▁attempt ▁at ▁the ▁land plane ▁speed ▁record ▁when ▁the ▁plane ▁crash ed ▁at ▁over ▁ ▁m ph . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Bay les ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Mason , ▁Illinois ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁the ▁oldest ▁child ▁of ▁H att ie ▁ ▁and ▁Ray ford ▁E . ▁Bay les . ▁ ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁Newton , ▁Illinois ▁High ▁School ▁and ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois ▁in ▁min ing ▁engineering , ▁but ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁leave ▁due ▁to ▁eye ▁trouble . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁working ▁as ▁an ▁electric ian ▁in ▁various ▁mines ▁around ▁Illinois ▁when ▁he ▁began ▁taking ▁flying ▁less ons . ▁ ▁F lying ▁Bay les ▁began ▁taking ▁flying ▁less ons ▁from ▁a ▁former ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁instruct or ▁pilot . ▁ ▁He ▁eventually ▁bought ▁a ▁sur plus ▁Curt iss ▁ ▁J N - 4 ▁Jen ny ▁The ▁Jen ny ▁was ▁lost ▁when ▁he ▁stopped ▁over ▁in ▁Herr in , ▁Illinois ▁during ▁a ▁gang ▁war ▁between ▁Charlie ▁Bir ger ▁and ▁the ▁Sh el ton ▁Brothers ▁Gang . ▁ ▁Bir ger ▁had ▁been ▁bom bed ▁from ▁the ▁air ▁and ▁he ▁mist ook ▁Bay les ' ▁plane ▁for ▁the ▁bom ber ▁and ▁had ▁the ▁plane ▁dynam ited . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁st int ▁back ▁in ▁the ▁mines , ▁Bay les ▁began ▁bar n st orm ing ▁around ▁the ▁country . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁he ▁partner ed ▁with ▁H . ▁Ros co e ▁Br inton ▁starting ▁a ▁flying ▁service ▁in ▁Spring field , ▁Massachusetts .