A Leap from the Clouds: The Balloon-Parachute Act and the Daredevil Heritage of Aviation

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Jerry Kuntz

A Leap from the Clouds

The Balloon-Parachute Act and the Daredevil Heritage of Aviation

Jerry Kuntz

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English

McFarland & Co Inc
05 August 2022

Social & cultural history; Aircraft: general interest; Air sports & recreations

In the late nineteenth century, circus aerialists collaborated with show balloonists to perform death-defying stunts, initially by suspending themselves from trapeze bars beneath a balloon, later by jumping from the balloons using fabric parachutes. By the 1890s, these performances became a worldwide craze, remaining in rural fairs and fetes for decades. Many of the original balloon-parachute pioneers went on to play key roles in the creation of airships, test flying the first gliders and airplanes. Based on extensive historical research, this unusual account explores how a nineteenth-century daredevil act united with the desire to achieve human flight.

These performers' contributions did not come without a price: dozens, if not hundreds, of people died in horrifying events witnessed by thousands of spectators. This book chronicles the act that had no practical purpose other than entertainment, which eventually evolved into the development of the free-fall parachute pack--a key aviation need--and the foundation of a new activity known as skydiving.

By: Jerry Kuntz
Imprint: McFarland & Co Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 12mm
Weight: 318g
ISBN: 9781476689609
ISBN 10: 1476689601
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 05 August 2022
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Table of Contents Acknowledgments Preface: The Leap from the Clouds One—A Lighter-Than-Air Enlightenment Two—Show Ballooning and Aerial Gymnasts Three—Disciples of Donaldson Four—Tom Baldwin’s San Francisco Leap Five—Gold Rush in the Heavens Six—The Craze Arrives in Britain Seven—A Global Frenzy Eight—A Carnage of Daredevils Nine—Eldorado and the New York Balloon Company Ten—Other Company Troupes Eleven—Notable Parachuting Performers Twelve—The Balloon-Parachute Act and Society Thirteen—Kites, Gliders and Airships Fourteen—: L. Guy Mecklem Fifteen—Airplanes and Skydiving Appendix: Notable Balloon-Parachute Era Aeronauts Chapter Notes Bibliography Index

Jerry Kuntz is a librarian and writer residing in the Hudson Valley, New York. He has authored and edited several works on the history of nineteenth-century science, technology, entertainment, and crime.

Reviews for A Leap from the Clouds: The Balloon-Parachute Act and the Daredevil Heritage of Aviation

""That A Leap from the Clouds turned out to be the fine and fun, edifying and engaging read it was came as no surprise.""--Speedreaders ""That A Leap from the Clouds turned out to be the fine and fun, edifying and engaging read it was came as no surprise.""-Speedreaders