I’m sitting in my hangar this morning, enjoying a cup of coffee and watching this video, with my 1947 Cessna 140 parked behind me. 77 years old… still looks great and still going strong (the airplane). I’ve flown it enough hours to have circled the globe 6 times. Clyde and company sure knew how to build airplanes!
Amazing how this area of the country fostered companies like Cessna and Beechcraft. And how they built something from almost nothing, while living a basic life.
I learned to fly because my Father, Uncle, and cousin all were flyers. I was 40 something at the time and due to the constraints of my job and family had to give it up-but not until I soloed cross country. I did everything in a 172. There was one particular plane I loved to fly-it seemed to fly itself half the time and I was afforded the intuitiveness which comes with flying certain planes. On one trip I had to fly a right-hand pattern and was high on final but somehow managed to slip my way down and on the runway. I understand what a joy it was for Mr. Cessna to feel this feeling of flight. I am further thankful that for a brief period in my life I was able to do the same. All because a farm boy from Kansas had the pluck it took to stay the course of his desires.
Nice video, thank you. I learned to fly in Wichita in the 70's. Had the honor of meeting Mr. Wallace, a true gentleman. One correction on the names of the early Cessna's, the early 172 was called a Skyhawk, you called it a Skylark which didn't come along until 1958 as the 175. I've owned a 175 for 14 years now named Speedy the 175. Keep up the good work.
Duane Wallace had one of his original "Airmaster" models at the Augusta, Ks Municipal airport while I worked there in the mid '80s. It was kept in an air conditioned hangar and at that time, we had a fuel truck we took to a hangar to refuel an airplane. The Airmaster was a challenge to fuel with such a small fueling port in the top of the wing. Had to be super careful of no spills.
The time those men built the first aircrafts must have been a very exciting time. However, I don´t know whether I would get into the planes of the beginning century. I prefer the more developed planes after the WW II. I have flown many german planes, french planes, italian planes and one british plane and . . . . no joke, never flew a cessna or a piper.
This was a great story and I thank you for posting this video. God bless America for producing men like this, who could build a huge and successful company from such humble beginnings as living in the loft of the barn in which you homebuilt your own airplanes! Wow
They say that the Skylark outsold all other planes. Actually the Skylark was pretty rare, with its geared prop. I'm pretty sure they meant the SkyHAWK; the one pictured. Zillions of those out there.
There is no record of an “air circus” of touring stunt pilots in 1910! The wing walker photo was taken after WW1. That brings the veracity of the entire report into question.
The Moisants. American businessman John Moisant learned to fly in France, then formed the Moisant International Aviators in 1910. Operating as a touring “flying circus,” the team included his sister, Matilde, and Harriet Quimby, the first two American women to earn pilot's licenses.
