Viewing page 5 of 23

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

he entered all major events and made a good showing [[strikethrough]] against[/strikethrough]] in competition with veteran pilots.
On October 7th Lillie [[strikethrough]] took [[/strikethrough]] obtained the Chicago agency for [[strikethrough]] and got delivery of a new [[/strikethrough]] Day tractor airplanes designed and made by Charles Day of Los Angeles, California. Thompson began flying [[strikethrough]] it [[/strikethrough]] one at once, both with and without a passenger, and was delighted with the performance. October 12th he flew to Aurora, Ill. [[strikethrough]] and back, 64 miles, [[/strikethrough]] to fly an exhibition there and return, 64 miles in all. October 22nd he filled an exhibition date at Pontiac, Mich., again using the Day tractor. He [[strikethrough]] continued teaching [[/strikethrough]] taught at Cicero until November 9th when the school moved to Kinloch Field, St. Louis where operations continued until December 14th. They then went south Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, for the winter months.

Early in January, 1913 Thompson and Andrew Drew started operations at the school in Texas and also flew Sunday exhibitions to create local interest in flying. February 17th he flew at San Marcos, Texas and on February 22nd at Laredo, Texas. On March 1st, with Chance Vought as a passenger, he attempted to set a new altitude record for pilot and passenger and reached a height 7,350 feet,but [[strikethrough]] fell short of [[/strikethrough]] was below a new record. On April 16th he left the Texas camp for Cicero to re-establish the school there for the summer. Operations started at Chicago on April 29th.

Throughout the summer of 1913 Thompson was busy with students at the Lillie School, but he also flew exhibition dates at Joliet, Ill. on May 3rd and 4th; Anna,Ill. July 4th; Columbia City, Ind. August 21st; Lacon, Ill. August 28th; Mahanoy City, Pa., September 1st-6th; Vinton, Iowa September 10th-13th; Elroy, Wisconsin September 17th-20th and then started a 3-day engagement at Galesburg, Ill. on September 27th which had been left unfilled following MAx Lillie's fatal accident. On October 5th he flew one week at the Illinois State Fair at Springfield, Ill., then four days at a County Fair at Hartville, Mo., starting October 16th. He was at Hopkinsville, Ky. one week beginning November 1st and two days at Louisville, Ky. November 6th and 7th. November 29th he was back at Cicero giving the Day tractor a through overhaul following the season's exhibition engagements. During the 
2