Barnstormers: Trailblazers of the Sky
"Barnstormer" is one of the most illustrative words in the English language. It brings to mind images of brightly painted propeller planes, piloted by leather clad figures, breezing through clear blue skies over faded wooden buildings, thrilling crowds of onlookers with the dramatic performance of dangerous stunts. These images are so vivid that one can almost smell the scent of freshly cut hay floating on the light wind; almost hear the high pitched whine of the plane's propellers as they cut through the crisp spring air. Barnstormers were pioneers in the early years of aviation. Their daring, passion, creativity and competitive spirit contributed greatly to the advancement of flight. Without the substantial achievements of these brave men and women, aviation might not have progressed to the important industry and widespread mode of transportation that it is today.
During World War I, the military played a significant role in the American economy, as well as the economies of most of the countries in Europe. Sizeable military budgets provided the funding to pay soldier's salaries, financed the construction and operation of factories, and provided investment capital to numerous industries, including the industry of aviation.
When World War I ended in 1918, the investment into the aeronautics industry changed dramatically. According to the article "Barnstormers, Trailblazers and Wing Walkers", posted on the Internet at http://www.century-of-flight.freeola.com/new%20site/frames2/barnstormers_frame.htm, "air services were cut back to skeleton strength, and governments made a sober determination that aviation had made a minimal contribution to the war effort, certainly not warranting the kind of...
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...Barnes- Aviation Companion. Air Force Flight Test Center 11 July 2001. http://www.edwards.af.mil/history/docs_html/people/pancho_barnes_biography.html
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"Smith Field." Smith Field History: The Early Years. S.A.F.E. 26 March 2004. http://www.smithairfield.com/earlyyears.html Works Cited
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Onkst David "U.s. Centennial Flight of Commission." Barnstorming. Centennial Flight of Commission. http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Explorers_Record_Setters_and_Daredevils/barnstormers/EX12.htm
"PBSKids." Barnstormers. WGBH Educational Foundation 1998-2004. http://pbskids.org/wayback/flight/feature_barn.html
World War I had placed great strains on the economies of the most European nations that were involved in the conflict. With trade agreements with countries like Britain, France and United Kingdom America’s economy flourished, as they forced these countries to accept goods in exchange for debt. The economy of America soared to new heights. America’s abundant natural resources and technological advances were used to become leaders in manufactured exports. (Encl) Usually the general public would opposed big business owners to partner with government, but as the lifestyles of many Americans elevated these relationships were accepted. By the end of the decade, 1910 to 1919, annual incomes rose from $580 to $1300 setting the stage for the “crazy years” known as the “Roaring Twenties”.
In 1914, World War I began. The United States intended on keeping out of the war, but by 1917, it was no longer just their exports involved, but their soldiers too. This struggle was financed by highly inflationary means and even though the U.S. involvement was limited in time, the postwar economy had to adjust to the lack of heavy military payouts. In 1919, after the armed forces were almost completely discharged, business activity took a sharp down fall. However, a postwar boom allowed for a quick rise in business activity that lasted about a year, taking us into the roaring 20's.
The roots of today’s aviation regulations extend back to December 17, 1903 when the Wright Brothers first took to the skies in North Carolina. The Wright Brothers set the stage for aviation regulation. After World War I returning pilots bought some surplus war airplanes and went into business. These pilots were known as the barnstormers. These barnstormers performed acrobatic shows and gave local people rides. During this period of time the public perception of the aviation industry was that of a daredevil or reckless. Aviation took off very slowly because it was too expensive for most consumers. Primarily the wealthy were able to take trips to the East Coast. Uses of aviation included advertising, aerial photography, crop dusting and carrying illegal shipments of alcohol during the prohibition.
World War One was known as the war that would end all wars. At first, airplanes in the war were thought to have just little combat use. An unknown British general even commented, " The airplane is useless for the purpose of war." In the beginning of the First World War, the airplanes were pretty simple and raw. By the end of the war, aircraft had become more advanced and had split off into fighters, bombers and long-range bombers. The specifications of the airplanes were changed to meet the war's requirements. When the War started in August of 1914, British airmen were associated with the British army and their commissioned officers had army ranks. Before the United State’s declaration of war in 1917, American nationals had enlisted in British and French air services including the Lafayette Escadrille. By the time the war ended in November of 1918, the Royal Flying Corps no longer prevailed and was absorbed into the recently developed Royal Air Force. The Royal Air Force now had its own command structure away from the army and provided its own ranks.
