[3] Among his adventures was his life as a pioneering barnstormer, being the second flier in history to bomb a surface warship, as well as combat service in the Lafayette Escadrille with Edwin C. Parsons and Charles Nungesser.

[4] At Garden City, New York, Masson successfully test-hopped a biplane built by aviation pioneer E. Lilian Todd in the latter part of 1910.

The projected hour and 45-minute flight was planned to carry the Los Angeles Times to San Bernardino, with an en route flyover of Pomona.

After a navigational error of 180 degrees, high winds, and an eventful forced landing, he finally arrived at San Bernardino at 1240; his actual flight time was about 80 minutes.

Invidious comparison to an earlier barnstormer, J. C. "Bud" Mars, was made; however, Masson was saved from the perturbed mob by local police and soldiers.

After several foiled attempts, on 20 October, he finally succeeded in flying over Victoria Park, and after buzzing several grazing horses to frighten them from a field, landed to greet a crowd of spectators.

Towards the end of October, Masson planned a Canadian record distance flight following the railroad from Edmonton to Calgary.

After several days of cold windy snowy weather, Masson took off, only to have his fuel tank break its mountings and drop on his head.

The armed smugglers who forced their way into Mexico at the Nogales crossing included Masson and his mechanic, as well as Carranza underling Captain Joaquín Bauche Alcalde.

After a reconnaissance flight by Masson over Guaymas Harbor, he and Bauche used the aircraft to attack Federalist gunboats for the first aerial bombing of a surface ship.

On 10 May 1913, Masson and Bauche overflew at least five Mexican gunboats and dropping four improvised pipe bombs containing 15 kg (33 lb) of explosives.

They missed, but the gunboats, seeing themselves as defenseless, steamed out of Guaymas Harbor to safety; indeed, some crew members leaped overboard in panic caused by the explosions.

Though he never became an ace, Masson did manage the remarkable feat of having his Nieuport 17's engine cut out while in a dogfight and still downing his German opponent, gliding to safety near the French front lines afterwards.