Weldon B. Cooke stands proudly in front of the hull of his flying boat "Irene." Cooke was a skilled aviator who gained fame at the Los Angeles Aviation Meet in January of 1912. He attributed his success to the Sandusky, Ohio, Roberts Motor Company engine. He soon moved to Sandusky, Ohio, to build aircraft and strengthen his association with the Roberts Motor Company. Although Cooke's designs were innovative, the two-cycle Roberts engine proved to be unreliable. As a result, buyers were wary of purchasing Cooke's flying boats.