William E. Somerville

About the same time, he met and flew gliders designed by Octave Chanute in nearby Gary, Indiana.

Somerville patented up-curled wing ends (winglets) which were the first practical application of the device in an aircraft.

In 1912 Somerville hired pilot George Mestach to fly mail using his aircraft between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Mestach was flying a Borel-Morane biplane, which was used as the basis for Somerville's first monoplane, which featured wing leveling stabilizers.

Somerville hired Earl Daugherty to fly a Morane-Borel monoplane in a Barnstorming act across the Midwest.