The armistice that ended WW I, the war to end all wars, also gave birth to the classic era of aviation. In the US, hundreds of veteran Army Corps pilots became the nucleus of Americas newest craze, sport flying! Less than a generation after Henry Ford put America on wheels, aircraft manufacturers including Stearman, Travel Air, Lockheed, Beech and Waco permitted thousands to take to the air. Through out the twenties, the airplane and the infant aircraft industry went about proving its worth, not only as a fast mode of transportation, but also as a safe way to go from point A to point B. Air Shows, reliability races, air derbies and exhibition flights at county fairs across the country familiarized the American public to the new and exciting contraption. For a nominal fee, many adventurous young men and women took to the air in WW I biplanes to experience the thrill of flight. It was not unusual for riders to wait in line all day, such was the publics interest in flying. Along with rides for those interested in the thrill of first hand flight, aviators of the twenties and early thirties turned the skills learned in WW I dogfights into the first aerobatic air shows. With flashy paint jobs and white silk scarves flying in the wind, they put their aging biplanes through a variety of loops, spins, rolls and vertical stall maneuvers to deli9ght and excite the thousands of spectators assembled below. As time went on, the difficulty of the maneuvers increased, and eventually the addition of a dare devil added to the excitement of the show. With reckless abandon they would walk along the upper wing or hang precariously from the landing gear. Many of the wing-walkers were once aerial artists in the circus, and used to performing at great heights. Wing-walking was one of the first aeronautical occupations equally open to women and men.