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[[stamped]] 
FROM THE HAROLD & MARVEL MOREHOUSE AVIATION PIONEERS COLLECTION 
NATIONAL AIR & SPACE MUSEUM
[[/stamped]]

FRANK M. STITES
Pioneer West Coast Plane Builder - Aviator

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Frank M. Stites was born on Los Angeles, California, February 28, 1882. Information concerning his early life and education is lacking, but he evidently developed an early interest in flying. 

He was one of several local amateur experimenters who had homemade planes of varying types at the first Los Angeles aviation meet at Dominguez Field January 10th to 20th, 1910, but none of them was able to fly. Stites' plane was badly damaged during the event by gale strength winds. He rebuilt his plane and continued his efforts to learn to fly, plagued by inexperience, mashups and a multitude of mechanical troubles, but kept doggedly at it through 1910.

That year he evidently built a Curtiss-type biplane, powered by a Macomber rotary engine, and entered this plane in the amateur events of the second Los Angeles meet at Dominguez Field held December 24th, 1910 to January, 2d, 1911. There Stites was making straightaway hope but still had so much engine trouble he failed to do any actual flying. Continuing his experiments, he flew in an all-amateur flying meet at Dominguez Field June 10th and 11th with Beryl Williams, Jack Cannon, Jay Gage and C.M. Crosson. Stites and Crosson were the stars of the event, and although Stites had two minor smashups he was flying circles at low altitudes. On June 28th he had another smashup at Dominguez Field, but by