Monday, January 17, 2011

1918 "Flyin' Frolic" Love Field, Dallas TX

The end of WW 1 was celebrated Texas style on November 12 and 13, 1918 in Dallas Texas at Love Field Air Corps Training Depot. This event, dubbed "Flyin' Frolic" was attended by thousands. Aerial exhibitions were enjoyed as well as other technological marvels of the day.

Here are a few photographs from a collection given to my dad in the 1970's by a friend Charles "Uncle Charley" Dawson. Some of these photos were placed in the Air Power Museum back in the 1970's by dad.
Click on the images to enlarge...

Lt. William T Campbell and the Curtiss Jenny
in which he performed 169 consecutive Loops

Historical Records:

This DallasNews.com article by Robert Miller (Jan.16,2008) gives an excellent overview of the event and also highlights the artwork of Walter Matt Jefferies and the subject exhibit placed in the Frontiers of Flight Museum, by Matt's brother, Richard Jefferies.

Copies of the beautiful "Flyin' Frolic" images painted by Matt Jefferies for display at the Pentagon may be acquired through Richard Jefferies at this webpage dedicated to the works of Matt Jefferies.

In 2005, the University of Texas at Dallas featured a lecture by Dr. Erik D. Carlson called: “The Flyin’ Frolic: U.S. Military Aviation, Love Field and the End of World War I,”. This webpage details the lecture event.

Some more photographs from this event are on file at the Dallas Municipal Archives. Go to their related website here.

The book, "Winning Causes: World War Stories" by John Gilbert Thompson and Inez Bigwood also covers this topic with a unique Aerial Parachute Photograph available here.


Prologue:

As time permits, I plan to work at getting better quality scans of these photos. But for now, these are the best I have. I think most of this blog's readers will enjoy these.

Notice the American flags flying off each airplane's left wingtip.









I counted 53 Jennys in this photograph!!

Wow!

1 comment:

  1. I have a souvenir program from the 1918 flying frolic complete with pictures and names is it worth anything ?

    ReplyDelete

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