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November 28, 1911 The Flying School Moves With the advent of
winter weather, it was decided to move the flying school to a more favorable
climate. On November 28, 1911, five officers, twenty enlisted men, and
four airplanes, together with motor vehicles, wagons, horses, and mules,
moved by special train to Augusta, Georgia, where tent hangars were erected
in a field near the town. Despite heavy snows in January and February 1912
and subsequent flooding of the flying field by the Savannah River, the
small contingent flew
at every opportunity. One flight in particular was
significant-- On January 25, Lt. Arnold set a Army altitude record of 4,764
feet. The Augusta camp was closed on April 1, 1912, and the flying school
returned to College Park. The College Park school was closed again on
November 18, 1912. |
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| Some of the personnel took the Wright and Burgess airplanes to Augusta,
Georgia, while other personnel took the Curtiss airplanes to North Island
in San Diego Bay, California, where Glenn Curtiss had established a civilian
aviation school. However, on February 28, 1913, the Augusta contingent
left Georgia by train for Texas City, Texas because of a tense border situation
resulting from a revolution in Mexico. Arriving in Texas on March 2, the
eight flying officers, one doctor, and twenty-two enlisted men began operations
as the "First Aero Squadron." Numerous practice flights were made at Texas
City, but when it became evident there would be no military operations
on the border, it was decided to transfer most of the personnel and equipment
to San Diego to rejoin the contingent which had taken the Curtiss airplanes
from College Park to North Island in November 1912. This move began on
June 15, 1913, and by November 28, flying operations at Texas City had
ceased. |
