followed a few seconds later by that of the woman pilot.
John Moisant was one of the early American pilots. Among other things he had flown the English Channel and prior to 1911 had brought over flying equipment to this country with which he established the Moisant International Aviators, Inc. As I have said, Harriett Quimby took her instruction at his school.
In 1911 John Moisant was killed flying at New Orleans. Shortly after that, Mathilde, his sister, learned to fly and started out with the survivors of the original Moisant touring group. With them in 1911 she went to Mexico in a series of flying exhibitions. There they narrowly escaped losing their equipment to the revolutionists and literally had to fly for their lives. Just a year after her brother’s death Mathilde flew at New Orleans and there was presented with the cup which had been destined for him.
Accidents were sprinkled through these busy months. Finally, toward the close of 1912, she insisted on flying in unpromising weather at Wichita Falls, Texas, rather than disappoint a crowd which had waited several days for her. Landing in a high wind, she apparently bounced into the air again. In order to avoid injuring people who immediately rushed out on the field, she opened the throttle and tried to take off. She was only partly successful and landed again this time rolling over. Splinters of the broken propeller punctured the gas tanks
