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261

CLIFFORD B. PRODGER
Pioneer Wright Pilot - Flight Test Engineer

Clifford B. Prodger was born at Alexandria, Minnesota, June 8, 1889. During his youth his parents moved to Montana where his father owned and operated a grain elevator at Fife near Great Falls, where Prodger attended school.

He became interested in aviation during 1910 and 1911 when Bud Mars, Eugene Ely and Cromwell Dixon all made flights in nearby towns, then T. T. Maroney built his first plane at Great Falls in 1911. As a result, Prodger went east in early 1912 determined to learn to fly. He first entered the Robert Rubel School at Louisville, Kentucky, in early June, but this venture proved to be a hoax and he received no instruction. 

He then went to Long Island where he started training with George Beatty on a Wright biplane at Nassau Boulevard. Other students there were Willian Bouldin, Hugh Sargent and Charles Kowalchek, with Beatty instructiong. Prodger proved to be an exceptionally apt pupil and was soon flying alone. On July 17th Beatty moved the scshool to the Hempstead Plains Flying Field at Mineola, Long Island. Prodger continued to practice there and obtained F. A. I. Flying License No. 159, August 22, 1912, flying a Beatty Wright school machine.

Prodger remained at Mineola during the remainder of 1912 and did considerable flying with Beatty, then about January 1, 1913, the school was moved to College Park, Maryland, and Prodger was made an assistant instructor. A substantial amount [[checkmark]] of flying was done there and in March a 7-cylinder, 50 h.p. [[strikethrough]],[[/strikethrough]] Gyro rotary engine was installed in one of their Wright machines to be used by the Gyro Motor Company of Washington, D.C., for demonstration purposes. This motor gave the Wright plane unusual performance. Weight-carrying and endurance flights were made to test the new installation. Some pupils were taught, then, in July, Beatty went to England with the Gyro-Wright on a demonstration trip for the