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rebuilt Fowler's transcontinental Wright plane, making the wings rigid, and installed ailerons instead of wing warping. Together they had a year's contract with a movie company at a resort in Venice, California. Brookins taught Newcomb to fly and they did some passenger carrying. Their operations were based at the Griffith Park flying field and there, on July 12th, the two men made a half-hour night flight over Griffith Park and surrounding vicinity using a searchlight and acetylene tank.

Brookins returned to Dayton during the summer of 1915, where again he was one of the instructors at the Wright School. The company had contracted to train a large number of Canadian students, and Brookins assisted in the instruction of many men who later became famous Canadian Aces in World War I.

During World War I, Brookins served as a test pilot for the Navy at Pensacola, Florida, following which he retired from flying. He then started the Brookins Manufacturing Company, Dayton, Ohio, to produce garage and gas station equipment. The firm prospered and continued to operate for many years. Later, he became a partner in the Davis-Brookins Aircraft Company in California and developed the well-known Davis wing, which was used on the World War II B-24s and P-51 planes.

Brookins made California his home during the later years of his life. He was seriously ill during 1948 and 1949. He passed away at age 63 on April 29, 1953, with heart trouble which followed another illness of four months. He was survived by his wife, two sons and sister. He was interred at the Portal of Folded Wings, Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, California. He was one of the founder members of the Early Birds and served as their President in 1937. A plaque in his memory was dedicated at the San Fernando Valley Airport, Van Nuys, California, on May 17, 1963.

Early Bird, Flying Pioneer Walter Brookins was indeed one of the most outstanding early American civilian aviators and instructors. He devoted almost all of his active life to aviation and remained interested in it throughout

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