Those Daring Young Men

As aero meets began making front-page news in Los Angeles, New York, and Montreal, a new generation of aviators trained on Wright aircraft took over demonstration flying from the Wright Brothers, whose airplane had previously been exhibited before kings, emperors, congressmen, and generals before 1910. Aviation meets let millions of Americans experience what the boys from Dayton had achieved, and would-be civilian pilots came from across the country to the Wright School of Aviation to learn to fly, receiving a few hours of hands-on training at the flying field. Nine who successfully soloed were hired for the new Wright Exhibition Team. These flying circuses were deadly: from May to December 1910, the Wright team suffered seven crashes and two dare-devils died. The Wrights, losing interest in the costly aerial show business, dissolved their team in November 1911. In all, five of the first nine Wright exhibition pilots were killed in accidents during their first two and a half years of flying.

Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio · United States