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Vilas Flying Boat
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Jack Vilas (seated) in the Curtiss hydroplane he used to spot forest fires for the Wisconsin Conservation Department. (His companion is not identified.) This is believed to be the first use of an airplane for conservation work.
1915
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Physical Description
Collection Information
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W013IK3
WHi 10498
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Vilas Flying Certificate
1915
Certificate issued to E.M. Griffith, the Wisconsin State Forester, so that Griffith could prove that he had flown at an altitude of 1600 feet in the "flying boat" piloted by Jack Vilas. A portrait...
Vilas Flying Boat
July 1, 1913
The Curtiss flying boat in which Jack Vilas made the first flight across Lake Michigan. Vilas, a Chicago businessman, was greeted by a crowd of aerial enthusiasts. His achievement was not only the ...
Glenn Curtiss Flying Langley's Plane
Image of Curtiss flying an airplane over a body of water. There is a hill along the shoreline in the background.
First Forest Patrol Flight
1955
Wisconsin Historical Marker near Trout Lake. The marker recognizes the first ever forest patrol flight.The marker text reads:"FIRST FOREST PATROL FLIGHT was made from Trout Lake by Jack Vilas June ...
Jack Vilas & Weaver
1915
Caption reads: "Jack Vilas & Weaver." View along front of seaplane, with two men sitting inside. Both men have goggles. Water is in the background.
