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FROM THE
FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES
OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE

HORACE B. WILD

Early Aeronaut - Dirigible Pilot - Aviator

Horace B. Wild was born in Chicago, Illinois, April 23, 1868, the son of an English balloonist. He attended local grade and high schools, the became a graduate electrical engineer.

Wild started in this profession and became a leading Chicago electrical engineering contractor. One of this early contracts was for wiring and special lighting of White City, Chicago's gala new amusement park, in which he was professionally interested.

Although a practicing electrical engineer, Wild developed an early interest in the air and took up balling in 1889, continuing the sport for some time, becoming a real expert. He air floated over the Great Lakes area, and later the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, his longest trip lasting 24 hours, 25 minutes. During this early period Wild became a close friend go Active Chanute in Chicago and shared his interest in the possibilities of flight.

Wild followed Chanute's early experiments closely and was present at the Canute-Herring glider trials at Dunne Park, Indiana during the summer of 1896. At that time he was making a foot-powered airship which was not a success.

HE next turned his attention to the powered airship and reportedly completed his first one in 1903. His experiments continued and by 1905 he has developed a 

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