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William F. Christmas 
Southern Pioneer Aviator - Plane Builder - Inventor 

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

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Information is lacking concerning the date and place of birth of this man, but his advanced education was received at St. Johns Military Academy at Alexandria, Virginia, the University of Virginia and George Washington University, and he held Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and Doctor of Medicine degrees. In his youth he was interested in building and flying kites. 

After completing his education Christmas opened a medical practice in Washington, D.C. during which time he became personal physician to Samuel Langley of Langley plane fame, and closely followed these early aviation experiments. As a result of this and the success of the Wright brothers Christmas began experiments of his own while still practicing medicine. 

After his first gliding trials in 1905 and the death of Langley in February, 1906 he started making a power machine, assisted. by C.W. Fulton and son. It was a biplane with an engine in the rear driving two pusher propellers by chain transmission. When completed Christmas started grass cutting practice on the farm of Robert H. Iona near Fairfax Court House, Virginia where, following many trials and tribulations, he became air-borne briefly on March 1st, 1908. This practice continued and on March 8th he made an extended hop and 90-degree turn, landing safely, to become the third man to fly in the United States. On this plane Christmas used

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