Blakely agreed to make a few flights with him in the  Sloane-Day machine for some practice on DEP control. On May 4th Blakely and Thompson took off on their first check flight at Garden City in the new plane and shortly after take-off Blakely turned the controls over to Thompson as previously arranged. He immediately  banked too steeply on a climbing turn and, before Blakely could take over and recover, a spin resulted at low altitude. They suffered a bad crash, with Thompson sustaining broken ankles and Blakely facial and back injuries that put him in a Nasseu hospital for some time. 
In July Blakely was teaching a class of National Guard students at Mineola, and in mid-July made three flights at Sheepshead Bay for a large gathering of the National Educational Association. Late that month he delivered and demonstrated a new L. W. F. plane to the Michigan National Guard at Camp Ferris, Michigan, then through August he taught a class of 9 Michigan Guard students at Mineola and flight tested some new L. W. F. planes. In late November he flew one of 12
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FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE

Transcription Notes:
last sentence is actually on left margin