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Cessna reportedly made his first straightaway hop. [[strikeout]] on June 9 [[strikeout]] On his next attempt he tried to turn, but the plane lost altitude and crashed, but fortunately Cessna sustained no injuries. After making repairs he took off, started a turn and crashed again. This time he was hospitalized for some time, recovering from his injuries. However, this 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 recovered he rebuilt the airplane and tried a third flight. Rising higher, he made his first turn successfully and after a short, well-controlled flight made a good landing. Cessna continued to 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 hometown of Enid to finish the season.

By this time aviation was in his blood and he 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 reduce engine troubles. His rebuilt machine, "Silver Wings", was tested and adjusted in the spring of 1912. 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 carnivals throughout Oklahoma and Kansas.

On his 1914 machine he used a windshield for the first time. Landing gears were a problem. Landings and takeoffs from pastures and rough ground were hazardous, and Cessna experimented for some time before he devised a gear to stand the punishment. His original Elbridge engine was used in the 1915 plane and that summer he flew exhibitions at Wichita, the first appearance of a monoplane there.

In the fall of 1916 Cessna took over one of the buildings of the former

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