May 2002

75 years ago this month, Charles Lindbergh made his famous solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.  To mark the occasion, guest contributor Dan Taylor has generously agreed to share vintage songs and images from the "Golden Age of Aviation."

In our final week of aviation’s sights and sounds we end where we really should have begun, at the turn of the century. Next December will be the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers famous flight at Kitty Hawk. Other American fliers like Glenn Curtiss, and countless European aviators paved the way for Lindbergh, Jimmy Doolittle, Wiley Post and others made the headlines in the 20’s and 30’s.
 
 
 
 

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On July 25, 1909 in a little over 30 minutes, the Frenchman Louis Bleriot made aviation history flying his small Bleriot 11 monoplane across the English Channel from France to England. (Using a picture postcard for a map!) It has been considered by many historians to be the third most important event in aviation history next to the Wrights first flight and Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic. And proved to England’s mighty Navy, that there were no more islands! 
 
 
 
 
 

Dan Taylor, contributor to this month’s music and photos, flies an original Bleriot 11 today! This example, serial # 56 is the oldest flying aeroplane in America. And flies during the Saturday summer airshows at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in upstate New York. 

 
 
 
 
 

From the same era, a 1911 Curtiss Model D Pusher claws for air in a trail of blue smoke. The pilot Dan Taylor is really out in the open! Note the flying togs quite fitting of an aviator of the period. Daring flyers like Lincoln Beachey would loop this type of aeroplane for a 1000.00 a loop! Not bad money in 1911 when you could feed a family of four very well on about 6.00 a week.
 
 
 

Come Josephine In My Flying Machine        
Ada Jones and Billy Murray                          1910

Many singers had recorded the first of our “Turn of the Century Tunes” as late as 1940. This early example seems to fit the photos above perfectly - although Josephine might have second thoughts!
 
 

Wait Till You Get Them Up In The Air Boys       
Billy Murray                                                1919

A post war tune again sung by Billy Murray expressing the desires of many seasoned flyers from “Over There”.
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See Dan Taylor fly his 1929 and 1931 vintage aeroplanes at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, New York.  The museum opens May 15 and the airshows start June 15.  For more information, visit www.oldrhinebeck.org

May 23, 2002
 
 

75 years ago this month, Charles Lindbergh made his famous solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.  To mark the occasion, guest contributor Dan Taylor has generously agreed to share vintage songs and images from the "Golden Age of Aviation.
 
 

After WWI, many aviators came home with new experiences and a feeling of restlessness. As the song went “How ya gonna keep’em down on the farm, after they’ve seen Paree”!  They could buy a military surplus Curtiss Jenny for 200 dollars and fly from town to town giving rides. And thus the Barnstormer was born. Even Charles Lindbergh spent time barnstorming the Midwest before becoming an airmail pilot.
  After Lindbergh’s famous flight 75 years ago this month, the world went crazy for aviation. And Hollywood was soon to pick up on the popularity with a wave of Aviation films. In 1927 “Wings” the first film to win an Academy Award for best picture was soon followed by Howard Hughes’ “Hell’s Angels”, “Dawn Patrol” and many others.
  The Stunt Pilots who flew in these films were a breed unto themselves. Many were former Barnstormers who’s daring yet precision flying is still done today but mostly through computer animation. Back then if you had to fly through an open hangar you just did it!
 
 
 

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Don’t try this at home! Stunting for the Newsreel cameras was routine in Hollywood. Here Al Wilson hangs out on the wing of a Curtiss Jenny. Note the absence of a parachute.
 
 
 
 

While there were others, Frank Clarke was to me the premiere Hollywood Motion Picture Stunt Pilot. A natural born flyer, he was considered to be a man’s man by his fellow pilots and one of the most daring. On some of the films he flew in with his traditional pencil thin moustache, the handsome Clarke had more women crazy for him than the pictures’ leading man! A Hollywood gossip columnist of the period called him “satanically good looking”. Aside from being the chief pilot, he did have an acting part in Hell’s Angels as well as some other films of the period. His level of daring and flying few could come close to.

 

For a Katherine MacDonald film in1920 Frank Clarke flew his Canadian Jenny off the roof of the Los Angeles Railway Building that was under construction. The films storyline didn’t say how the airplane got up there but Clarke gave it full throttle and took off from the roof that was only 100’ long! He dropped about five stories till gaining flying speed and landed at a nearby airport. There he was arrested by the police who promptly released him when they couldn’t think of what to charge him with!
 
 

Captains of the Clouds       
Mart Kenney Orchestra                                     1942

From the movie of the same name starred James Cagney as a Canadian bush pilot. 
This was Cagney’s first film shot in color. Frank Clarke was the chief pilot for Warner Brothers. The song was a rousing call to arms as WWII escalated.
 

Wild Blue Yonder (Army Air Corps Song)       
Dick Powell with the Norseman Quartet             1939

There have been many versions of this wonderful recording in the 30’s. Here is one of the many vocal versions.
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See Dan Taylor fly his 1929 and 1931 vintage aeroplanes at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, New York.  The museum opens May 15 and the airshows start June 15.  For more information, visit www.oldrhinebeck.org

May 16, 2002
 
 

75 years ago this month, Charles Lindbergh made his famous solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.  To mark the occasion, guest contributor Dan Taylor has generously agreed to share vintage songs and images from the "Golden Age of Aviation."

Next Monday will be the 75th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s famous transatlantic solo crossing. It was a big enough event that Time Magazine was inspired to give some sort of honor. Thus Charles Lindbergh became the first of an annual feature: Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year”.
 
