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cities and it was in demand. As a result Dekor engaged the Gage-McClay Company, at Los Angeles, to build a special small biplane of his own design for looping and aerobatic flying. It was powered by an 80 h.p. Gyro rotary engine and was completed in September. On his first trial flight Dekor made two loops, the first time he had ever done so. He started on an exhibition tour at once with this new plane, reportedly the second person in the United States to fly looping exhibitions.

Following a southern tour during the winter months of 1914-1915 Dekor returned to Los Angeles in May, 1915, to have his plane overhauled and put in shape for a tour in the Middle West that summer. Later he turned to the West Coast and flew exhibitions in the North West that fall.

In 1916 Dekor started on the exhibition circuits again and on September 15th met with a bad smashup at Bethany, Missouri, when he hot the top of the grandstand at the fairgrounds, wrecking his plane and sustaining severe injuries which laid him up for some time. During his active aerobatic flying career Dekor barnstormed through most of the United States as well as the islands of Cuba and Jamaica, and contracted for all types of stunt maneuvers including, looping, diving, upside down, aerial bombs and night flights with fireworks, and he always guaranteed his performances or no pay.

At the beginning of World War I Dekor offered his services to the U.S. Government and tried to get into the Air Service bu they would not accept him to due his major disabilities.

Dekor lived the remainder of his life in California and died suddenly on February 5, 1964, while shopping in a super market, at age 86. His remains were cremated and the ashes deposited in a niche at the Mt. View Cemetery, Oakland California. He was survived by a brother, Edward, of Hayward, California.

Early Bird and Flying Pioneer, Fred (Korstad) Dekor was truly one of the outstanding early United States exhibition aviators. He undoubtedly deserves more than the usual credit, for, with permanent physical disabilities that would have sidelined most men, he taught himself to fly, and by sheer courage and determin-