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DIDIER MASSON
Pioneer Masson was born at Asnieres, Siene, France, February 23, 1886. After his schooling he became an apprentice jewler. At age 17 he enlisted in the infantry. From 1906-1908 he worked for a magneto manufacturer, then in 1909 the firm sent him to London. 
Later that year he returned to Paris where he met the famous aviator Louis Paulham. As a result Paulhan hired Masson as a mechanic and they came to the United States to fly at the first United States aviation meet at Los Angeles held 10 to 20, 1910. They arrived in New York on January 3rd with two Farman biplanes and two Blerior monoplanes. At Los Angeles, Paulhan was the "star" of the event and while there, Masson started to learn to fly with some instruction from Paulhan. On January 17th he almost made a complete circuit of the course on a Farman biplane, then on the 20th he did better.
After the meet Paulhan made a brief exhibition tour, with flights at Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Jamaica, Long Island; then, in mid-March, he returned to France.
Masson liked the U.S. and decided to stay. By that time he had a little flying experience and during the summer and fall of 1910 was able to get more flying time at Mineola, New York, on different type planes but without much success. In late 1910 he returned to California where, during the second Los Angeles air meet, he secured Willard's old passenger-carrying, extra span, Curtiss-type biplane. Masson installed a new 8-cylinder, 60 hp., Hall-Scott engine, and with this plane he really learned to fly. Willard had called the plane the "Banshee" but Masson changed the name to the "Pegasus." With this plane he made a fine flight on January 1st, passing