The author wishes to acknowledge her indebtedness to Mr. Glenn H. Curtiss and Mr. Wilbur Wright for courtesies extended during the preparation of this manuscript. These skillful and clever aviators¹, pioneers to whom the Art of Flying owes a colossal² debt, do not laugh at any suggestion concerning the future of the aëroplane, for they recognize the fact that the discoveries and inventions of the next year may surpass all that have gone before. The world is agog³ with wonder at what has been accomplished⁴; even now it is anticipating the time when vehicles of the air will be more numerous than are automobiles⁵ to-day.

The American youth has been no more interested in the development of the science of aviation than the American girl; she is in evidence at every meet where aëroplanes congregate⁶, and already recognizes her competence⁷ to operate successfully any aircraft that a man can manage. So the story of Orissa Kane’s feats⁸ has little exaggeration except in actual accomplishment⁹, and it is possible 12her ventures may be emulated¹⁰ even before this book is out of press. There are twenty women aviators in Europe; in America are thousands of girls ambitious to become aviators.

An apology may be due those gentlemen who performed so many brilliant feats at the 1911 meet at Dominguez, for having thrust them somewhat into the shade to allow the story to exalt¹¹ its heroine; but they will understand the

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