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[[stamped]] FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE [[/stamped]]

FLOYD J. SMITH
Pioneer West Coast Aviator - Parachute Expert

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Floyd J. Smith was born at Genesco, Illinois October 17th, 1884. In his youth his parents moved to Union, Oregon where he attended public school, then a [[strikethrough]] second [[/strikethrough]] move was made to San Diego, California where he graduated from High School. 

In 1906 Smith turned to the theatre as a gymnast. He was married to Hilder F. Youngberg in 1907, then they traveled as a husband and wife team of aerial trapeze acrobats. This led to their becoming featured stars with the Ringling, Barnum and Bailey Circus. 

During the early public appearances of the [[strikethrough]]aero[[/strikethrough]]airplane they became interested in the possibility of having a plane and starting on the road with a flying and parachute jumping act by themselves. [[strikethrough]] This dream grew and [[/strikethrough]] Late in 1912 they decided to build an aeroplane for this purpose. 

At that time Glenn Martin was giving up his small factory at Santa Ana, California to move his business to a larger building in Los Angeles. [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]] Smith arranged to take over Martin's former shop. There, with the design assistance of Charles Day and the spare time help of Martin mechanic Frank Shaw, Smith and his wife built a 2-seat Hall-Scott-powered tractor biplane during the winter months of 1911-1912. This machine was completed later that winter and Smith taught himself to fly in the spring at the former Martin flying grounds at Santa Ana. There he made his first

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