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ARTHUR B. STONE

Pioneer Bleriot Exhibition Pilot - Aviation Inspector

Arthur B. Stone was born at Buffalo, New York August 28th, 1874. He attended local schools and graduated from High School there.

Early in life he became an expert trick cyclist and traveled extensively in theatrical and circus engagements. During a stop in Dayton, Ohio in 1900 he learned of the Wright brothers and their interest in aviation. Later he originated the act of riding a motorcycle inside a large steel wire globe, looping the loop in all directions.

[[strikethrough]] Being [[/strikethrough]] While in Europe with his cycling act [[strikethrough]] and seeing [[/strikethrough]] he saw Orville Wright fly in Germany during the fall of 1909 [[strikethrough]] Stone [[/strikethrough]] and because convinced he wanted to learn to fly. The following spring Stone was in France with his motorcycle act and learned that Bleriot had started his flying school at Etampes, France. Stone enrolled for instruction and made his [[strikethrough]] 
first [[/strikethrough]] solo flight on July 7, 1910 [[strikethrough]] on [[/strikethrough]] in an Anzani-powered Bleriot monoplane. He continued his practice and obtained French Pilot License No. 15 on August 27, 1910.

During this time he bought a 50- [[strikethrough]] horsepower [[/strikethrough]] H.P. Gnome-Bleriot machine for his own use. Later he left France to fill theatrical engagements in South America. Then, early in 1911, he sold his plane and returned to the United States to become a full-time pilot of the Queen Aeroplane Company of New York City. They were building Bleriot-copy machines and had started a flying school. Throughout the spring of 1911 Stone was flying an Anzani-powered Queen-Bleriot school machine on Long Island. On July 5th he had a bad smashup at Nassau Boulevard, Long Island, while attempting to fly a special, highly experimental Queen monoplane having two engines, one a tractor and one a pusher. In this crash Stone had a narrow escape and was in the hospital for a few days with head injuries. On July 16th he flow in a small benefit meet at Mineola, then again on July 22nd in a weekend meet at Nassau Boulevard.

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