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Victor Vernon 
Pioneer Curtiss Pilot-Instructor 

Victor Vernon was born in Rome, Italy, October 1, 1883, son of a minister who had a church there. During his youth the family moved to the United States and settled in Syracuse, New York, where Vernon attended Madison School, then Syracuse University until 1902 when he enlisted in the [[strikethrough]] Infantry [[/strikethrough]] of the, United States Army, serving until 1905. 

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Vernon returned to Syracuse where he was an office appliance salesman for the Smith-Premier Typewriter Company in central New York. He remained in this activity through 1910. In 1911 he established an automobile agency which he operated through 1913. 

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That fall, while on a short vacation trip, he saw a Burgess-Dunne hydroair-plane in flight at Marblehead, Massachusetts, and became interested in water flying. As a result, Vernon went to Hammondsport, New York, to visit the Curtiss Company and investigate their flying school. He was so impressed that arrangements were made to purchase a Curtiss flying boat and to take flying instruction in the early spring of 1914. 

He was a member of the first spring class of students in 1914 at Hammondsport and was taught by Francis "Doc" Wildman in May, following which he took delivery of his new Curtiss flying boat which he named the "Betty-V." Vernon did not obtain his flying license at that time. william "Gink" doherty joined him to fly exhibitions and carry passengers as a resort attraction at Crystal Beach on Lake Erie, near Buffalo, through ^ the months and into July, After this engagement Vernon shipped his flying boat to Portland, Maine, and Doherty went along to assist him. They began flying and carrying passengers there in early August and spent the remainder of the season cruising along the coast of Maine, continuing their operations at various resort towns. On September 3rd, Vernon flew from Bar Harbor to Kennebunk Beach, Maine, 150 miles in two and one-