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

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Next….Next….Next….Next….

Flight Goes Mainstream

Courtesy of the Library of Congress