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In March, 1915, McGee became test pilot for the B. Stephens and Sons Co. of Woonsocket, who were finishing a new Flying Boat, the first ever built in Rhode Island. It was a two seater side-by-side pusher biplane, using a 12-cyl. opposed type air cooled 105 H.P. Ashmusen engine. McGee started taxying tests on this machine in April and shortly thereafter began flying it. In August he was flying it at Oakland Beach Resort, R.I. Later that month while flying the Stephens Flying Boat over Attleboro, Mass. the engine crankshaft broke, but McGee made a safe landing. In September he filled some exhibition engagements for his friend, Curtiss pilot W.S. Lucky, who had suffered serious injuries in a crash in Canada and could not appear. September 28-29th McGee flew at the Greenfield, Mass. Fair, making two 20-minute flights a day, as well as carrying passengers while there.

Apparently McGee retired from flying in 1916, but in the Spring of 1917 he wanted to help with the war effort when the United States entered World War I. As a result, he became Chief Pilot for the Gallaudet Aircraft Co. in East Greenwich, R.I. This firm was in the process of designing and building new type planes for the war effort and also operating a flying school. McGee flew actively for Gallaudet through 1917 and into 1918 on test and demonstration flying, and assisted generally with development work. On June 11, 1918 he lost his life while flying a new type Gallaudet plane, when he crashed into the waters of Narragansett Bay. The wreckage did not come to the surface and his body could not be recovered until a marine derrick was brought to the scene. It is not known whether he was killed in the crash or was drowned.

One of the true New England Flying Pioneers, he gave his life in the service of World War I. While in number of hours he did not do as much flying as many of the other early pilots, nevertheless he is deserving of credit for his faith and efforts to the cause of early aviation.

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FROM THE 
FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES 
OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE 
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