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JOHN GUY GILPATRIC
Pioneer Long Island Monoplane Pilot - Instructor

John Guy Gilpatric was born in New York City, January 21, 1896, and attended Columbia Grammar School. While still in school the rapidly advancing art of aviation fascinated him and he read and reread everything he could find on flying. He attended all the early aviation activities in the New York area and became determined to learn to fly.

As a result at age 16 he enrolled as a student at the Sloane Flying School at Hempstead, Long Island, New York, in July, 1912. In the class also were W. I. Twombly, J. S. Herbert, T. E. Steptoe, Guy Morton and W. E. Roberts. Gilpatric started training on a single-seat French-built Deperdussin monoplane powered by a 3-cylinder 30 h.p. Anzani engine. He received verbal ground instruction from company instructor George Dyott, but virtually taught himself with no "in the air" dual instruction. Later Dyott left and instructor Leonard Bonney completed Gilpatric's course.

Gilpatric was an unusually apt pupil and by mid-August was making extended flights and advanced to the 6-cylinder 65 h.p. monoplanes. On September 15th he flew his license tests, giving a fictitious age, and was granted F.A.I. Certificate No. 171, dated September 25, 1912. While still an advanced student he was made Assistant Instructor at the Sloane Company, and during October he was instructing and carrying passengers at Hempstead.

About November 1st Sloane announced that the school was being moved to Dominguez Field, Los Angeles, California for the winter. After arriving there Sloane put on some free exhibitions to promote local interest, and on Thanksgiving Day Gilpatric established a new American altitude record with passenger of 5,000 feet, carrying Sloane student, J. F. Cogle. For this flight Gilpatric was given a handsome silver trophy by the Los Angeles Evening Herald.