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[[FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE ]]

experience. This ride was undoubtedly the spark that started the Boeing Aircraft company.

More rides followed, then they decided they could build a better plane. As a result they gathered technical data on planes and hired a group of mechanics to join them, including local barnstormer and plane builder Herb Munter and an M.I.T. Chinese graduate aeronautical engineer, T Wong. They planned to build two quite conventional tractor hydro biplanes, to be called B.& W. These were 52-foot span, twin float machines powered by 125 H.P. 6-cylinder Hall-Scott engines.

Boeing started operations, then made arrangements to enter the Glenn Martin Flying School at Los Angeles to learn to fly. There he ordered a Martin Model TT, 125 H.P. Hall-Scott powered by instructor Floyd Smith. Boeing's new Martin plane was shipped to Seattle in October, 1915 and Floyd Smith was sent along to supervise the assembly and testing. He remained there until Mid-November giving additional instruction to Boeing and check flights with Herb Munter. Boeing and Munter flew the Martin plane that year, then at year's end Westervelt left Seattle on another Navy assignment. In December Boeing became a member if the Aero Club of America and was co-founder of the Northwest Aero Club to promote interest in aviation in the area.

The first B&W plane was completed in a combined hanger and shop at Lake Union in June, 1916 and Boeing himself made the invitational brief hop, then Munter started flying the machine. Engineer Wong wanted to make a plane incorporating more advanced ideas, so a third plane was started, called Model "C". By this time the Army and Navy were interested in Boeing's aviation projects, and advised him that if Model "C" would meet Navy requirements the would be interested in it as a trainer.

Boeing then decided he should organize, so in July, 1916 he formed the Pacific Aero Products Company with James Foley and E. N. Gatt. About that time aviator W. Knox Martin also started flying for Boeing and was there for a time that season. In October the Pacific Aero Productions Company entered and unsuccess-