Page 23 - All About History 48 - 2017 UK
P. 23

4 FAMOUS…
             How not to… perform aerial stunts
              Aerial acrobatics was a risky business,  Therearecountlesstalesofstunts                    FLYING CIRCUSES
              especially in an era when there were  going wrong, from performers falling
              no regulations and safety wasn’t  off,gettingtangledup,missingthe
              paramount.Foreverystuntthatwent  laddersthattheywerejumpingfrom
              well, there were many that ended in  tofull-onplanecrashesintotrees,the
              tragedy.Infact,thelongevityofthe  groundandeachother.Barnstorming
              pilotsandstuntpeoplewassominimal  cametoanendasprincipleswere
              that promoters stopped putting the  introduced throughout the late 1920s
              star’s real names on promotional  and 1930s that required better safety
              posters,givingthemstagenameslike  specifications for the planes and also
              ‘Diavolo’toavoidbeingleftwithreams  regulated airspace. The barnstormers
              of wasted material should the unlucky  pavedthewayformodernAmerican
              performerexpireonthejob.   aviation,albeitatamajorcost.
                                                                                                         THE FIVE BLACKBIRDS
                                                                                                         1931-32, LA, USA
                                                                                                         Recruited by WWI pilot veteran
                                                                                                         William J Powell, the Blackbirds
                                                                                                         were the USA’s first all-black
                                                                                                         aerobatic team. 40,000 people
                                                                                                         watched their first show.









                                                                                                         THE13BLACKCATS
                                                                                                         1924-29,HOLLYWOOD,USA
                                                                                                         These fearless pilots, along with
              Plan your stunts                               Startatour                                  stuntwoman Gladys Ingle, wing
                                                                                                         walked with no safety gear, and
              Themoredaring,terrifyingandastoundingthebetter.  It’s time to hit the skies. A great many small towns and  Gladyswouldleapbetweenplanes.
       03 Think like the greats such as Eddie Angel with his ‘dive 04 villages across the USA will have never even seen a
        of death’(jumpingfromaplaneinthedarkwithatorchineach  plane before, so simply pick a place and make your way there.
        hand), or Clyde ‘upside-down’ Pangborn, who flies inverted and  During your stay, you will most likely find you are able to employ
        also specialisesinswappingplanesmid-air.Findyourstuntand  localkidstocarryfuelforyouinexchangeforaplanerideatthe
        perfectit–everyflyingcircusneedsasignatureact.  endoftheday.






                                                                                                         GATES FLYING CIRCUS
                                                                                                         1922-29, USA-WIDE
                                                                                                         Ivan Gates wasn’t a pilot originally,
                                                                                                         but used to promote the hugely
                                                                                                         famous shows before he learned
                                                                                                         how to fly.









              Buzz the town                                  Putonashow!                                 MABEL CODY’S
              Thebestwaytoattractagreatcrowdistobuzzthe      Withacrowdassembled,it’stimetobegin.Usethefield  FLYING CIRCUS    © Ed Crooks, Alamy, State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
       05 town. The rumble of engines as your Jenny approaches 06 asyourmakeshiftairstrip,and,ifthere’sabarn,listento
        will drawthepeopleout;it’sthenuptoyoutoloopandroll,  the crowd go wild as you fly through it at super low altitude. Have  1921-24, FLORIDA, USA
                                                                                                         Mabel Cody leapt from a
        enticing everyone to follow you. Find a large field to land,  oneofyourpilotsdedicatedtotakingpeopleintotheair,andmake
                                                                                                         speeding car to a flying plane,
        and hopethefarmerisaccommodating(tryofferinghima  sure you charge extra for those once-in-a-lifetime experiences of  and survived the fall when the
        discounted ride for his hospitality).          rolls and loop-the-loops.                         ladder rung broke.

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