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About August 1st, Cooper became associated with F.A. Pine of Dallas, Texas. Pine had built a Curtiss-type biplane powered with a 6-cylinder, 100 h.p. Emerson 2-cycle engine and had the plane at Kinloch Field, St. Louis, Missouri. Cooper wanted to get into the flying game and Pine gave him the opportunity. He started practicing with the plane, and having some previous experience, made his first circle with the Pine biplane on August 20th and continued flying daily. He flew his tests for pilot license at Kinloch Field on August 30th and received F.A.I. Certificate No. 60, dated September 20, 1911.

Continuing his practice there, he started booking for exhibition work. A small local amateur meet was held at Kinloch October 1st to 10th and Cooper was entered in the event but he had so much engine trouble he failed to make much of a showing. Shortly after this, Pine and Cooper moved their operations back to Dallas for the winter and soon formed the Texas School of Aviation, with Cooper as Chief Pilot. There they planned to train students, fly exhibitions, carry passengers and conduct similar activities. Starting about mid-November, Cooper flew for several days at Paris, Texas, for the local Board of Trade. There, he wore a new crash helmet of his own creation.

During the winter of 1911-1912 Cooper carried on the business and flew some exhibitions through the Southwest. He continued these operations through the summer, then about August 1st he went back with Curtiss and became a member of the Curtiss Exhibition Team.

On August 24th, Cooper flew with Lincoln Beachey at Plainfield, New Jersey, and on August 28th he was at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where he had a smashup due to a very rough field, but was not injured. September 26th and 27th he flew at Trinidad, Colorado. In late October he was at Hammondsport where "Doc" Wildman gave him some instruction on hydros and flying boats.

When the Curtiss activities moved back to North Island for the winter of 1912-1913, Cooper was sent there and in February he conducted first flight tests of the new Curtiss military tractor biplane. It was a two-seat, side-by-side