Chapter 3 - Lesson 1Chapter 3 - Lesson 1
The BarnstormersThe Barnstormers
Chapter 3 - Lesson 1Chapter 3 - Lesson 1
The BarnstormersThe Barnstormers
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
The BarnstormersThe BarnstormersThe BarnstormersThe Barnstormers
A barnstormerbarnstormer is a pilot who travels around the country giving exhibits of stunt flying and parachuting
The term barnstorming comes from the time pilots would fly over a small rural town to attract attention, then land at a local farm
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Stunt FlyingStunt FlyingStunt FlyingStunt Flying
In the 1920s the term became attached to stunt flying
Historians give stunt pilots like Bessie Coleman credit for sustaining the aviation industry during its early years
Courtesy of NASA
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Entertaining SpectatorsEntertaining SpectatorsEntertaining SpectatorsEntertaining Spectators
Barnstorming shows drew crowds of spectatorsspectators—people who come to see an event or show—during and after WWI
Some pilots worked in teams Their acts were called “flying circuses” Once the war was over, these pilots
became the public face of American aviation
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End of WarEnd of WarEnd of WarEnd of War
On 14 November 1918, three days after the war ended, the US government canceled $100 million worth of airplane contracts
Within three months, 175,000 workers in the aircraft industry lost their jobs
Aircraft production dropped by 85 percent The Army dumped its surplus warplanes
onto the market
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Former Army PilotsFormer Army PilotsFormer Army PilotsFormer Army Pilots
Many of the barnstormers were former Army pilots
Since military aviation had been cut back, a large number lost their jobs
They leaped at the opportunity to keep flying
These pilots enjoyed showing off the skills they had mastered in combat
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Significant BarnstormersSignificant BarnstormersSignificant BarnstormersSignificant Barnstormers
Bessie Coleman was just one of several Americans who gained fame as barnstormers
They helped move aviation into the public eye
Courtesy of Wright State University
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Flying DangersFlying DangersFlying DangersFlying Dangers
For the barnstormers, flying was in some ways less risky than it had been for combat pilots
No enemy guns fired on them But flying, especially stunt flying, was still
dangerous Many of the barnstormers died in air
accidents Among them were Bessie Coleman and
another pilot named Lincoln Beachey
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Lincoln Beachey Lincoln Beachey Lincoln Beachey Lincoln Beachey
Beachey (1887–1915) was one of the top barnstormers
Orville Wright called him “the greatest pilot of all time”
In his Curtiss biplane, Beachey thrilled crowds with his dives
Courtesy of Hill Air Force Museum
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Phoebe Fairgrave OmliePhoebe Fairgrave OmliePhoebe Fairgrave OmliePhoebe Fairgrave Omlie
A number of women also were taking to the skies—among them was Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie
She ran her own flying circus She was the first woman in the
United States to become a licensed transport pilot
In 1933 she also became the first woman appointed to a federal government job in aviation
Courtesy of Hill Air Force Museum
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Airmail -- 1920s Transcontinental RouteAirmail -- 1920s Transcontinental Route (New York to San Francisco) (New York to San Francisco)
Airmail -- 1920s Transcontinental RouteAirmail -- 1920s Transcontinental Route (New York to San Francisco) (New York to San Francisco)
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1920s Airmail Markers – 70-feet long 1920s Airmail Markers – 70-feet long arrows painted bright yellowarrows painted bright yellow
1920s Airmail Markers – 70-feet long 1920s Airmail Markers – 70-feet long arrows painted bright yellowarrows painted bright yellow
1948 Airmail Markers 1948 Airmail Markers Painted on top of large buildingsPainted on top of large buildings
1948 Airmail Markers 1948 Airmail Markers Painted on top of large buildingsPainted on top of large buildings
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Major Contributions Major Contributions of the Barnstormersof the Barnstormers
Major Contributions Major Contributions of the Barnstormersof the Barnstormers
Historians call the years between 1919 and 1939 the “golden age of aviation”
Pilots set one record after another They flew faster and attained greater
altitudealtitude—the height above Earth’s surface
They served as test pilots
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How Airplanes EvolvedHow Airplanes EvolvedHow Airplanes EvolvedHow Airplanes Evolved
Airplanes changed from slow-moving, cloth-and-wood structures to faster aircraft made of metal
These planes were more aerodynamicaerodynamic—designed with rounded edges to reduce wind drag
Engines became more reliable
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Aviation EnthusiastsAviation EnthusiastsAviation EnthusiastsAviation Enthusiasts
Wealthy aviation enthusiastsenthusiasts—strong supporters or fans—began to offer prizes for the first pilot to achieve a certain goal
Newspaper owner William Randolph Hearst offered $50,000 to the first pilot to fly across the United States in 30 days or less
Raymond Orteig offered $25,000 for the first nonstop flight from New York to Paris
Pilots competing for both prizes found their engines weren’t up to the task
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Polar ExplorationPolar ExplorationPolar ExplorationPolar Exploration
Within a few years, engines had improved enough to make transatlantic flight possible
Some pilots then turned to a new challenge: polar exploration Richard E. Byrd
Courtesy of Hill Air Force Museum
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Richard E. ByrdRichard E. ByrdRichard E. ByrdRichard E. Byrd
Trained as a flier, Rear Adm Richard E. Byrd advanced both aviation and polar exploration
In 1926 he and his pilot were the first to fly over the North Pole
In 1929 Byrd flew to the South Pole
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Barnstormers Contributed to Barnstormers Contributed to Public Awareness of AviationPublic Awareness of Aviation
Barnstormers Contributed to Barnstormers Contributed to Public Awareness of AviationPublic Awareness of Aviation
The barnstormers’ demonstrations didn’t do away with people’s fears about flying
After all, spectators sometimes saw dreadful accidents
But the barnstormers’ air shows certainly created an interest in flight all over the U.S. and brought romance to flying
Aviation began to symbolize The Promise of the Future
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Barnstormers Contributed to Barnstormers Contributed to Public Awareness of AviationPublic Awareness of Aviation
Barnstormers Contributed to Barnstormers Contributed to Public Awareness of AviationPublic Awareness of Aviation
Some people believe that without the barnstormers, aviation might have died altogether in the United States
Courtesy of Smithsonian Institute