Philippine Air School In December 1911, the Signal Corps had shipped a Wright B airplane to the Philippines so that Lt. Lahm, already in the islands with the 7th Cavalry Regiment, could establish a flying school. He opened the Philippine Air School on March 12, 1912, and nine days later made the first flight from the polo field at Fort William McKinley. Lahm was able to teach an officer and an enlisted man to fly the airplane before having to halt operations in July because of the arrival of the rainy season. Lahm reopened the Philippine school on March 10, 1913, and began instructing three officers to fly. In May, a new Wright C arrived and flights were made in conjunction with the 1913 military maneuvers. Lahm suspended flights from the low ground at Fort McKinley during the rainy season, but workers built a temporary hangar on the beach of Manila Bay and both airplanes were fitted with pontoons. Unfortunately, the Wright B was damaged beyond repair following an engine failure on Aug. 28, and the Wright C crashed into the water and was destroyed on Sept. 12 during its first flight with pontoons. In September 1913, a Burgess seaplane was delivered to the Philippines and assigned to Corregidor Island for service with Coast Defenses. A hangar and other facilities were constructed on San Jose Beach near Fort Mills, Corregidor Island, and flying operations were begun by Lt. Herbert A. Dargue and Cpl. Vernon Burge, both pilots trained by Lahm. For 15 months, these two flyers worked with ground forces in observing the results of mortar and siege gun fire and locating targets, devising signaling systems using small parachutes and pistol flares, locating naval vessels and making aerial photographs. The most significant development, however, was in wireless communications, for during December 1914, Dargue demonstrated two-way radio telegraphy between an airplane and the ground. These tests ended on Jan. 12, 1915, when Dargue wrecked the Burgess hydroplane, and flying in the Philippines came to a halt. Click here to return to the Flying Schools Overview. Find Out More Related Fact Sheets Wright Modified B Flyer Note: The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the National Museum of the USAF, the U.S. Air Force, or the Department of Defense, of the external website, or the information, products or services contained therein.