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98 Jes> Mr, DeMille in his firm, then flourished the telegram. The bankers were impressed; Zukor got his loan. DeMille was up to something else that worried the partners —his flying around in airplanes. In the early 20's a nonmilitary flight was considered as silly and dangerous as a lunar flight today. DeMille had learned flying from the best stunt man of the day, Al Wilson. Wilson owned an old discarded Curtiss biplane, unusable by anyone except the extraordinarily brave. On the day DeMille showed up for his first lesson Wilson was working frantically trying to get the rickety crate aloft, sensing a fare. After several hours, Wilson pleaded with the young man to return tomorrow. DeMille did return, but the Curtiss wouldn't start that day either. Wilson heard about a Jenny that had crashed in Canada, killing its owner. He contacted the widow, who asked $5,000. Wilson went to DeMille with a proposition. "Tell you what. You put up the money and Til fix the plane. We'll go into the aviation business. Ill carry passengers and do exhibition work, and we'll split fifty-fifty. And you'll have a good plane to learn to fly in." DeMille never missed a lesson. He took time off from his movie work to buzz around the field, now part of Wilshire Boulevard's present Miracle Mile section. Soon Wilson was taking Hollywoodians up at $10 a trip, $25 if the passenger wanted a tailspin or nose dive. The charge for a full course was $500. The partners took in as much as $750 a week. A few months later, DeMille and Wilson formed the Mercury Aviation Company which, according to its owners, was the first airline in America to carry passengers for hire between Los Angeles and San Diego, about 1920.