1929 Endurance Flights

[Mike A 357]

Sometime in the past year, I came across a picture which looked to have been from the 1920s, showing a guy on a small platform attached to the side of the engine compartment of a single engine airplane while the plane was flying.  I laughed, thought "This can't be true, can it?" and made a mental note to do some research.  

So today I remembered it and checked it out:  Holy Toledo!!!  Check out the pictures in "The golden age of endurance flights" section, as well as the travails faced by the Key brothers on their flight:

https://maisonbisson.com/post/on-building-the-plane-while-flying-it/

And here's a list of some of the notable endurance flights of 1929:

https://generalaviationnews.com/2015/05/10/1929s-record-setting-endurance-flights/

Whoa, this must of been a time when men were MEN!! 😂🤣

Edited August 16, 2021 by Mike A

[Mace 1,990]

There was also an endurance flight done around 1950, where the pilots were "provisioned" (food + water) by flying low over a road, and picked up supplies from a car moving at high speed. 

[Fielder 3,904]

It was very interesting reading, for sure!