PHILIPPINE AIR SERVICE
1920 - 1921

An Air Service Seagull completely assembled and being moved 
to the beach runway for its test flight.

Governor General Harrison took this opportunity for celebration to congratulate personally the Curtiss instructors and their pupils on "the remarkable progress that had been achieved during the months of patient devotion to duty." He said that "to the best of his information, a record had been achieved in the time in which the instruction had been completed and the necessary skill to qualify as aviator had been acquired."

Graduating cadets were rated and ranked in their class based upon "their ability as flyers and also their efficiency in airplane mechanics, navigation, radio work, conduct, and probable efficiency." The top six cadets, in the order of their class ranking, were Lieutenants P.E. Zablan, Ignacio P. Perez, Juan Calvo, Captain Faustino Reyes, Lieutenants Leoncio B. Malinao, and Basilio Femando. They were among those who qualified to fly both the JN-4D Jenny and the HS-IL/2L Seagull. The remaining cadets rated to fly both the Jenny and Seagull were Pedro Dimaguila, Arturo Maglaya, Felix C. Reyes, Osmundo C. Ramos, Victor Real and Mariano Rueda. Twelve pilots qualified for only land based aircraft and these included Cadets Carlos A. Barretto, Juan P. Villasanta, Fabian 0. Bugarin, Wenceslao Abolencia, Miguel Aguinaldo, Donate M. Halili, Salvador Medialdea, Donate M. Halili, Alfonso de Guzman, Jose Padilla, Eduardo Montilla, Alonso Gatuslao and Ramon Banez.

It is worth mentioning that out of an original class of 30 military cadets that began flight training, 25 graduated. There were no fatalities in the training and only a handful of accidents where aircraft were damaged in takeoffs and landings. The most notable involved one of the HS-2L Seagulls damaging a wing by hitting a partially submerged obstruction in Manila Bay. This success, rate exceeds many of the flight training classes during World War I and later during World War II.

In less than a month's time from receiving their pilot wings, the first Philippine Air Service pilots began ranging out from Manila in the HS-2Ls to build up the proficiency, flight time, and experience that they would ultimately need to fly passengers and mail between the islands.

In February 1921, the Militia Commission that governed the Philippine Air Service approved the payment of 48,000 pesos to the Curtiss School of Aviation for the training of the recently graduated pilots. At the same time, the commission created several key posts within the fledgling Philippine Air Service that would be responsible for the management and operations. Captain Barretto was named Technical Director. Thomas R. McComas as Chief Flight Engineer and Leoncio B. Malinao, P.E. Zablan, Basilio Femando. Faustino Reyes, Juan Calvo and Ignacio Perez as pilots. In an effort to build public awareness and support for the Air Service, the Militia Commission authorized the Philippine Air Service to fly exhibition flights over the Carnival at Lopez and Tayabas. The remaining graduates returned to active duty in their former Constabulary and National Guard units until the Air Service had an opportunity to expand, thereupon they would be called up based upon their graduation rating.

During this time, the Philippine Air Service attempted to sway public opinion in favor of this new form of transportation. Special exhibition flights were approved to attend the Lingayen and Vigan Carnival festivities. Pilots would fly awe-inspiring demonstrations, including stalls, spirals, slips, tailspins and loops for audiences that included the public, local business leaders, and government officials. While on the ground, the pilots met with community and government leaders, and served as goodwill ambassadors, stressing the economic advantages of the Air Service to the public and to local commerce.

Despite the enthusiastic reception and support at every aerial demonstration, translating that support into commercial use of the Air Service was slow. 

Later that month, the Philippine Assembly approved the funding of the Philippine Air Service with the General Appropriations Act of 1921 which funded the expenses of the Philippine Air Service and authorized an additional expense of 645,000 pesos for the purchase of land for the creation of an Insular airport.

The Assembly also approved a resolution put forward by Representative Leuterio, a member of the Militia
Commission, that the "Philippine Air Service has been created for the carriage of passengers, air mail service and for the air defense" of the Philippine Islands.