Glory Days
by Alex Esguerra
Title
Glory Days
Artist
Alex Esguerra
Medium
Photograph - Black And White
Description
Word is that in 1911, it was Samuel Franklin Cody who came up with the notion of having a person out on the wing of a plane... to prove the load 10 plus feet out from the fuselage would not upset the stability of his plane! Okaaaaaay!!! Not judging the sanity of the fellow since his motivation was (somewhat) rooted in the interests of safety. For those who followed, that's another matter. Haha.
In all seriousness, though, wing-walkers are a hoot to watch. You've got a guy or gal climbing out on a wing several hundred feet up in the air in a 100+ mph slipstream. Despite every precaution they take, it is not for the faint of heart to watch. And even if they are secured to their perch, it still quickens the pulse to observe them standing there waving to the crowd as their pilot sends the machine looping and rolling and careening high above show center.
At least that was my kudos sent upwards to Ms. Ashley Battles as Greg Shelton sent his 1943 Super Stearman into a climb. It wasn't the 1920s anymore where wing walkers played tennis (I'm NOT kidding!!!), but it certainly did harken back to the glory days where wing walking was the most extreme form of barnstorming.
Uploaded
November 2nd, 2013
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