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a west coast automobile manufacturer. Returning to Portland with this plane, they [[crossed out]]he and his brother Harry[[/crossed out]] prepared for the celebrated "surprise flight" which Silas made from the room of the Hotel Multnomah in Portland, on June 11th. Taking off from a wooden runway they had built on the roof, Silas flew over the City and on to Vancouver, Wash. where he landed, about eight miles away. With very little flying experience, this was a very daring feat, to say the least, but he made it and gained nation-wide publicity. 

Following this flight, Silas proceeded to help Harry learn to fly with the plane at Vancouver, after which the two brothers toured the northwest for the remainder of the season, making exhibition flights. In July, the brothers bought a second new Curtiss-type biplane, with Hall-Scott engine, from the Paterson Aeroplane Co. of San Francisco. They also fitted floats to the planes and did considerable flying from the water. [[crossed out]] That fall they enjoyed the unusual sport of hunting ducks while flying from the water at Portland.[[/crossed out]] On August 19th, Silas flew his hydro over and under the Portland Bridges in several flights up and down the Willamette River. September 11th and 12th he flew at Livingston, Montana, and on November 1st, he and a newspaper reporter made two trips out over the wreck of the vessel Osprey off Marshfield, Oregon, in their hydro. They viewed the wreck but could render no assistance. While at Marshfield, Silas and Harry flew a 4-day exhibition engagement and carried passengers. In early November, an advertisement appeared in the aviation magazines: "Christofferson Aeroplanes - Biplanes of all types built to order, passengers carried - pupils trained, Portland, Oregon. Silas Christofferson, Designer and Builder." On November 19th Silas was married and the newlyweds left on "an aerial honeymoon" up the Columbia River in a hydro.

In later November [[crossed out]] an announcement was made that[[/crossed out]] the brothers [[crossed out]]were moving[[/crossed out]] moved their business to San Francisco. There the company started to operate in a small factory on Van Ness Avenue, and a Hydro Haven was established at Harbor View, on the famed San Francisco Marina. On December 6th Silas started flying his hydro about the bay area carrying passengers, including Mayor James Rolph of San Francisco, and new photographers. December 23d he made a 35 minute flight over San Francisco at night with his hydro illuminated with red and green lights. Over the heart of the City he released thousands of hand bills advertising the Air Meet to open at Tanforan Race Track on Christmas Day. Silas flew his hydro at this Meet along with Lincoln Beachey, Thad Kerns, Tom Gunn, Bob Fowler