Tag Archives: Barnstorming

Experience the Thrill of Modern Day Barnstorming in Action

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 Virg Hemphill

Here, thanks to FASF Aviation News Scout, Virg Hemphill (L), are two fun to watch video clips of the Czech Red Bull pilots showing off their dare-devil spirit in hair-raising stunts using their newest high powered Zivko Edge 540 aerobatic planes.  These first two videos will show you the views from both inside and outside the aircraft.  The third and last video will show you the Edge doing competitive maneuvers.

L to R above: Jan Rudzinskyj (left wing); Stanislav Cejka (leader), Miroslav Krejci (right wing); and Jan Tvrdik (slot).

Maximum discipline, focus, confidence and teamwork skills are the very essence of the success of the Flying Bull’s Aerobatic Team.  The pilots are often referred to as “aerial acrobats” and they cavort across the sky as though acting as a single entity, showing off routines that no other group in the world has yet proven capable of matching.  The below video is 2:32 long.

Below, is another exciting video clip of one of the Czech team members, Peter Besenyei, flying through a narrow canyon and under a number of bridges that span it.

Flying The Corinth Canal

Hungarian pilot Peter Besenyei gets an amazing opportunity to do some flying in the Corinth Canal in Greece and he takes full advantage of it. We’re not sure how the Red Bull Air Racing team managed to get permission to fly the canal but it makes for an awesome flying video that any pilot, or anyone, for that matter, should enjoy watching. This clip is 2:13 long.

The below video demonstrates competitive aerobatics by the Zivko Edge 540 and is 5:17 long.

 

More of Jenny’s Barnstorming Antics by Popular Demand!

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Seems our viewers enjoy watching how the Jenny helped excite the American public in its central role as the principle Barnstorming machine across the post WWI countryside. So, here’s another of these exciting video displays for your edification and enjoyment.

In this ten (10) minute composite clip, made by the Prelinger Archivisits (San Francisco) from various aviation archives of some 80 to 90 years ago, all black and white silent film, you’ll easily see why the American Public fell in love with the excitement and adventure of this new thrilling and extremely dangerous sport.

It’s important to remember that while almost every adult in America had heard of airplanes by the end of WWI, it was estimated that only about 1 to 2% of the public had ever actually seen a flying machine.  Barnstorming rapidly managed to change that small percentage and, in what seemed like only a few years of this new exposure, the American public had clearly fallen in love with flying – – – and aviation in general.  The airplane quickly became more reliable, safer, and began to show that it had actual business potential – not just military value.

As mentioned, the above Prelinger film is silent, so the scoring was added by us to help make the viewing more fun.  The music is all from the same silent film era as was the movie about barnstorming itself.  Because there was no scoring of films yet taking place when these clips were made, when they were shown in theaters, there would be a resident pianist to provide the musical accomaniment.  So, we’ve cheated a bit and actually put that “live” piano onto the film as an attached soundtrack.

The first sound track piece is Kevin MacLeod at the movie theater piano and it’s called “Breaktime.”  The other two pieces are also typical of the piano scoring or companion theater accompaniment of this era: the second tune is called, “Fig Leaf Times Two,” and the last segment is entitled, “Lively Lumpsucker.”

Enjoy!

Coast to Coast Bicyclists Stop Again to Learn About the FAS

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Saint Patrick’s Day in Columbus saw the annual arrival of the Coast 2 Coast Bicycling group, which are under the direction of Bubba Barron. Here they pack the Camp Furlong Recreation Hall to hear Ric Lambart describe what took place in Columbus 102 years ago as American Air Power was born – – – and American Civil Aviation was reborn.

Ric describing how the Jenny Flight Controls worked in the first group of JN-2 Jennies.  Lt. Ira Rader is sitting in the Jenny seen on the screen and is using the old banking control system, prior to the First Aero’s adoption of the superior French developed Deperdussin system – the system still in use today.

The audience audibly gasped as they saw archival movie footage showing one of the female Barnstorming era daredevils doing stunts atop a Jenny’s wing – – – all accomplished without a parachute.

As usual, after the program’s conclusion, there were many questions to be answered by our presenter.

The 60 some odd bicycle enthusiasts take about two months to bicycle from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. These hearty peddlers have established a new tradition of stopping on each of their Coast to Coast journey’s to take in the special charm of Columbus, NM – and to absorb its unique and significant place in American History.

The above three photos are still shots taken from the FASF video that was made of the event.

Here’s a shot of two of the Coast 2 Coast Peddlers stopping for a break.

Do You Know the Real Reason Amelia Earhart is so Famous?

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It would surely be surprising if any of you FASF website viewers didn’t already know a great deal about the American Aviatrix, Amelia Earhart, but here’s an interesting video, 7:04 minutes long, that gives you some background about what it is that really made her such a world-wide female and aviation celebrity.

As a matter of coincidence, the video also reveals some of the events and phenomena relating to the instigating of the American public’s romance with aviation itself, and the actual activities within the post WWI aviation civilian community that opened the doors to both U.S. civil aviation’s rebirth, as well as how this came about.  If you make note as the video plays, at about the 3:45 minute mark into the film, you’ll get a brief explanation of how America’s romance with flying opened up the new era of commercial aviation’s first-ever profitability – – – and business viability.

And, of course, as did no other airplane at that point in history, if was the First Aero Squadron’s now military surplussed Jenny’s that opened up that great new era – – – and began America’s new romantic involvement with, and enthusiasm for aviation in general.