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

finally succeeded in getting the plane back on the ground without breaking anything.  Knabenshue then told Mrs. Dixon to never let him get in an aeroplane again if she valued his life, which she thoroughly resented.

After this event the Dixons repaired their airship and appeared at various points during the summer of 1910, including the Boston-Harvard Meet at Atlantic, Massachusetts, held September 3d to 12th, but his ambition to become an aviator was rapidly robbing him of interest in the airship. At this event Dixon had a harrowing experience when his engine stopped at considerable altitude and the wind started blowing him out to sea.  There was great concern for his safety until he was finally able to restart the engine and return to the field.  At that time he had reportedly made over 225 airship flights.

In the spring of 1911 Dixon apparently abandoned the airship entirely, was determined to learn to fly and signed up as a student in the first spring class at the Curtiss School at Hammondsport, New York. In the same class were "Gink" Doherty and Lt. J.B. McClaskey.  He was taught to fly by Hugh Robinson with evidently some instructions also from Curtiss.  He was entered in the Metz Aviation Meet, near Waltham, Massachusetts, held June 15th to 20th, with a Curtiss plane and also had an airship there.  This was undoubtedly his first public flying for one of his first attempts to fly he smashed the plane, but did make airship flights during the event.  Evidently he continued his flying practice, and in late July was at Nassau boulevard, Long Island, New York where reportedly Earl Ovington gave Dixon some additional instruction.  On August 6th he obtained his F.A.I. Pilot License No. 43 at Nassau on a Curtiss biplane.

At this time he evidently became a member of the Curtiss Exhibition Team, and on August 27th flew to Kenosha, Wisconsin with James Ward.  Starting September 1st he flew for one week at a fair at Grand Island, Nebraska and raced an automobile at a local track.  September 11th to 15th he flew at Huron, South Dakota and did fine work, then on September 30th he was at Helena, Montana and flew across the Continental Divide at 7,000 feet to Blossburg and return for a $10,000 prize.  That evening he was given a place of honor at a banquet celebrating the event.

On October 2d, 1911 while flying at Spokane, Washington he crashed and was so

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