Amazing how cameras 'pop' up from no-where........

arcboutant

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Mid air repair by a woman in 1924.

Hard to believe that stunts such as these used to be accomplished frequently.
Does anyone recall the air-to-air re-fueling 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 walker. In this film, she shows her fearlessness in classic barnstorming fashion to save an airplane that has lost 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
 
"Daredevil" stuff indeed.

One wonders what the pilot of the 'stricken' plane would have done if the stunt had failed :augie.

Nice to see the 'Curtis Jennys' in action :thumb2.

Bob.
 
do a google search on biplane mid air repairs theres more than one entry of women doing this at air shows ;)

My point exactly. It was not an emergency. The plane she took off on showed the ailing plane alongside - no-one in the rear cockpit. Then as she climbed across she was filmed from the second plane????

Not saying she did not do the deed but in a different environment than I first thought.
 
Awe Struck

That is impressive, wouldn't catch me doing it and I don't care if it was a stunt.
 
My point exactly. It was not an emergency. The plane she took off on showed the ailing plane alongside - no-one in the rear cockpit. Then as she climbed across she was filmed from the second plane????

Not saying she did not do the deed but in a different environment than I first thought.

Watch the clip again ... I see at least three planes during the switch-over and tire change.
 
Anyone else, (besides me) think that at the end of that clip, while the plane was landing... she was risking getting bumped off the wing, forward through the big whirly food processor thingy in front of her?:eek:

Crazy days back then. :pullface

Al...
 
Anyone else, (besides me) think that at the end of that clip, while the plane was landing... she was risking getting bumped off the wing, forward through the big whirly food processor thingy in front of her?:eek:
Al...

Yup - That occurred to me too :eek:.

There must be a simple retaining device on the UC wheels - I didn't see her torquing-up castle nuts and fitting split pins :augie.

:D

Bob.
 


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