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

ANDREW DREW
Early Wright Pilot - Instructor

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Andrew Drew was born in St. Louis, Missouri, January 21st, 1885, son of a prominent banker and one of ten children. Drew began his career as an actor, then became a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. On that job he took a ride in a balloon to get a story and was so facinated [[fascinated]] by the experience that he took up ballooning as a sport. Then he became a member of the Aero Club of St. Louis and began writing for the new aviation magazine AERO.

As a news reporter Drew had his first aeroplane ride with Wright pilot Arch Hoxsey at the 1910 St. Louis Aviation Meet, held there October 8th to 18th. This was a major early aviation event and Drew became very interested.

In the Spring of 1911 he decided to organize a company to deal in aeroplanes and engage in exhibition flying. Together with Max Lillie of the Lillie Construction Company and three others, Drew formed the Pioneer Aeroplane and Exhibition Company in early July, 1911. He was interested in learning to fly at once so the group sent him to the Wright School at Dayton, Ohio for instruction. He started his course about July 20th, first with Cliff Turpin as instructor and later finishing with Walter Brookins on August 8th. That same day he flew his license tests in a school. Wright and was granted F.A.I. Certificate No. 50, dated August 30, 1911.

Immediately after this Drew flew for the Wright Company on their Exhibition

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