Canadian aerial stunting

[John Gilinsky]

"Young pilots too full of vim for thier own good would indulge in stunts strictly off the record, and rarely were caught. One practice as far back as the summber of 1917 was for a pilot to wait in the air at the time the Toronto express for Barrie [ Ontario, Canada ] was due, and then to come in from behind at a fast clip, low down above the tracks. As he and his plane swept by over the length of the train, the crazy man at the plane's controls would deilberately bump his wheels on the roofs of several of the coaches before reaching the engine, when he would speed over the top and actually dip down in front of the fast moving train, flying directly in front of it along the tracks until far enough in front to swing away and yet not have his identifying numbers on the rudder seen by passengers or train crew. It was supposed to be great fun along a particular section of the C.P.R. track between Baxter and a small town named Ivy, where the telegraph wires and poles were amply spaced to allow for such mad exploits."

(Reference: Ellis, Frank H. "Canada's Flying Heritage" Toronto: University of Toronto Press 1954 First Edition 2nd. Edition revised 1961 (reprinted...1973), page 127)

1) Can anyone confirm ANY of the above anecdote as true via contemporary records or documents such as local press reports, accident reports, military discipline records, etc...?

2) Did the British RFC or RAF during 1914 to 1919 have similar exploits with their pilots stunting in a very similiar fashion? If so WHO were these pilots?

Thanks,

John

[Plan]

I have no indication of such stunts (and that does not invalidate the possibility).

But it appears that pilots were (in Canada), in practice, quite free to borrow a plane to visit friends and family (landing in a farm field), or give a private airshow over the local town.

Pascal

[John Gilinsky]

I have no indication of such stunts (and that does not invalidate the possibility).

But it appears that pilots were (in Canada), in practice, quite free to borrow a plane to visit friends and family (landing in a farm field), or give a private airshow over the local town.

Pascal

Yes. Some crazy stories: one cadet flew without telling anyone to the United States so that he could visit his relatives there! Another pilot stunted in Collingwood, Ontario by flying UNDER a shipbuilding yard's construciton crane! He crashed the plane on the third swoop!

Surely there must be all kinds of stories?

John

[Flyvulcan]

My great uncle was a RFC/RAF pilot who flew with 100Sqn for about a year on night bombing duties in France, then back for home defence duties in the UK. While on HD duties, his diary for Friday 21st June 1918 states "Did my height test. Flew under the Tyne Bridge in a Bristol (F2b)". Maybe not as wild as bouncing on a train, but he did have the nickname "chimneypots" at 100Sqn, thanks to his low flying escapades (His MC was awarded predominantly for a sortie where he flew very low at night to hit his target.)

Cheers, Dave

[Dolphin]

Stunting, or what we'd now probably call unauthorised aerobatics, was by no means restricted to Canadians. Many RFC and RAF pilots flew under bridges or between buildings. The South African Captain D V Armstong, said to be the most proficient exponent of the Sopwith Camel's manoeuvrability, was killed while stunting at low level at Bouvincourt on 13 November 1918.

From an Australian point of view, pilots from No 1 Sqn AFC were notorious for tipping over sailing boats on the Nile by directing their slipstream into the boat's sails. In Europe, the AFC's top ace, Capt A H Cobby, managed to fly a Camel along London streets below the telegraph wires on 25 April 1919. Another, unnamed, Australian was behind him in a Sopwith Pup.

Cheers

Gareth

[182 CEF]

Years ago I had a diary from an American that was training with the RFC in Borden.

He mentioned things like erks walking into propellers..and lots of ground looping and guys pulling stunts and crashing..wish the book hadn't been stolen.

Dean

[John Gilinsky]

Dolphin: Perhaps you can post some specific stunts besides those that you refer to?

CEF 182: "erks" (spelling?)?

Many flying cadets were killed in crashes in both world wars. It would be very interesting to learn how many of these were caused by exceeding orders, unauthorized stunts, show offs, etc...?

Thanks,

John