Chriss J. Peterson; Early Wright Pilot, WWI Military Instructor

Chriss J. Peterson was born at Albert Lea, Minn., September 19, 1877, into a large family. He is known to have had at least three sisters. He attended local schools and at an early age enlisted in Co. F, 1st South Dakota Volunteer Infantry at Sioux Falls, S.D. The unit deployed to the Philippines in the Spanish-American War in 1898. After being discharged, Chriss signed a up for a two-year enlistment as a Corporal in the 11th U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, Troop K on July 31, 1899, serving until his discharge on June 30, 1901. This unit saw fierce guerilla-style fighting in the Philippines with K Troop engaging about 250 insurgents on May 9, 1901, shortly before the volunteers’ enlistments expired on June 30. It was the last significant battle before the 11th U.S. Volunteer Cavalry was disbanded.

Peterson returned to the U.S. and moved west to pursue a ranching life. Locating in Utah, he worked for a period of time at various jobs, including being a cook, on ranches there. Next, he tried his hand at barbering in Tucker, Utah, a small railroad town on U.S. Route 6 and the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad line just west of the steep grade to Solider Summit in the Wasatch Mountains.

In November 1910, a friend induced Peterson to go with him to Denver, Colo., to attend an air meet to be held there November 16 to 19. Peterson had never seen any flying machines and was not particularly interested, but he finally consented to go. Three Wright aviators, Ralph Johnstone, Arch Hoxey and Walter Brookins had been engaged to fly at Overland Park near Denver for this event. Before departing for Denver, the pair learned that Johnstone had been killed in an accident (on November 17). They hurriedly left hoping to get there before all the aviators had crashed to their deaths. Following Johnstone’s death, Hoxsey took over the flying while Brookins departed with Johnstone’s remains to his home in Kansas City. Peterson and his friend were able to see Hoxsey fly on the remaining days of the event.

Peterson was so thrilled by Hoxsey’s aerial performance that he was overcome by the spectacle. He told his friend, "Man, there’s real sport. Someday I’m going to fly like that." His enthusiastic decision made during Hoxsey’s flights remained and the following year he joined with other aviation enthusiasts in an unsuccessful attempt to start an aeronautical venture in Denver. Peterson’s determination to learn to fly kept growing and by 1913 he had saved enough to go to Dayton where he enrolled for flight instruction at the Wright Company Flying School. He started his lessons during mid-September receiving instruction from Oscar Bindley. Other students there at the time were Howard Rinehart, Lindop E. Brown and Albert B. Gaines. Peterson proved to be an apt pupil and made excellent progress.

In mid-October Peterson and Gaines took their flying license tests together, with Peterson being issued FAI License No. 270 on October 18, 1913, at Simms Station, Ohio. His test flights and the required spot landings were . . .