Viewing page 24 of 36

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

the race that year. At the last moment Prince changed his mind and named Charles Weymann. After the event Kantner took the opportunity to tour the French aircraft and engine plants before returning home. While Kantner was in Europe, Moisant aviator C. M. Wood established a new American non-stop distance record with the Kantner-Moisant Bluebird on August 8th when he flew from Garden City, Long Island, to Gaithersburg, Maryland, 277 miles, in five hours. He was enroute to Ft. Myer, Virginia for military demonstrations but was forced down with engine trouble just short of his goal. On August 13th Wood used this same plane in the New York Times Round-Manhattan Race.

Upon returning to the United States, Kantner resumed his activities with Moisant. Reportedly over the fall and winter months of 1913-1914 four planes were built for the Mexican government and some Mexican students were trained at the school. In March, 1914, Kantner went to Mexico where he visited Gen. Villa in the interests of these negotiations and did some flying. While there he had several hair raising experiences both aloft and on the ground. At this time Charles Niles joined the Moisant organization and began acrobatic flying with a new Moisant exhibition plane. From April 21st to the 24th he looped and flew inverted before Mexican Government representatives at Garden City. Kantner also made demonstration flights there at that time. Evidently Kantner left Moisant that spring and on July 4th he won the Governors Island-to-Spuyten Duyvil Race, flying a Schmitt Scout Monoplane with 50 h.p. Gnome engine. He continued flying this plane at Hempstead and Garden City, Long Island, through October and on September 6th won the speed events at a weekend air meet at Hempstead. In late October he conducted some tests of this plane for Schmitt before Army officers.

In January, 1915, Kantner joined the newly formed Huntington Aircraft Company, of New York City, as factory superintendent and company pilot. Work was started at once on a new Gyro-motored tractor Scout biplane, and Kantner conducted initial flight tests of this plane on March 7th, which were highly successful. He continued active testing and almost at once began carrying passengers. This 

3

Transcription Notes:
. incorporated proofreading corrections as done on other sections of this project