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

HARRY B. BROWN
Early Wright Sportsman and Exhibition Pilot

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Harry B. Brown was born at Walpole, Mass., October 9, 1883, of wealthy parents. He attended Amhurst [[Amherst]] College, and later lived in Boston. He first became interested in ballooning and made several ascensions with A. Leo Stevens, a nationally known professional balloonist, in late 1910 and early 1911. In June, 1911, he had a few aeroplane rides with Harry Atwood at Boston and this sold him on flying. Brown then decided to go to Europe where he took a flying course at a Farman School at Brooklands, England. His instructor was Marcel Blondeau and after finishing his instructions he obtained a British License, No. [[strikethrough]] 102 [[strikethrough]] 109, late in July, 1911.

Back home in the early spring of 1912, Brown bought a Wright model "B" plane and took some Wright instruction from Geo. Beatty on Long Island. In May, A. Leo Stevens became his exhibition manager. Stevens was also managing Miss Harriet Quimby and three other pilots as an exhibition team. Brown established himself at Hicksville, L.I. for the season and had his own private flying grounds. There he made almost daily flights, continuing his practice and occasionally carrying passengers. On June 26, 1912, he took up Rodman Law to make a parachute jump at Hicksville. Law, who was a professional chute jumper and a member of the Stevens exhibition team, was a brother of Ruth Law, the nationally known aviatrix.

At that time Stevens was advertising Law's chute jumps from Brown's plane for fair attractions. On August 1st Brown made a flight of 1 hour, 56 minutes, with Wm. Piceller as a passenger at Hicksville. August 12th he flew for 57 minutes, carrying J. J. Wilson, as well as making several other short flights that day. August 24th he made a long solo flight over Long Island, then returned to carry passengers for the remainder of the afternoon. On October 13, 1912, Brown flew in the Columbus Day Meet at Oakwood Heights, Staten Island, where Rodman Law made chute jumps from his plane. Brown entered all events and was a major part of the show. Following the meet, he kept his plane at Oakwood Heights for a time and continued to make flights there and carry passengers. There, on November 6, he took Mrs. Isabella Patterson up to 5300 feet for 46 minutes. That Fall Stevens and Law developed a new "back type" chute, called the "Stevens Life Pack" and all the development test drops were made from Brown's plane. It was highly successful and Law used it exclusively from that time in their exhibition work. Brown had such faith in it that he wore one whenever he flew, and was probably one of the very first pilots to do so. On New Year's Eve, 1912-1913, Brown flew over Manhattan at midnight for 58 minutes in the glare of searchlights.