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First recorded wing walk -

The first recorded instance of wing walking took place in England. On January 14, 1911, American aviation pioneer Samuel Franklin Cody (1867–1913) took his two stepsons for a flight, with both standing harnessed on the lower wing. Cody incidentally, was also the first man to fly an aircraft in Britain, on October 16, 1908.  

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Origins of wing walking -

However, wing walking proper emerged as a daredevil stunt in the wake of the aerial barnstorming shows of the 1920s. The first recorded barnstormer was American aviator and engineer, Charles Foster Willard (1883–1977). 

Image: J. Ellsworth Gross (1862–1933) 

© Public Domain

Barnstorming -

Barnstorming got its name from the aerobatic pilots who would land their light planes in fields and use local barns as venues for their impromptu airshows. Paying spectators would gather to watch these daring aviators attempt a variety of dangerous aerial tricks and maneuvers.  

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The flying circus -

As the popularity of barnstorming grew, so the age of the flying circus was born. Consisting of multiple planes and stunt people, these aerial circus acts were the largest and most organized of all of the barnstorming performances. Well-known among these display teams was the Maria Meyer Flying Circus. Maria Meyer (1899–1956) is pictured in 1924 standing on the end of the lower wing of a biplane.

Image: Unknown author, 1924

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Earning his wings -

The celebrated American aviator Charles Lindbergh (1902–1974) served as one of the pilots for the Maria Meyer Flying Circus during his barnstorming days. 

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Ormer Locklear (1891–1920) -

One of wing walking's earliest superstars was Ormer Locklear. An American daredevil stunt pilot and film actor, Locklear pioneered many of the stunts later associated with the discipline. 

Image: Library of Congress, 1919 

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Ormer Locklear (1891–1920) -

Enjoying nationwide fame and considerable financial rewards, Locklear was in his prime when he and co-pilot Milton "Skeets" Elliott died on August 2, 1920, after their plane crashed while filming a scene for the silent movie 'The Skywayan.' 

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Lillian Boyer (1901–1989) -

Several intrepid women feature prominently in the wing walking story. Aviatrix Lillian Boyer from Chicago mastered numerous stunts while still only in her early twenties. She's seen here hanging by her feet from a Curtiss JN-4 biplane during a performance at the Minnesota State Fair in 1923. 

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Lillian Boyer (1901–1989) -

A favorite crowd-pleaser was Boyer's automobile-to-airplane transfer, an incredibly difficult and highly precarious maneuver undertaken at considerable speed just a few feet off the ground. 

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Gladys Roy (1896–1927) -

Another female barnstormer turned wing walker was Gladys Roy. She was famous for conducting a variety of stunts on the upper wings of her airplane, such as this stunt performed in March 1924 when she walked the wings of a Curtiss JN-4 'Jenny' biplane over Los Angeles while blindfolded. 

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Gladys Roy (1896–1927) -

Roy's most lauded aerial feat took place in 1925 when she was photographed with fellow daredevil Ivan Unger, a member of the Flying Black Hats, playing tennis on the upper wing of a biplane flying 3,000 ft (914 m) above the ground. The image remains one of the most recognized from the vintage wing-walking era. Roy would later die a dreadful death, accidentally walking into a spinning propeller of a parked aircraft just after wrapping up a magazine photoshoot.

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Gladys Ingle (1899–1981) -

Far more fortunate was pilot and wing walker Gladys Ingle. A member of the 13 Black Cats aerial stunt team, Ingle became world famous for an astonishing stunt where she moved from plane to plane in mid-air (pictured). 

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Gladys Ingle (1899–1981) -

Ingle was also known for replacing a wheel in mid-air, climbing from her plane to the stricken aircraft with a spare strapped to her back. This remarkable feat was filmed on at least one occasion and is still available to view today. Ingle lived a long and eventual life, passing away in 1981 aged 82. 

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Richard Schindler (1893–1931) -

Aerial acrobat Richard Schindler was notorious for his audacious stunts performed on monoplanes. Here, Schindler is seen in 1927 practicing one of his tricks on a Klemp plane piloted by Richard Perlia. 

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Andrée Peyre (1899–1994) -

French aviatrix, stunt flyer, and actress Andrée Peyre arrived in Los Angeles from Paris in 1919 after French police compelled her to quit her dangerous exploits in the air. Peyre pursued her career in the United States, starring in a number of silent cinema productions while indulging in her passion for flying and wing walking. 

