History's amazing, high-flying stunt men and stunt women
It wasn't that long ago when high-flying aerial acts crisscrossed America, thrilling crowds, cheating death and pushing their machines to the limits ... and sometimes beyond.
Everywhere these performers went, their stunts gained notoriety and attention, some of it unwanted.
This slideshow looks back at a period of American history that was as short-lived as some of its performers. Keep clicking for America's history of barnstorming and flying circuses. If you've ever wondered why they called it barnstorming - this image may give you an idea. Some pilots did indeed fly their planes through barns or hangars, or other large open structures. However, barnstorming was also used to describe some political campaigning and other touring shows.
The 1920s were the glory days of barnstorming. The time period witnessed a barrage of stunts. This photo was taken around 1918. It shows the "Human Squirrel" who did stunts for the benefit of War Relief Funds in New York City. This photo shows him above Times Square.
And early automobiles also provided opportunities for new thrills.
But it was the barnstormers who captured the nation's imagination.
The rise of the barnstorming was fueled by several factors.
One factor was the end of World War I. When the war ended, the military had a surplus of training aircraft, especially the Curtiss JN-4, known affectionately by pilots as the Jenny. This photo of a Jenny was taken in 1919.
The Jenny's top speed was about 75 mph. It could fly up to about 6,500 feet. Many enlisted men who had learned to fly these airplanes were able to buy them because the government sold them off cheaply.
Some who bought the planes looked to turn them into moneymakers. One way of doing this was barnstorming, which was also sometimes referred to as a flying circus.
Typically a group of barnstormers would attract attention by flying over a town and dropping leaflets.
Some of the flyers played it fast and loose to get attention -- this photo was doctored. This flyer advertises Clyde Pangborn's stunt in San Diego, California.
The pilots would organize an event at a farmer's field or any large open area, and townspeople would show up to watch the show and buy tickets for personal flights.
As time went on, the acts became more and more brazen. This photo shows stunt men Ivan Unger and Gladys Roy "playing tennis" on a moving airplane. Here, stunt man Clyde Pangborn leaps from a moving car toward a ladder dangling from a plane. The photo was taken in 1920.
Things did not always go as planned. This photo shows stunt pilot Howard Casterline who crashed his Jenny into a tree in Hartford City, Indiana. He survived the crash.
Here's another wrecked Jenny.
This crash happened after a failed stunt. When things went well with barnstormers, audiences were thrilled by the wing walkers. This image shows Jack Elliot on the wing of a flying airplane.
Wing walkers would climb all over moving aircraft. Here, stunt man Wesley May does a handstand on the top wing of an airplane.
Pilots would also fly very close to the ground to perform other stunts. Here "Fearless Freddie" prepares to grab a hat while hanging upside down from the plane.
Some stunt men and women would even dive off moving planes into water. Here, stunt man Eddie Hergoy successfully completes an airplane dive.
One of the most famous groups of barnstormers was the Hollywood Black Cats. Here 9 members of the group pose next to their stunt plane. This photo shows members of the Black Cats in mid-air getting ready to perform a stunt.
Some of these acts became household names. This photo shows stunt man Wesley May doing a handstand on an airplane.
As attention increased, so did complaints.
Some complaints came from competing acts. Some were from every day citizens.
Eventually, federal regulators started taking a closer look at what barnstormers were doing. During the heyday of barnstorming FAA regulations were virtually non-existent. But that was about to change.
By the late 1920s, the FAA started writing regulations that took aim at barnstorming.
Some of these regulations started to establish rules about low-level flight and where it was permitted. This photo shows a barnstorming show with a plane very close to grandstands full of thousands of people.
Other regulations started to establish rules for wing walkers.
Wing walkers themselves admitted that many of their spectators showed up simply to see if someone would die.
Some new regulations targeted the planes.
New rules were established to determine what made a plane fit for flight.
The new rules had several impacts. Some of the flight restrictions made it more difficult for spectators to watch the show -- because planes could not fly as close to the crowd as they once did.
Other rules made it difficult for barnstormers to keep their planes up to new FAA standards.
As planes aged, they quickly became unfit for flight.
But the demise of barnstorming wasn't due solely to regulations. There was something else that happened in the 1920s that sunk many operations. The 1929 stock market crash devastated some of the flying circuses and barnstorming acts.
So the '20s truly were the Golden Age of barnstorming. The advent of flight, coupled with economic opportunity fueled its rise. While a new age of regulations focused on safety, and the country's worst economic collapse started its downward spiral.
Still, the spectacles did not end. Air shows continued into the '40s, '50s, 60's, '70s and onward.
Some of the acts forged new ground, such as this stuntman crashing through a burning wall. But the prevalence and spontaneity of the 1920s barnstorming acts would never be repeated. We hope you've enjoyed this look back at an exciting and unique period of American history.