Arnold had two weeks to prepare for

Arnold had two weeks to prepare for his 28 February port call aboard the Kilpatrick. He used much of his free time to inspect training facilities and interview designers and engineers. The day prior to his departure, he visited the Sperry factory, two hours outside of New York. Elmer Sperry and his son Lawrence became well known for their work on gyroscopes that were used in the first automatic flight controls for airplanes, as well as in other secret Army projects. The following day, Arnold visited the pilot-training facilities at Mi- neola, New York, to “see the bunch out there and have dinner.”21 He seemed never to waste a moment, particularly when he was away from home and Beadle.