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WILLIAM E. "GINK" DOHERTY
Early Curtiss Exhibition and Test Pilot - Instructor

William E. "Gink" Doherty was born at Buffalo, New York, December 7, 1886. A natural born mechanic, he was quite an expert with automobiles. While attending the University of Toronto, he met and became well acquainted with fellow students J.A.D. McCudrdy and F.W. Baldwin, who were later to become members of Dr. Bell's famed early Aerial Experiment Association. 

Through this friendship Doherty became interested in aviation and was persuaded to go to Hammondsport, New York, and take up flying. As a result he entered the Curtiss Flying School's spring class of 1911, and was taught to fly by Glenn Curtiss and Hugh Robinson, Assistant Instructor at that time. Doherty's Curtiss Flying Diploma was dated July 7th, 1911, and signed by Glenn Curtiss. He soloed on land planes, then took instruction on seaplanes but did not take his license tests at [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] that time.

Doherty joined the Curtiss Exhibition Team and filled some engagements during the fall of 1911. In September he did some flying on a new plane built by Charles Willard and J.A.D. at Nassau Boulevard, Long Island. In the spring of 1912 Doherty was back in Hammondsport for the summer season where he took additional instruction on seaplanes and assisted with development and test work. He also filled some exhibitions engagements for the Curtiss Company that year.

In April, 1913, Doherty returned to Hammondsport for the flying season and early in June and he and Beckwith Havens filled exhibition engagements of Poughkeepsie, New York, and other eastern points. One June 28th he purchased a Curtiss flying boat and planned to start a passenger service in Buffalo. He took delivery of his boat, July 4th and gave it a thorough try-out at once. Doherty preferred water craft and handled them beautifully. Later in July he was established at Erie Beach, Buffalo, making daily flights and carry passengers. One day in August he was caught in a sudden severe windstorm while carrying passangers. He succeeded in