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[[strikethrough]] chino [[/strikethrough]] plane. He evidently went on with the project through the late summer months, trying to fly the plane and develop its possibilities. 

Not [[strikethrough]] yet [[/strikethrough]] knowing how to fly, Kearney entered this machine in the amateur events of the Harvard-Boston Aviation Meet held September 3d to 13th, 1910. While practicing taxying on September 4th, he ran into a fence and wrecked the front controls. Persistently trying to fly after repairing the damage, he [[strikethrough]] did [[/strikethrough]] succeeded in making a short straightaway flight on September 8th. [[strikethrough]] Following this [[/strikethrough]] He evidently continued his experiments with the Pfitzner machine that fall and made some additional short hops, then [[strikethrough]] apparently [[/strikethrough]] gave up and returned to the mid-west for the winter. 

Kearney was in St. Louis, Missouri, in the early spring of 1911, where he bought a second-hand Farman biplane, without engine. Obtaining a Hall-Scott 60 [[strikethrough]] H.P. [[/strikethrough]] hp. engine, he startled every one at Kinloch Field on April 17th by immediately taking off and going into a series of steep banks, then landed with a terrific bump, breaking a number of wires. He continued to practice at Kinloch Field, then decided to undertake exhibition work. His first engagement was at Bartlesville, Oklahoma, on May 27th where he had a minor smashup. He then contracted to fly every Sunday afternoon for the El Dorado Resort Hotel at Creve Coeur Lake, Missouri, during the summer months. On June 28th he had a bad smashup, completely wrecking his plane, which resulted in his being on crutches for about three months. 

As soon as he was able he started flying for Tom Benoist, using a Benoist copy of a Curtiss pusher [[strikethrough]] copy, using his [[/strikethrough]] powered with Kearney's Hall-Scott engine, and flew at the State Fair grounds, St. Louis, on October 8th. Kearney continued [[strikethrough]] his practice [[/strikethrough]] to improve his flying at Kinloch [[strikethrough]] that [[/strikethrough]] during the late fall and reportedly received some instruction from Benoist. On October 28th he tried to fly for his license tests but failed, as he did not follow the prescribed course. Flying actively through November, he [[strikethrough]] then exhibited [[/strikethrough]] continued flying at Alton, Illinois, in early December and then on December 26th, still flying his Benoist pusher, he qualified for his license with ease at Kinloch, obtaining Certificate No. 83, which was granted January 10, 1912. A.B. Lambert and Thomas Benoist officially observed his tests. [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]]

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