1920s Aviation In The 1920s

Words: 651
Pages: 3

1920s Airplane Industry Aviation in the 1920s, or the Golden Age of Aviation, had a positive effect on everyone. Many of the aviators of WWI were looking for jobs in aviation after the war. This continuing interest in aviation brought along many new ideas and inventions such as, barnstorming and the airmail system. It also brought tremendous achievements in aviation, such as the first, solo, trans-Atlantic flight, performed by Charles Lindbergh. But in order for that to happen, technology had to improve and ideas had to be born. At first, airplanes were built of lightweight materials, like wood and canvas, but with continual developments, some parts of airplanes started to be replaced with metal parts (1920-30.com). Eventually it got to the …show more content…
They also, however, took paying passengers for rides. These pilots became known as barnstormers. Barnstorming became popular for two reasons. One reason was the amount of pilots who wanted to make a living by flying, and the other was because of the surplus of Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplanes that the US Government had produced for the war (centennialofflight.net). These aviators would perform a multitude of tricks or stunts. From dull to daring, some of the stunts would include loop-the-loops, miraculous dives or spins, “wing-walking”, mid-air plane transfers, or stunt parachuting. According to CentennialofFlight.com, some also dared to even go as far as to play tennis on the wings, participate in target shooting, or dancing on the wings. Whatever the feat, you were sure to be on the edge of your seat. Barnstormers often performed as exhibition teams, although some did perform individually. Famous barnstormers of the 1920s include Amelia Earhart, Roscoe Turner, Pancho Barnes, and Ormer Locklear. Barnstorming not only became a way of life for aviators all over the country, but also a favorite past-time for the American people. Although fun and riveting, barnstorming was not the only way of life that aviators had found. Some of them transported mail for the United States Postal