1909: Following the acceptance of the 1909 Flyer, Army aviation activities were moved to College Park, Md., where a larger flying field was available. On Oct. 8, Wilbur Wright began giving flying lessons to Lts. Frank Lahm and Frederick Humphreys. Lt. Humphreys soloed on Oct. 26, becoming the Army’s first “pilot.” Lt. Lahm (seen here with Wilbur Wright) soloed several minutes later. Within weeks, both officers were ordered to return to duty with their respective Army units. The Aeronautical Division was left with one airplane and a handful of airplane mechanics, but no pilot.
