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ed on it. On December 27, 1911 Tony obtained Pilot License No. 80 on the new Benoist Headless lane.
Tony flew actively all through the winter months of 1911-1912 and on March 1, 1912 carried Albert Berry aloft for his celebrated second chute jump in history from an aeroplane, at Jefferson Barracks Army Post. He dropped from 1500 feet then Tony landed on the parade grounds amid the cheers of Commandant Colonel W. T. Wood, Tom Benoist, officers and men. Following this Tony conducted the first flight tests of the new Benoist Tractor Biplane on March 15th and remained very busy through the early spring months with ten students. About June 1st he made the first flight tests of their new Tractor on floats at Creve Coeur Lake, Missouri, and on July 4th started to fly exhibitions for the company at Belleville, Illinois. That summer Tony also carried a great many passengers at Kinloch Field demonstrating Benoist Planes and trying to sell aviation. He flew exhibitions at several towns in Missouri and then was a contestant at the Chicago Meet from September 13th through the 21st, flying both a land plane at Cicero, then a Tractor Hydro at Grant Park on the lake front. At Cicero he established a new American passenger carrying record, taking three men up 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 Tony flew at the St. Louis Fair from September 23rd to 28th. In October he also flew in a Water Carnival on the river at St. Louis and