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Ashore by Vilas. At this time Stadlman was an active member of the Aero Club of Illinois and was on their committee to inspect planes at Cicero Field for airworthiness. Among the Aero Club members at that time were many of the city's leading business men and internationally know industrialists who had become interested in aviation.

During the fall and winter of 1914 Stadlman and J. E. Roth were building a new Gyro-motored tractor biplane designed by C. M. Vought. In May, 1915 he was with the Esjay Aero Manufacturing Company of Chicago where they were building a new military-type tractor biplane. With him in this venture were E. B. Jaeger, R. J. Hoffman and Harry Powers. 

During the late fall of 1915 Stadlman took on the task of rebuilding a Benoist Type XIV Flying Boat for P. G. (Bud) Morriss who was in the process of organizing a school and flying service to open in Grand Rapids, Michigan the following spring. Morriss had several modifications and changes he wanted made and Stadlman was assisted by well know Chicago aero modeler Joe Incas. In early 1916 the work was moved to Grand Rapids and preparations were under way to operate a flying school and carry passengers at nearby Reeds Lake for the summer. The project was being financed by several Grand Rapids business men, and Harry Powers was to fly the plane. Later that summer B. R. (Fish) Hassell also flew for the group and Stadlman took care of the mechanical end of the project. Operations continued that summer then evidently the backers decided to go into aviation more extensively and planned to organize a company to build planes. In December, 1916 Stadlman and B. F. Kenyon, a member of the firm, made a trip to Washington, D. C. to see about possible Government contracts, then on to the Curtiss School at Newport News, Virginia, and returned by way of Buffalo, New York to visit the Curtiss factory.

By May 1917 Stadlman was completing a now flying boat with a Curtiss OX engine, which was exhibited at the annual local Auto Show that spring, with Stadlman in charge of the display booth. In June the Michigan Aircraft

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