Aerial stuntmen. Daredevils of the skies.

The first parachute was designed and invented  by Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th century. Since then, there have been many daredevils  responsible for man’s progress in flight. In 1783, François Pilâtre de Rozier  rose 85 feet into the sky in this colorful balloon filled with hot air. In 1891, Otto Lilienthal made the first successful flight in a heavier-than-air glider. On December 17th, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright brothers made  the first successful motor-powered flight. Orville Wright flew a distance  of 852 feet in 59 seconds. Many historic flights have been reenacted  for motion pictures and television by movie stunt pilots, such as Louis Blériot’s  crossing of the English Channel in 1909. In a record speed of 42 miles per hour. There’s no one around today to teach you to fly this plane. You’ve got to teach yourself. The pilot must control it by warping the wings. This flimsy craft weighs only 750 pounds, has a 23-horsepower motor, and  not an instrument in sight. Famous death-dealing aces such as Captain Eddie  Rickenbacker fought the battles of the sky during World War I in the French Nieuport 28. This replica from the American 94th Squadron bore the famed “hat-in-the-ring” emblem. The narrow center section, the Vickers guns mounted to the left of the cockpit. The cockpit was uncomfortably cramped. The pilot had to sit high and the windshield  was so small that he almost froze. On the other extreme, his feet toasted in  the 125 degree heat of the engine firewall. Now on the other side of the battle lines,  German pilots handled this terror of the skies, the Fokker D.VII. Although not a fast plane, it was easy to fly and highly maneuverable. Just as their real-life counterparts, motion picture pilots have been called on many times to  reenact the exciting dogfights of World War I. The Jenny was used by Major Reuben Fleet in  1918 in the first of many hazardous flights for the U.S. Post Office. Exciting movies have been made of these pioneer airmail deliveries. When flying a vintage plane worth from $5,000 to $20,000, a pilot must know everything  there is to know about his aircraft. Their knowledge of flight and  handling characteristics is necessary to avoid very costly mistakes. On May 20th, 1937 [Correction-1927] Captain Charles A Lindbergh became the first man to fly alone  across the Atlantic in a single-motor plane. He flew from Long Island to Paris—a  distance of 3,600 miles in 33½ hours. The pilot, after flying in a movie of the life  of Lindbergh, stated he had a greater respect for “Lucky Lindy,” who flew this two-handed,  two-fisted aircraft that handled like a truck. World War II aces flew sleek weapons  of war capable of 700 miles per hour. When the film world wishes to recapture  their exploits, the pilot’s skill and daring are tested to the limit as he takes  the controls of the P-40 Flying Tiger, the majestic P-51 Mustang, or the Navy’s  fastest plane during WWII, the Vought Corsair. The gull wings were designed to support the  throbbing 2,000-horsepower engine and to give added strength to withstand a 9 G power dive. In recent years, the movie pilot has had to fly colorful helicopters or handle complicated  jets that get faster and faster every year. In the not-too-distant future, they may be called  on to reenact the first flight to the moon. Today’s flying stuntmen have found another exciting outlet for their talents. They earn a living by performing hair-raising stunts at air shows all over the world. This hot-air balloon ascension was first seen at the turn of the century, and it  is just as thrilling today as it was then. It takes a lot of nerve and strength to ride  a trapeze into the sky, then let go and return to Earth by a parachute. Now watch this, Jimmy. It might be called climbing the  ladder of success the hard way. To make the stunt even more frightening,  this daredevil doesn’t even use a parachute. It could be that success  has really gone to his head. Wing-walking isn’t reserved for men only. Even the ladies get into the act. Well, the sure crowd-pleaser of any air  circus is the thrilling aerobatic exhibition. From a height of 2,800 feet. "Does he ever get dizzy doing all those spins?" Well, Jimmy, a famous stunt pilot once  told me he got confused and mixed up in his directions when he first  practiced these twists and turns. After a while, he got so used to this kind of  flying that it was just like driving a car. Jimmy, can you imagine jumping out of a speeding  airplane at an altitude of only 90 feet? You wouldn’t think a parachute  would have time to open, would you? Well, now you watch closely because you’re  about to see the exciting parachute pull-off. Now, keep your eye on the stuntman. "What kind of plane is that, Mr. Peters?" It might be called a plane of death, Jimmy. In just a few seconds, a plane just like this  one will be crashed into that building out there. Now listen, Jimmy. Notice how quiet it is? You can almost feel the tension. This is the most dangerous stunt a pilot can do. Here he comes! How does he keep from getting killed? [Unintelligble] Jimmy, Long years of training—and only by keeping  himself in top physical condition and being able to rely on split-second timing— on split-second timing—can a stuntman like  this ever hope to collect his old-age pension.