Viewing page 16 of 71

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

time as a  company work horse, a number of renowned early Benoist pilots having been trained on it. On December 27, 1911, Tony obtained Pilot License No. 80 on the new Benoist Headless plane.

Tony flew actively all through the winter months of 1911-1912 and on March 1, 1912, carried Albert Berry aloft for his celebrated second parachute jump in history from an aeroplane at Jefferson Barracks Army Post. Berry dropped from 1,5000 ft. then Tony landed on the parade grounds where he and Barry received the cheers of Commandant Col. W. T. Wood, Tom Benoist, officers and men. Following this Tony conducted the first flight tests of the new Benoist Tractor Biplane on March 15 and remained very busy through the early spring months with ten students. About June 1 he conducted first flight tests of their new Tractor on floats at Creve Coeur Lake, Missouri, and on July 4th started flying exhibitions for the company at Belleville, Illinois. That summer Tony also carried many passengers at Kinloch Field, demonstrating Benoist Planes and trying to sell aviation. He flew exhibitions at several town sin Missouri and then was a contestant at the Chicago air meet from September 12th through the 21st, flying both a land plane at cicero, then a tracto hydro at Grant Park on the lake front. At Cicero he established a new America passenger-carrying record, taking three men with him for several minutes. His consistently safe flying in all events at this meet won him considerable acclaim both for his flying ability and for Benoist planes. Following the meet, from September 23rd to 28th, Tony flew at the St. Louis Fair. In October he also flew in a Water Carnival on the river at St. Louis and began plans for his famous over-water flight from Omaha to New Orleans. On November 3rd he gave exhibitions at both Omaha and Council Bluffs.

On November 6th he left Omaha on the first leg of the flight to New Orleans. He reached Kansas City on the ninth and there installed a larger fuel tank so he could make longer hops. On November 17th he reached St. Louis, completing 771 miles, having made exhibition flights at many points along his route. There he was greeted by a large crowd to celebrate his completion of the longest Hydro cross-country flight on record. At St. Louis the plane and engine were give a

3