[5][6][7] On May 25, 1915, pioneer pilot and aviation designer, Otto Timm crashed in a field in Magnolia, Minnesota, owned by Kinner.

[5] In 1918, Kinner served in the United States Army Air Service, but he didn't see active duty, and was not trained to fly, because, on 11 November 1918 the First World War ended.

[5] He was the manager of Kinner Field, the first municipally-owned airport in Los Angeles, located on the west side of Long Beach Boulevard and Tweedy Road, in what is now South Gate, California.

His airfield included a small hangar, 1,200 ft (366 m), roughed out runway and one employee, Anita "Neta" Snook, who had recently arrived from Iowa after a season of barnstorming with her Curtiss JN-4 Canuck in tow.

Kinner hired Snook to test fly his aircraft and to provide flight instruction for a prospective training school.

[4] Los Angeles Times'' reported, "Winfield Bertrum Kinner, 74, pioneer aircraft manufacturer and designer, died late Thursday in a Long Beach hospital".

After taking her first flying lesson with Neta Snook, Earhart bought the prototype Kinner Airster for $2,000 to continue her training.

The bright yellow biplane, that she immediately christened "The Canary", was underpowered but provided Earhart with valuable flight time.

When she wasn't able to raise more than the deposit, Kinner made a deal with her so that the Airster could be on hand as a demonstration aircraft in exchange for upkeep and hangar fees.

[26] Due to a change in the family fortunes, Earhart was forced to sell "The Canary", but later put together enough money to purchase a second Airster.