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

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kuntz, Jerry.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Parachuting--History--19th century.

Parachuting.

Ballooning--History--19th century.

Ballooning.

Skydivers--Biography.

Skydivers.

Acrobats--Biography.

Acrobats.

Daredevils--Biography.

Daredevils.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (241 pages)

Place of Publication:

Jefferson : McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers, 2022.

Summary:

"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"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Cover

Acknowledgments

Preface: The Leap from the Clouds

1. A ­­Lighter-Than-Air Enlightenment

2. Show Ballooning and Aerial Gymnasts

3. Disciples of Donaldson

4. Tom Baldwin's San Francisco Leap

5. Gold Rush in the Heavens

6. The Craze Arrives in Britain

7. A Global Frenzy

8. A Carnage of Daredevils

9. Eldorado and the New York Balloon Company

10. Other Company Troupes

11. Notable Parachuting Performers

12. The ­­Balloon-Parachute Act and Society

13. Kites, Gliders and Airships

14. Case Study of a Parachute Aeronaut: L. Guy Mecklem

15. Airplanes and Skydiving

Appendix: Notable ­­Balloon-Parachute Era Aeronauts

Chapter Notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Other Format:

Print version: Kuntz, Jerry A Leap from the Clouds

ISBN:

9781476647425