Hard to believe that stunts such as these used to be accomplished frequently. Does anyone recall the air-to-air

re-fuelling of one biplane to another using a long hose? Those people had to be either fearless or just plain crazy!

This woman has more guts than a sausage factory. Take a look at this film. Fabulous footage,
although grainy due to time and bad equipment in those days compared to today, but what nerve this gal had.

Gladys Ingles was a member of a barnstorming troupe called the 13 Black Cats in the 1920's. Ingles was a wing

one of its main landing gear wheels.



Ingles is shown with a replacement wheel being strapped to her back and then off she goes as "Up She Goes," a

duet from the era, provides the soundtrack. In the film, Ingles transfers herself from the rescue plane to the one

missing the main landing gear tire.

She then expertly works herself down to the undercarriage only a few feet from a spinning propeller. It's certainly

a feat many mechanics wouldn't even try on the ground with the engine running.

She died at age 82. Click on the link below.


http://www.flixxy.com/mid-air-airplane-repair.htm

I'll have to add her to my list of wonderful women ! Along with women like Annie Oakley.

Louis, that clip made my day. I have two cousins that did wingwalking for a couple of summers in the 1980s, but this takes the cake!

One of the more remarkable refueling feats was by a couple of brothers from Meridian,Miss in,I believe, a Curtiss Robin. Don't remember how many DAYS they stayed up but they refueled and did minor maintenance in mid-air. Held the record for many years. I think they were the Key Brothers. They flew my uncle and my father to Chicago for surgery on my uncles leg shortly after. My Dad remembered them well and the event also.Of course my Dad MIGHT exaggerate. He said he saw someone loop a Ford Tri-Motor while he was with the marine in Nicarauga. I think he said it was someone there with Will Rogers,maybe Wiley Post? Anyone ever hear of that?

As I remember the endurance flight they actually did inflight oil changes.

Where did I read that account . . . it was on the net someplace???

Imagine the number of violations of various guvmit regulations that little tire change incurred.

Far as I am concerned they invented seat belt/shoulder harness for a reason.

quote:

He said he saw someone loop a Ford Tri-Motor while he was with the marine in Nicarauga. I think he said it was someone there with Will Rogers,maybe Wiley Post? Anyone ever hear of that?

There used to be guy who did a full airshow routine in a Ford Tri Motor. So your dad is probably not telling a tall tale there. It's not only possible it's been done multiple times.

TCL,

Here you go and I'd be willing to bet you next months rent payment that this was the guy who your father watched do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ2hO9QS5ow


Here is his bio..

http://www.air-racing-history....Harold%20Johnson.htm

Non-airman, here. Great stuff, thanks. Would the trimotor have needed structural or fuel system mods for this kind of flying?

Nope,

The maneuvers all seem to pretty much stay positive G so the engines would run with a just a few hiccups here and there. The Ford was built strong like a steel bridge. He doesn't seem to be pulling excessive G force in any maneuvers shown.

That's Zimbabwe's father that was fortunate enough to watch that

Sorry TCL.....

I've got a case of the flu today and obviously it's scrambled my brain.

Had NO IDEA a Trimotor could handle that kind of stress. Amazing!

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Had NO IDEA a Trimotor could handle that kind of stress. Amazing!

Bill actually if you look at it with a trained eye he isn't putting that much stress on the airplane. Everything he does can be accomplished easily with a maximum of 3 to 4 G loading. But yes the Tri Motor was a brick shithouse of an airplane. It was way overbuilt for what it needed to do in everyday service.