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ARTHUR L. "AL" WELSH
Early Wright Exhibition and Test Pilot - Instructor

  Arthur L. Welsh was born in Russia, August 14, 1881, one of a large family who moved to the United States when he was about ten years of age. He received his elementary education from a retired teacher who lived with the family, and was particularly adept at mathematics, languages, and pen and pencil sketching. Athletically inclined, he became an expert swimmer and oarsman. After becoming a naturalized citizen, he enlisted in the United States Navy at Washington D.C., April 17, 1901, and served on the U. S. S. Hancock and Monongahela. During his service he was stationed at Guantanamo, Cuba, for a time, and was honorably discharged on April 16, 1905.
  In May, 1905, he became seriously ill with typhoid fever and was hospitalized for four months. A long [[/strikethrough]] pweiod [[/strikethrough]] period of convalescence followed during which he thought about flying machines and flying, for he had been interested in aviation since the first reports of man's ability to fly. Welsh advanced his education and became a bookkeeper, and at the same time was a boys' physical education instructor, but his constant interest was in aviation. He studied everything he could obtain concerning it and saw Orville Wright make his public demonstration flights before War Department staff officers and high government notables at Fort Myer, Virginia in September 1908. Welsh was there again when Wilbur was with Orville completing those demonstrations during July 1909. At the time Welsh was a bookkeeper for the Gas Pintach Company of Washington, D.C.
  Those flights intensified Welsh's resolved to learn to fly. He idolized the Wright Brothers and believed they represented all that was worthwhile in aviation. In the fall of 1909 Welsh started correspondence with the Wrights about employment with them at Dayton, but did not receive much encouragement until he went to Ohio to see them, then his sincere persistence won out and they agreed to take him on as soon as it could be arranged.