This is for the young readers who have had no exposure to the history of flying.....
In the joke about the family that would rather have a bastard than a pilot, that wasn't far off the mark for its time.
The reality was that after 'The Great War', now called commonly WW I, surplus airplanes flooded what little market there was and became very cheap with very few worthwhile uses since the engines were typically unreliable, they were not fast, couldn't carry much, and usage was very weather dependent.
Some dashing, daring, and frequently less than upstanding young men, commonly ex-military trained and also war 'surplus', would buy these planes and fly out into the countryside where such a thing had only been seen at a distance-if at all. The would land at a farm near a town and make a deal with the farmer to use his farm for part of the proceeds, and then sell rides to the citizens who were willing to fork over the price of the ride. They would run up a tab at the local boarding house for food and sheets, or a cafe, or the farmer, sometimes the local gasoline supplier, too, and then fly off leaving a list of promises to pay behind. Not all of them were this way, but enough to get a reputation.
Also they were automatic celebrities in the little towns and burgs, and they would romance the pretty little country girls with promises that we're as good as their promises to pay.

Littlecub wrote:This is for the young readers who have had no exposure to the history of flying....

Not sure if I'm still on one of the "young people," or not. I think we all have the same exposure to flying history these days. The real barnstormer days were nearly a century ago. Everyone should watch The Great Waldo Pepper. Not sure how accurate it is, but it's one of my favs.

I know a guy who flies a New Standard biplane around the country to various airshows, giving rides. He dresses up in the full period dress and everything. He is a true barnstormer. Makes a mean espresso too.

When I was in my early-mid teens the public library system at SAT* had quite a few good books both by barnstormers and about barnstormers. I thought it was a cool era, and read all I could get my hands on.
It was long enough ago that I'm sure I can' sort the real life ones I read from the fiction ones, but it was a very colorful era, with real swashbuckling characters that lived quite high risk lives to see the US and adventure (verb) from place to place.

An interesting observation is that in our current times, neither pilots nor bastards are held with the disdain of yesteryear.

lc


* San Antonio has a long and colorful aviation history in its own right, having multiple AFBs through the decades.

A lot of my friends go on the barn storming tour every year flying everything from Cubs to Stearmans to Travelair's and an old Jenny. Hopefully, when I'm old enough to retire, it'll still be going on. But, I think the days of folks like Pancho Barns, one of my all time favorites, are long gone.

Get a copy of Nothing By Chance by Richard Bach. Either in print or in its film documentary form. In the book/film he asks whether barnstorming is dead in the modern era (mid-late 1960's was when it was published/filmed). He and a few friends load up their biplanes plus a Travel Air 6000 and a Luscombe and head for the midwest. Land in hay fields, get permission, and hop rides. In some ways it still worked...in others it didn't. Its a great story.

birddog12yp wrote:A lot of my friends go on the barn storming tour every year flying everything from Cubs to Stearmans to Travelair's and an old Jenny. Hopefully, when I'm old enough to retire, it'll still be going on. But, I think the days of folks like Pancho Barns, one of my all time favorites, are long gone.

I thought they only do every other year? But yes, they have way to much fun!


-VanDy

Clay wrote:Get a copy of Nothing By Chance by Richard Bach. Either in print or in its film documentary form. In the book/film he asks whether barnstorming is dead in the modern era (mid-late 1960's was when it was published/filmed). He and a few friends load up their biplanes plus a Travel Air 6000 and a Luscombe and head for the midwest. Land in hay fields, get permission, and hop rides. In some ways it still worked...in others it didn't. Its a great story.

Excellent book. Would like to see film, does anyone know where to get ahold of a copy to buy/rent/watch/download?

also, any updates on Mr. Bach's current condition?

thanks,
Craig

Sharing Richards writing with my son right now, it is wonderful