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FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE

One of the staff men at the Emerson plant was Frederick Fox who, in 1910, entered into a partnership with Rexford Smith to build what was probably the first aeroplane made in the Washington area. They planned to use a revamped Emerson Marine engine and Tony was delegated to make the installation. While engaged in this work he became interested in aviation. The plane was a modified Curtiss-type biplane with Farman landing gear, and first hops were made at College Park, Maryland on November 6, 1910. Smith tried it first, followed by Fox, then Jannus. Eighteen hops were made that day, and tests continued daily, weather permitting. The following Sunday Jannus had it up to a height of 25 to 30 feet and made a turn. For the remainder of November and into December Jannus was practicing actively, and on December 15th he made a flight in a snow storm and broke the propellor in landing. 
The first week in January, 1911 he was making short cross-country jaunts at altitudes of 250 to 300 feet. He kept up a steady practice and on March 5th attempted a flight over Washington, D. C. but was turned back by high winds when part way there. In April the plan was taken to the Polo Grounds, where Jannus carried many Washington, D.C. notables as passengers. On April 3rd he had R.R. Bermann of the Signal Corps Wireless Laboratory as a passenger, with a sending outfit, and messages were received on the ground. On April 15th Jannus tried to fly the plane on floats, but it was so badly out of balance, it turned turtle while taxying and