Less than a decade after the successful first airplane flight by the Wright Brothers in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, USA, one of the Wright Brothers planes, the “Wright B”, made its way to the Philippines in December 1911.

Wright Model B

The shipment of the “Wright Model B” plane was part of the plan by the U.S. Signal Corps to start a flying school in the Philippine islands. Lt. Frank P. Lahm, an American aviation pioneer and the U.S. “first military aviator”, who was in the Philippines with the 7th Cavalry Regiment, was assigned to operate the flying school on Fort William McKinley grounds near Manila. “Wright B” made its first flight in the Philippines on March 21, 1912.

Lt. Frank P. Lahm and the “Wright Model B” plane in the Philippines, May 1912.
Flight preparation for the “Wright B” plane in the Philippines, May 1912.

After a plane crash on May 8, 1912 and a rainy season that prevented the school from operating, Lt. Lahm decided to temporarily shut it down.

Related story: Wright Brothers National Museum Houses Original 1905 Wright Flyer III

Wright Model C

On March 10, 1913, he reopened the flying school for a second season, where he trained more officers. Unfortunately, “Wright B” had an engine failure and the damage was deemed irreparable. A new plane, the “Wright C Speed Scout” was sent to the school as a replacement. The new acquisition was equipped with pontoons for water landings.

Lt. Lahm, 4th from left, and the members of the Philippine Flying School, with the Wright C Airplane, Summer 1913.
Wright C Airplane fitted with pontoons for water landings.

Unfortunately, the Wright C plane was short-lived. On September 11, 1913, while Lt. Lahm attempted a water takeoff , the plane flipped over and was destroyed. Lt. Lahm survived the crash.

Wright C plane prior to takeoff
Wright C crashed and Lt. Lahm was rescued by boat.

To maintain a flying school in the Philippines, the Signal Corps sent the Burgess Model F seaplane based on a modified Wright Model B. A new hangar was built on San Jose Beach near Fort Mills, Corregidor Island. The operations were now ran by two pilots trained by Lt. Lahm — Lieutenant Herbert Dargue and Cpl. Vernon Burge.

That’s Cpl. Vernon Burge in the cockpit of Burgess Model F Coast Defense Hydroplane at the Corregidor Island in 1914.
The new hangar was built at the Corregidor Island for the Burgess Model F Coast Defense Hydroplane.
The Burgess Coast Defense Hydroplane taxiing for takeoff!
The Burgess Coast Defense Hydroplane running near Corregidor Island.

Historic Development in Philippine Aviation History

During those months that Lt. Herbert Dargue and Cpl. Vernon Burge were training pilots in the Philippines, they were also working on devising signalling systems using small parachutes and pistol flares. But the most important aviation development was on wireless communications.

Do you know that the Burgess Coast Defense Hydroplane was the aircraft used to demonstrate two-way air-to-ground radio communications? It was the first two-way air-to-ground demonstration conducted in the army. That was in December 1914.

Flying operations halted in the Philippines when the Burgess aircraft was wrecked in January 1915.

Image credit: National Museum of the United States Air Force