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[[stamp]] FROM THE HAROLD & MARVEL MOREHOUSE AVIATION PIONEERS COLLECTION National Air & Space Museum [[/stamp]]

JOHN H. WORDEN
Early Moisant-Bleriot Monoplane Pilot 

John H. Worden was born in New York City February 4, 1885. Information is lacking concerning his early life and education but he entered the Moisant Flying School at Mineola, Long Island, New York in June, 1911 where he learned to fly a Moisant-Bleriot monoplane from instructor Andre Houpert. He was one of nine Moisant students that summer. Worden flew his tests for pilot license on November 10th to 14th and obtained F.A.I. Pilot License No. 76 on November 22d, 1911. 

The National Airplane Company of Chicago, Illinois moved their flying school south for the winter of 1911-1912 and Worden became Bleriot monoplane instructor for them at Galveston, Texas. When the school moved back north in the spring he started flying for Moisant again. May 4th and 5th, 1912 he flew a Moisant monoplane at Childress, Texas; on May 8th at Caldwell, Kansas, then May 14th to 16th he exhibited at Arkansas City, Kansas. June 7th to 14th he flew at Denison, Texas, and following this he made a cross-country flight from Joplin, Missouri to Webb City, Missouri, making exhibition flights at both places. 
In July the Moisant Company sent Worden to Mexico to demonstrate their planes before Government military officers. While there he did aerial patrol and scouting duty and had some hectic experiences, getting shot at and having to operate under very adverse conditions - no fields, poor gasoline and untrained personnel.

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