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learn to fly. The monoplanes interested him most and he made notes and sketches of what he saw for future use. From the flyers he also learned that the Queen Aeroplane Company of New York built the monoplanes. Cessna returned to Enid and started planning his first plane. He purchased a fuselage and some parts from the Queen Aeroplane Company, rented a place to work and spent the remainder of that winder and spring building a Bleriot-type monoplane, powered by a converted 60 H.P. water-cooled Elbridge marine engine.
In May, 1911 he had the plane ready for flight trials and with the help of his brother Roy, the plane was taken to a large level area, called the Great Salt Plains, near Cherokee, Oklahoma. There, after many trials and tribulations, Cessna reportedly made his first straightaway hop on June 9th. On his next attempt he tried to turn, but the plane lost altitude and crashed, with no injuries to him. After making repairs he took off, started a turn and crashed again. This time he went in the hospital for some time before recovering from his injuries, which, however, did not dampen his interest in flying. During that period he decided to get more altitude on his next flight before attempting a turn. As soon as he was able the plane was rebuilt and he tried a third flight, rising higher, and made his first turn successfully and after a short, well controlled flight had a good landing. Cessna continued his practice and by September decided to try some exhibition work at fairs in his section of the state. As a result he flew at Jet and Cherokee, then made several demonstrations at his home town of Enid to finish the season. 
By this time aviation was in his blood and he evidently gave up the automobile business completely. During the winter of 1911-1912 he returned to a farm he owned at Rago, Kansas where he worked in a barn, rebuilding and changing his plane in an attempt to correct the faults and troubles experienced during 1911. He also replaced the engine with an air-cooled Anzani to remedy engine troubles. His rebuilt machine, Silver Wings, was tested and adjusted in the spring of 1912, and he was busy that season flying exhibitions, doing very well. 
The next winter he built his 1913 machine. From then until 1917 he made a new plane each winter for the following season's exhibition work at fairs and

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

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First time transcribing, not sure how to handle page numbers