 

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Aside from the men who made headlines in the heyday of aviation in the 20’s and 30’s, there were many women as well. Everyone remembers Amelia Earhart, but other notables were people like Dorothy Hester. She held the world’s record for 69 continuous outside loops (a very stressful maneuver). That record would remain unbroken for 58 years! She was a regular at many of the National Air Races flying her Great Lakes biplane pictured here.
 
 
 

The Great Lakes Sport Trainer was a favorite of many pilots during the early 30’s. This example pictured in this ad, NC304Y was used as a sales demonstrator in 1931. In spite of its popularity the company was just one of the many that succumbed during the dark days of the Depression.
 

 

But the memory flies on! Here is that same aeroplane today rescued from the scrap heap (notice NC304Y on the rudder). It is one of the few original Great Lakes biplanes still flying. This month’s contributor Dan Taylor flies it high over the upstate New York countryside on a summer evening. Complete with original 1930’s goggles and helmet!
 
 
 
 

When Lindy Comes Home        
Franklyn Baur, vocal                        1927
 

When Lindy Comes Home        
Jack Kaufman                                  1927

Here are two more Lindbergh selections sung by two different artists of the period.
 
 

See Dan Taylor fly his 1929 and 1931 vintage aeroplanes at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, New York.  The museum opens May 15 and the airshows start June 15.  For more information, visit www.oldrhinebeck.org

May 9, 2002
 
 

75 years ago this month, Charles Lindbergh made his famous solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.  To mark the occasion, guest contributor Dan Taylor has generously agreed to share vintage songs and images from the "Golden Age of Aviation."
 
  Click here to see larger image
.  The Spartan aircraft Company were just one of the many aircraft manufacturers of the 20’s and 30’s.  Seating two passengers in the front cockpit and the pilot in the rear was a standard arrangement in many of these biplanes. This example would have sold for nearly 6000 dollars. A great deal of money on the doorstep of the depression
 
  Click here to see larger image

The Travel Air Company produced many successful biplanes of the period. It was a perfect mount for the ‘Sportsman Pilot” or “Flying salesman” of the day. This photo is a favorite of mine because it features several standards of the time. A destined to be classic car, “Plus Four” knickers, a big grassy field, and a beautiful biplane. 
One can only imagine the music that would have been playing on the Atwater Kent radio in the airport building. 

 

Rio Rita        
James Lewis, vocal
Nat Shilkret and His Orchestra                1927

On the evening of May 19th while waiting for the weather to clear, Lindbergh was invited to see a one of the season’s biggest Broadway hits called “Rio Rita”. At the urging of one of his assistants, it was decided to place another call to the weather bureau. In spite of the fog covered Manhattan skyline, the forecast was in for a dramatic change and called for clearing weather. Foregoing the show, they rushed back to the airfield to start last minute preparations. Here is the title song from the play Lindbergh never saw. 
 
 

Plucky Lindy's Lucky Day        
The High Hatters                                 1929

Upon meeting his future wife Anne Spencer Morrow and being a very private person, one can only imagine how Charles Lindbergh must have felt when hearing this song! But the public was so captivated by this young American Hero they expressed it any way possible.
 
 
 
 

See Dan Taylor fly his 1929 and 1931 vintage aeroplanes at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, New York.  The museum opens May 15 and the airshows start June 15.  For more information, visit www.oldrhinebeck.org

May 2, 2002
 
 

By special contributor Dan Taylor

75 years ago this month, Charles Lindbergh made his famous solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.  To mark the occasion, guest contributor Dan Taylor has generously agreed to share vintage songs and images from the "Golden Age of Aviation."
 
 

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On May 20, 1927 at the age of 25,  Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island (now a shopping mall) and in 33-1/2 hours landed his small Ryan Monoplane at Le Bourget Field in Paris. Met by a human sea of frenzied spectators, his first words to the overjoyed crowd were “Are there any mechanics here?”

Much to his embarrassment, he became a National Hero. But this single feat was enough to stimulate the world to becoming more aviation minded. He accepted no endorsements for advertising. The royalties that he could have lived quite comfortably on were shunned. He opted instead to be a living testament that aviation was a safe viable means of transportation.

The name Lindbergh was everywhere, on banners, buttons and of course in song. Some how the nicknames (which he didn’t like), stuck “Lucky Lindy”, “Plucky Lucky Lindbergh” and others became household phrases. 

Here is a tribute to Charles Lindbergh and all those daring aviators before and after him. 

KEEP OUT OF THE WATER

I always like this photo because it showed Lindbergh in a rare relaxed pose. Being constantly hounded by the press (who were always looking for some “dirt” on the young flyer from Minnesota) this showed him actually smiling even though the task before him was quite serious. However it was well known by many of his peers that he was a notorious practical joker

Lucky Lindy         
Nat Shilkret and His Orchestra               1927

This is perhaps the best known version of the Lindbergh “tribute songs” - a song Lindbergh never liked. He spent a great deal of time planning the epic flight and the term “luck” seemed perhaps too nonchalant.
 

Lindbergh, Eagle of the USA        
Vernon Dalhart                                    1927

A personal favorite of mine complete with sound effects.
 
 
 

See Dan Taylor fly his 1929 and 1931 vintage aeroplanes at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in Rhinebeck, New York.  The museum opens May 15 and the airshows start June 15.  For more information, visit www.oldrhinebeck.org