Mid-air repair

[buckee]

Take a look at this video. Fabulous footage although grainy due to time and bad equipment in those days compared to today, but what nerve this gal had.

Gladys Ingles was a member of a barnstorming troupe called the 13 Black Cats in the 1920s. Ingles was a wing walker; in this film, she shows her fearlessness in a classic barnstorming fashion to save an airplane that has lost one of its main wheels. Ingles is shown with a replacement wheel being strapped to her back and then off she goes as "Up She Goes," a duet from the era, provides the soundtrack. In the video, Ingles transfers herself from the rescue plane to the one missing the main landing gear tire. She then expertly works herself down to the undercarriage only a few feet from a spinning prop. It's certainly a feat many mechanics wouldn't even try on the ground with the engine running.

This film may be old and grainy, but it sure is awesome.

What a woman.

http://www.oshkosh365.org/ok365_DiscussionBoardTopic.aspx?id=1235&boardid=147&forumid=180&topicid=5584

[GWSmith]

One question that comes to mind thinking about how Hunting Videos are shot today...How did they get the "Cutaway shot" taken from the disabled plane?

Looked like that portion was dubbed in as the pilot did not seem to be shooting any film camera at the time.

[terry264]

Awesome video indeed, thanx buckee. Sent it around to all the pilots in the family and fellow mech.'s. too. I would have never done that for sure to fix one in midair like that. Don't like getting close to a moving prop for adjustments even when it's the only way to adjust things, or around the jets either, haha. Thanx again.