Families came as early as 5 a.m. to claim a spot on the grassy hill, along with reporters, photographers, and a motion picture film crew from the Kalem Company. Consequently, the June Bug became the first airplane in the United States to perform in a movie. A thunderstorm began, and umbrellas popped up around the hillside. The town of Hammondsport was nearly empty, as everyone was watching the event. The nearby Pleasant Valley Wine Company very generously opened its doors and offered generous free samples to all who were there. Charles M. Manly, who had unsuccessfully tested the Langley Aerodrome in 1903, measured out the 1 km and distance with plenty of volunteer help. The June Bug took one false start, going high, but not far enough. On the second try, the airplane successfully flew 5,360 ft (1.6 km) in 1 minute 40 seconds, winning the trophy and a US$25,000 cash prize. It was such an amazing sight that one woman watching was hit by a train on nearby tracks and suffered two broken ribs. After the flight, the wine cellars reopened their doors with free champagne for all. Amidst the publicity following the flight, the Wrights sent a warning to Curtiss that they had not given permission for the use of "their" aircraft control system to be used "for exhibitions or in a commercial way", despite the fact that a British inventor had an earlier patent from 1868 for just such a system, using hinged surfaces. In fact, none of the AEA's aircraft used a wing-warping system like the Wrights' for control, relying instead on triangular ailerons designed by Alexander Graham Bell, which he successfully patented in December 1911. However, in 1913 a court ruled that this technique was an infringement of the Wright's 1906 patent. Three years previous to the June Bugs flight, the Wrights had made flights of up to 24 miles (38 km) without official witnesses. However, the Wrights would have been required to install wheels and dispense with a catapult launch to compete for the 1908 prize. Later use From October to November, the June Bug was modified by adding floats to it in an attempt to create a seaplane. Renamed Loon, attempts to fly it began on Keuka Lake on November 28. Although the aircraft could achieve speeds of up to on the water, it could not take off, and on January 2, 1909,