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FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE
7- CHARLES L. FAY
Early Thomas Brothers Pilot- Instructor 
Charles L. Fay was born at Athol, Massachusetts, November 22,1891. He attended local schools and during the 1911-1913 period became interested in flying. As a result he joined the winter class at the Thomas Brothers Flying School at Bath, New York, November 1913, along with William Stewart, Bud Cory, G. Fanet, and George McNamara. Frank Burnside was their instructor and Fay soon displayed an exceptional ability as a student, and made his first solo fight on December 25. 
By January he was flying well, making consistently good landings. He continued his practice and by early spring was doing test flying for the Thomas Brothers Company. In mid-april, 1914, Fay was conducting the flight tests of the new Thomas Monoplane with 60-70 hp Maximotor engine from the ice of local Lake Salubria.
At that time he was an ardent gold fan and upon receiving an invitation from the Elmira, New York, Country Club to play he decided to fly there to accept their hospitality. Accordingly, in early May he flew to Elmira, landed on the gold links, played an afternoon game, then flew back to Bath the next morning. 
His flying for the Thomas Brothers Company continued that season, at times instructing, doing demonstration work with both land and water planes, and on
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