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and Freeman obtain their pilot licenses. During 1911 Welsh either taught or assisted with the training of over 30 students. 
  On January 11th, 1912 Welsh was to fly at the Annual Meeting and Banquet of the Aero Club of Connecticut at Bridgeport. Robert Collier had shipped his personal Wright plane there for the event but flying was prevented by bad weather. About this time Mr. Collier decided to send his aeroplane and photographer, James H. Hare, to Panama to get aerial photos of the Canal for a feature article in Colliers Weekly. The Canal was then under construction and he planned to fly over the entire route and get good aerial views of the dams, locks and cuts being made along the course. Completing his plans Collier invited Welsh to join the party with his pilot O. G. Simmons and Hare. The group, with plane and equipment, left New York in the late January for Colon, Panama, on the S.S. Turrialba. Upon their arrival, they took a trip across the Isthmis by a railroad that paralled the canal workings to look over the possibilities. After much investigation and careful consideration the project was finally abandoned as too hazardous to attempt, and they returned to New York, arriving there on April 3d. Welsh returned to Dayton and at once opened the 1912 training season with students Grover Bergdell, Charles Wald, William Kabitsky and John Klockler.
  The new Model "C" plane, with the more powerful 6 cyl. engine was brought out for civilian use at that time and Welsh did much of the original flight testing. The War Department was becoming more air-minded, and in February ordered ten of these planes, to be revised somewhat for military use. Called the CM-1 Wright Military Scout, it was slightly larger and stronger, built to carry two people, with controls at both seats, to be capable of climbing 2,000 feet in ten minutes with 450 pound load, fuel for four hours, and have a minimum speed of 45 M.P.H. By May the first of these military planes was ready to deliver to College Park, Maryland, and Welsh and Orville Wright arrived there on May 17th to start the official test program. Mr. Wright arrived there on May 17th to start the official test program. Mr. Wright conferred with officials relative to the tests and business matters then returned to Dayton, leaving Welsh to carry out the test program.