As the American economy was gradually recovering thanks to the New Deal, Roosevelt decided to increase interaction with neighboring countries. When the Second World War began, Roosevelt saw it as an opportunity to increase production and boost America’s economy. During the 1930 to 1940s, the production of munitions greatly increased. The Second World War significantly increased American economic interaction with South America, Great Britain, and Canada. This lead to greater relations between Latin America and a faster victory as U.S. citizens began to see a shift in economic, political, and social ideals.
World War I may not have made the world safe for democracy, but it did help to lay the groundwork for a decade of American economic expansion. The war began in Europe in 1914, and the United States entered the fray in 1917. The 1920s saw the growth of the culture of consumerism. A significant reason for United States involvement in the war was the nation’s economic links to the Allied Powers, and especially to Great Britain. American soldiers returned home in May 1919 with the promise of a prosperous decade (Baughman 197).
“I cut the emergency switch just in time to keep ‘Winnie Mae’ from making an exhibition of herself by standing on her nose. That would have been fatal to our hopes.” –Wiley Post Throughout his incredible career, Mr. Wiley H. Post unceasingly strived for excellence and continuously pushed the envelope in aviation. Despite several hardships and the obstacles he faced, he never knew the meaning of giving up. He made numerous breakthroughs during the era of the Golden Age of Aviation. In these following paragraphs you will see several “snapshots” of the amazing life of a one-eyed pilot who drastically changed aviation. Wiley H. Post, the pilot who put it all on the line to fly not only a little faster, at a little higher altitude, but a little farther than everyone else, just one more time.
History Wing Introduction." Home Page for the Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company and Wright-brothers.org. 1999. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. .
During Wilbur Wright’s childhood, he expressed an unusual interest in human flight through playing with models of aircrafts that his father brought home, and studying the bird’s flight outside with his equally as interested brother, Orville Wright. But it was not until Orville was struck with a deadly illness that had no known cure that “Wilbur had begun reading about a German glider… aloud to Orville” which had interested them so much that they began attempting their own aircraft once Orville had made a full recovery on top of managing their own bicycle shop (McCullough 28). It was at this point, when they began to put more of their time
America’s entry into World War II had an importance to America after the war. The United States involvement in the war was long and took a toll on everyone in the war. The military of the U.S. was the deciding factor in World War II. The United States grew militarily and economically because of the war. Finally stopping the Great Depression and bringing on jobs for everyone including women, colored people and the fighters of the war.
involvement in World War I had an immense impact on the U.S. economy. It is considered one of the main causes of the Great Depression. The Allies, and Germany incurred great debts when they traded with the U.S. before the U.S. declared war. The U.S. spent roughly $38 billion on the war. Even the American public helped by buying Liberty Bonds and this caused a downfall in the economy after the war because the debt could not be easily paid. The high international debt also caused economic turmoil in Europe, which affected international trade in the U.S.. The need for American goods decreased, and even the trade of European goods became difficult. The impact this had on the American economy was the first step towards the Great Depression. The involvement of the U.S. in the war was something that was certain to happen. The war was affecting our economy even before the U.S. was involved and, the American soldiers had to help to end the war before the damage became
When people think of World War 1, they think of a great war that killed millions and wounded more. Ruining lives and bringing nothing but harm to this world and our great nation of the United States. What people fail to realize is that World War 1 in many ways helped the United States of America in some ways. Before the war, the united states was just another country when it came to industrialization. This great war was in some ways an economic firestarter this great country. In order for this country to thrive during the first world war industries had to pump out products faster than ever before. Creating jobs and helping the economy. This war also opened up an opportunity for women to show their worth in the country. Since many men were overseas the women stepped in and took their spots. Unfortunately once the men returned they saw their jobs were no longer available, leading to mass unemployment. Overall the war did not change the United States place in this world, but solidified it as a great nation.
America’s economy drastically went up and the employment rate was high after winning WW1. New technology was being developed. Things like the electric blow dryer, pop up toasters, and electric blenders, and irons were being used by
What would the world be like without flight? Today we take aircraft for granted but for centuries man could only dream of flight. It was not until the late nineteenth century that human flight started to become a reality. During this time people started to see flight as a possibility, and enthusiastic inventors began working on and experimenting with many different types of flying machines. Although there were many determined people trying to develop an airplane, the Wrights were the first because of their good methods of testing, and their focus on understanding and developing lift and control.
Australia's Passion for Aviation Following the conclusion of The Great War (WWI) was the boom era of