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241  HERBERT A. MUNTER

Pioneer West Coast Plane builder - Aviator

  Herbert A. Munter was born at Seattle, Washington, June 13 1894.  He attended local schools, saw his first airplane in 1910 and became so interested he decided to build one, a modified Curtiss-type biplane, powered by a 4-cylinder Maximotor engine.  With this plane he taught himself to fly by the grass-cutting and short straight away hop method.  He first became airborne on December 12th, 1912, then continued his practice and was soon flying capably. 
  In 1913 he built a second machine, then in 1914 a third, and September 19th, 1914 made an extended flight over Seattle and vicinity.  September 21st to 26th he made his first public exhibition flights at Enterprise, Oregon, using his 1914 Curtiss-type biplane, powered by a Hall-Scott engine.  
  In the spring of 1915 Munter had his hangar and base of operations on Harbor Island in Elliot Bay, Seattle.  In late May he took his mother for a long ride over Seattle and surrounding area.  In July
he had his first serious accident when the propeller came off in the air, but he was not injured.  From September to mid-October he flew exhibitions in Idaho and Montana, then back in Seattle he started carrying passengers and made some trips to Tacoma, Washington and return.  During the fall he also did some acrobatic flying for the movies and some instructing.  That season he was also a founder member of the newly formed Northwest Aero Club.
  About that time William E. Boeing approached Munter concerning the possibility of helping him to build some planes.  Munter agreed, but said he would first have to finish his season's exhibition contracts.  He planned to build two plane with Hall-Scott engines.  Boeing went to Los Angeles to take flying lessons at the Glenn Martin school and while there, purchased a Martin Model II hydro biplane which was delivered to Seattle in late October.  It was assembled at Lake Washington by Martin pilot Floyd Smith, who then made several check flights of the plane with Munter.  Following this Munter and Boeing used the Martin machine some that fall and made a few trips with it to neighboring towns.