First Forest Patrol Flight - Historical Marker Trout Lake, WI Royalty-Free Stock Photography

First Forest Patrol Flight was made from Trout Lake by Jack Vilas June 29, 1915. Vilas was commissioned `Official Aviator` by the Wisconsin State board of Forestry now Wisconsin Conservation Department and on his own request received no salary other than `many thanks`. During July and August, 1915, patrol flights were made almost daily in a Curtiss Flying Boat. Vilas had shipped his plane from Chicago to Trout Lake by train. In those days the 350 mile flight from Chicago would have taken several days and a crew of special mechanics following in a train, to keep the `flying machine` going. The flights from here by Jack Vilas marked the first time anywhere that an aircraft was used in detecting and locating forest fires and patrolling large forest areas.