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Thomas E. "Eric" Springer 
Pioneer Martin and Douglas Test Pilot
Thomas E. Springer was born on a farm near Selmer, Tennessee, January 23, 1892. He attended local schools, then later his parents moved to Texas where he graduated from Windom High School in 1911. Naturally mechanically inclined, he obtained a copy of Lougheed's Vehicles of the Air during his youth, which fired his interest in aviation and flying.
In the fall he entered Texas A&M but due to poor health remained in college only one term, then started operating a garage at Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. This venture did not work out so Springer and a friend drove an automobile to Los Angeles, California, to look for work, preferably as automobile mechanics. There he obtained employment with the W.J. Burt Motor Car Company, distributors of Auburn Cars.
Springer remained there until 1914 when he started working for the Ford Motor Company in their new assembly plant. During that time he met Glenn L. Martin and learned about his flying school at Griffith Park. Eager to learn to fly, Springer signed up for his flying lessons. There he learned to fly on a Martin-Curtiss type pusher biplane powered by a Curtiss-type 0, 75-horsepower, 8-cylinder engine, from ground verbal instruction from Floyd Smith. Starting first with ground practice and short hops he made his first worthwhile flight on November 13, 1914. This was followed by dual instruction from Smith on the new Martin Model TT. Springer continued working at Ford and kept up his flying practice until late 1915 when he left Ford to join Martin as a full time instructor.
In August, 1916, Martin moved east as a member of the newly formed Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation which took over his organization and the operation of his Los Angeles facilities, while Springer and Floyd Smith