1. The Barnstormers

2. Chapter Overview The Barnstormers Flight Goes Mainstream
Commercial Flight, Airmail, and Helicopters
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

3. Lesson Overview The barnstormers
Major contributions of the barnstormers
How the barnstormers contributed to public awareness of aviation
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

4. Warm Up Questions CPS Questions (1-2)
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
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5. (Note to Instructor: Use “Pick a Student” button in CPS)
Quick Write
If you’re trying to reach a goal, it helps to have a supporter, as Bessie Coleman did—someone who has confidence in you and convinces you that you can achieve your dream.
Describe an experience when you or someone close to you got support in reaching a goal.
(Note to Instructor: Use “Pick a Student” button in CPS)
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

6. The Barnstormers
A barnstormer is a pilot who travels around the country giving exhibits of stunt flying and parachuting
The term barnstorming comes from the time pilots would fly over a small rural town to attract attention, then land at a local farm
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

7. Stunt Flying In the 1920s the term became attached to stunt flying
Historians give stunt pilots like Bessie Coleman credit for sustaining the aviation industry during its early years
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
Courtesy of NASA

8. Entertaining Spectators
Barnstorming shows drew crowds of spectators—people who come to see an event or show—during and after WWI
Some pilots worked in teams
Their acts were called “flying circuses”
Once the war was over, these pilots became the public face of American aviation
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

9. End of War
On 14 November 1918, three days after the war ended, the US government canceled $100 million worth of airplane contracts
Within three months, 175,000 workers in the aircraft industry lost their jobs
Aircraft production dropped by 85 percent
The Army dumped its surplus warplanes onto the market
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

10. Former Army Pilots Many of the barnstormers were former Army pilots
Since military aviation had been cut back, a large number lost their jobs
They leaped at the opportunity to keep flying
These pilots enjoyed showing off the skills they had mastered in combat
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

11. Significant Barnstormers
Bessie Coleman was just one of several Americans who gained fame as barnstormers
They helped move aviation into the public eye
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
Courtesy of Wright State University

12. Learning Check #1 CPS Questions (3-4)
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
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13. Flying Dangers
For the barnstormers, flying was in some ways less risky than it had been for combat pilots
No enemy guns fired on them
But flying, especially stunt flying, was still dangerous
Many of the barnstormers died in air accidents
Among them were Bessie Coleman and another pilot named Lincoln Beachey
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

14. Lincoln Beachey Beachey (1887–1915) was one of the top barnstormers
Orville Wright called him “the greatest pilot of all time”
In his Curtiss biplane, Beachey thrilled crowds with his dives
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
Courtesy of Hill Air Force Museum

15. Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie
A number of women also were taking to the skies—among them was Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie
She ran her own flying circus
She was the first woman in the United States to become a licensed transport pilot
In 1933 she also became the first woman appointed to a federal government job in aviation
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
Courtesy of Hill Air Force Museum

16. Major Contributions of the Barnstormers
Historians call the years between 1919 and 1939 the “golden age of aviation”
Pilots set one record after another
They flew faster and attained greater altitude—the height above Earth’s surface
They served as test pilots
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

17. How Airplanes Evolved
Airplanes changed from slow-moving, cloth-and-wood structures to faster aircraft made of metal
These planes were more aerodynamic—designed with rounded edges to reduce wind drag
Engines became more reliable
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

18. Learning Check #2 CPS Questions (5-6)
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
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19. Aviation Enthusiasts
Wealthy aviation enthusiasts—strong supporters or fans—began to offer prizes for the first pilot to achieve a certain goal
Newspaper owner William Randolph Hearst offered $50,000 to the first pilot to fly across the United States in 30 days or less
Raymond Orteig offered $25,000 for the first nonstop flight from New York to Paris
Pilots competing for both prizes found their engines weren’t up to the task
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

20. Polar Exploration
Within a few years, engines had improved enough to make transatlantic flight possible
Some pilots then turned to a new challenge: polar exploration
Richard E. Byrd
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
Courtesy of Hill Air Force Museum

21. Richard E. Byrd
Trained as a flier, Rear Adm Richard E. Byrd advanced both aviation and polar exploration
In 1926 he and his pilot were the first to fly over the North Pole
In 1929 Byrd flew to the South Pole
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

22. Barnstormers Contributed to Public Awareness of Aviation
The barnstormers’ demonstrations didn’t do away with people’s fears about flying
After all, spectators sometimes saw dreadful accidents
But the barnstormers’ air shows certainly created an interest in flight, even in rural areas and small towns
They publicized the airplane and brought romance to flying
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

23. Barnstormers Contributed to Public Awareness of Aviation
Some people believe that without the barnstormers, aviation might have died altogether in the United States
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
Courtesy of Smithsonian Institute

24. Learning Check #3 CPS Questions (7-8)
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
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25. Review
A barnstormer is a pilot who travels around the country giving exhibits of stunt flying and parachuting
In the 1920s the term barnstorming became attached to stunt flying
Barnstorming shows drew crowds of spectators
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

26. Review
Many of the barnstormers were former Army pilots who lost their jobs after WWI ended
Many of the barnstormers, including Bessie Coleman and another pilot named Lincoln Beachey, died in air accidents
Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie was the first woman in the United States to become a licensed transport pilot
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

27. Review
Historians call the years between 1919 and 1939 the “golden age of aviation”
Trained as a flier, Rear Adm Richard E. Byrd advanced both aviation and polar exploration
Some people believe that without the barnstormers, aviation might have died altogether in the United States
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

28. Review Questions CPS Questions (9-10)
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
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29. Summary The barnstormers Major contributions of the barnstormers
How the barnstormers contributed to public awareness of aviation
Chapter 3, Lesson 1

30. Next…. Done—the barnstormers Next—flight goes mainstream
Chapter 3, Lesson 1
Courtesy of the Library of Congress