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The aircraft of choice -

This unidentified barnstorming pilot and wing walker perform stunts on a Curtiss JN-4 'Jenny' biplane in the air above New Jersey in the early 1920s. The sturdy and reliable Curtiss JN became central to the barnstorming era and helped awaken the United States to civil aviation through much of the 1920s. 

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Billy Bomar and Uva Kimmey -

Billy Bomar (right) and Uva "Kimmey" Shipman of the Howard Flying Circus indulge in a little wing walking using a biplane built by the Waco Aircraft Company. The stunt was carried out over Barren Island in New York on May 13, 1930. 

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End of an era -

By the late 1930s the profession had had its wings clipped. The stock market crash of 1929 had forced the closure of many flying circus acts while legislation introduced by the US government in 1936 banning wing walking below 1,500 ft (460 m) effectively ended the practice. People had difficulty seeing stunts above that height.

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Johnny Zazian (1933–2015) -

Wing walking remained an exciting though relatively sidelined air display act for the next forty years or so, performed mostly by professional movie stunt people. In this 1972 image, Johnny Zazian hangs from the top wing of a biplane airplane while pilot Joe Hughes flies upside down over Toronto during practice for the Canadian International Air Show. Zazian gained fame as the stuntman who wing walked and barnstormed in place of actor Robert Redford in the 1975 film, 'The Great Waldo Pepper.' He also served as a stunt double for James Brolin in 'Capricorn One' (1977). 

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'The Great Waldo Pepper' (1975) -

'The Great Waldo Pepper' remains the definitive film inspired by real-life barnstormers, people like Ormer Locklear and Charles "Speed" Holman. It's well-regarded by aviation enthusiasts due to the attention to period detail and the use of actual aircraft rather than models in the flying scenes. 

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The Utterly Butterly's -

Since 1984, UK-based AeroSuperBatics have been operators of famous airshow teams including the Crunchie Flying Circus, The Utterly Butterly's, Guinot Wingwalkers, and the Breitling Wingwalkers. Here, Utterly Butterly's Sophie Sharpe performs on top of a 1940 Boeing Stearman above Worthing in the south of England. 

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Guinot Wingwalkers -

Since its formation, the AeroSuperBatics wing walkers have performed in over 20 countries throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Pictured performing a precision mid-air maneuver are the Guinot Wingwalkers. 

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Breitling Wingwalkers -

Wing walker Charlotte Voce makes it look easy during a display performed by Breitling Wingwalkers.  

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Ahead in the clouds -

A pair of Breitling biplanes fly high above the clouds during the Breitling Air Show in Sion, Switzerland, in 2017. 

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The tradition continues -

In the United States, independent flying circus/wing walking acts often provide a thrilling program of aerobatic prowess during air shows. Here, 'The Pirated Skies,' performed by husband and wife team Kyle and Amanda Franklin, takes to the air at the Minnesota Air Spectacular.  

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Vectren Dayton Airshow tragedy -

Despite stringent legislation governing health and safety, accidents still occur. On June 22, 2013, wing walker Jane Wicker and pilot Charlie Schwenker were killed when their Boeing-Stearman IB75A struck the ground and burst into flames while performing at the Vectren Dayton Airshow in the United States. 

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"Catwalk" air show -

The Scandinavian wing walking duo known as "Skycats" perform their "Catwalk" airshow on a Grumman-164A aircraft at the Slovak International Air Fest. 

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Danielle Wingwalker -

Flying the flag today for female stunt performers is aviatrix Danielle Del Buono, better known as Danielle Wingwalker. She performs with Swiss company 46 Aviation and with over over 1000 wing walks under her belt, is one of the most experienced exponents of the art working today. 

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World's oldest wing walker -

Proving that age is no barrier, in 2014 Tom Lackey became the world's oldest wing walker, taking to the skies at 94 for a flight around the Rock of Gibraltar (pictured). However, in 2022, 95-year-old Ivor Button beat the previous record set by the late Mr Lackey and by doing so, promptly flew into the Guinness World Records. 

Sources: (Silver Wings Wingwalking)(Grace Kingsley's Hollywood) (Irish Independent) (AeroSuperBatics) (US News & World Report) (46Aviation) (BBC) (Guinness World Records) 

See also: World records that Guinness refuses to accept. 

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