| Lucky Friday the 13th 1924 Walter was a mechanic with the U.S. Army Air Service at Wilbur Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio. On Friday, 13, 1924, he made an historic parachute jump. "It was a German L.V.G. We'd given the 220 HP German Benz engine an hour long ground test. The RPM's were 1400. The weather was perfect for a test flight, clear with a slight northwest wind. I ran the engine until the water temperature was 150 degrees. I put on an Irvin Parachute I'd borrowed from McCook Field. ---I lost control and the plane whipped itself into a steep left bank and would have gone into a barrel roll if I hadn't immediately given it full power. I knew I couldn't land. I was only at 150 feet when I knew I had to jump". I'd never used a parachute before, but I'd been told what to do: jump clear of the plane, count three, and pull the ring. I knew if I did it that way, I'd be on the ground before it opened. So I figured the only thing to do was to let go of the stick, (the plane went into a 70 degree bank and skid and with one movement, open my seat belt, step up on the seat, and pull the chute ring the same time I jumped. Miraculously, I missed getting tangled in the tail." |
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International Air Meet St. Louis, MO, 1923 Program of Events |
International Air Meet St. Louis, MO, 1923 Navy-Curtiss |
International Air Meet St. Louis, MO, 1923 Army Air Service |
International Air Meet St. Louis, MO, 1923 Three Entries |
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International Air Meet St. Louis, MO, 1923 Hartzell FC-1 |
International Air Meet St. Louis, MO, 1923 Verville-Sperry Racer |
International Air Meet St. Louis, MO, 1923 Navy Wright Racer |
International Air Meet St. Louis, MO, 1923 Pulitzer Trophy Race |
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Stout Air Sedan Detroit, 1923 |
"Maiden Detroit" Stout Metal Aeroplane Co. Detroit, 1924 |
First Ford-Stout Trimotor |
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German LVG June, 1924 |
German LVG June, 1924 |
German LVG Crash, June, 1924 |
Closeup LVG Crash, June, 1924 |
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After the Crash, June, 1924 |
The Irvin Parachute June, 1924 |
Curtiss-Navy Racer, 1925 | Navy Curtiss R-6 |
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International Air Races Dayton, October, 1924 Schedule of Events |
International Air Races Dayton, October, 1924 Retrospective, 1954 |
International Air Races Dayton, October, 1924 First Place Winners |
International Air Races Dayton, October, 1924 Commercial Planes |
Gallery 7