Barnstormer Era

JohnReid · 3 April 2006, 08:15 AM

Anyone interested?

Pat Daily · 3 April 2006, 11:13 AM

You bet! That is an exciting time in early aviation--my father came home from WWI and learned to fly in 1922 and somehow made a career out of aviation without getting killed! Since we asked for it, we have to make this section a bit more active. Will post some more stuff soon.

Pat

JohnReid · 3 April 2006, 11:51 AM

Hi Pat! Did your dad do any barnstorming himself? Yeah it was a wonderful time in aviation.Long before my time of course.My dad started flying in 1934 and made a career in the RCAF and Air Canada.He flew commercially until he was 64. I came in just before the jets in 1958 so I got to fly with a few of the oldtimers,both aircraft and pilots.

Cheers! John.

Pat Daily · 3 April 2006, 03:25 PM

John

My dad and his roomate at school (now university)in Valpariso, Indianna in 1922 were expelled for illegal production of alcohol. His roomate, Charlie Colechester, bought a surplus Jenny and they flew it to California over a period of several months. That is how my dad learned to fly. They had little cash and would take folks up for rides to get gas and food money. They left the Jenny hanging in some telephone lines in California. Later (1927) he owned an couple of American Eagles and tried to start a small airline--left one of the Eagles in some trees after a crash landing in Iowa. By 1930flying for Inland aviation in Kansas City as a salesman pilot all over the midwest. Then copilot with TWA flying Trimotors and DC-2. Then became manager of the Kansas City Airport. He flew lots of unusal aircraft in those days. Called up in 1940 to the AAC and finished the war in the Air Transport Command, back to KC and the airport job, then in 48 went to Munich to rebuild civil aviation in Bavaria, then in 52 became CO of the 442nd TCW (a reserve outfit that flew C46s, C119, and C124 when he retired with over 28000 hours. He was a piece of work--lotsa stories and old friends like Bill Ong, William Moore, Bill Greene. Cliff Abbot, Tommy Tomlinson, etc. Barnstorming was part of it. My Dad (Chuck Daily) on the right, Paul Mantz on the left and Amelia in the center when they stopped to refuel at KC on their way to the Cleveland Air Races in September 1936.

Pat

JohnReid · 4 April 2006, 02:10 PM

That is a wonderful story and a great picture!
Cheers! John.

AAC Cadet Leader · 5 April 2006, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnReid

Anyone interested?

You betcha! I'm sure others will be following along shortly.

The days of barnstorming live on in the hearts and minds of many of us.

baldeagle · 26 April 2006, 10:07 AM

I'm afraid that this photo is a little dark, but it shows my 1930 Fleet (just sold it, to another forumite here though) and a Cub in an alfalfa field on a farm in Indiana in August 2005. In the background you can make out a Pietenpol Air Camper, there were three and we tied them down in the lee of the house as a big thunderstorm was moving in. It rained and thundered and lightning-ed pretty hard, but all of the airplanes came through OK. Normally we sleep under the wings, that night we slept in the farmhouse.

baldeagle · 26 April 2006, 10:31 AM

Another one, same farm, different alfalfa field, July 2003 I think. Oh-dark-thirty, sun getting ready to come up, moon high overhead, just crawled out of the tent.

baldeagle · 26 April 2006, 10:35 AM

A little later that morning, a Waco in the mist...

baldeagle · 26 April 2006, 10:42 AM

And one more, a hayfield near the Wabash River, July 2003-