I mentioned on Monday that we flew in a Biplane this past weekend and experienced one of life’s must-do activities. (Cheap is wasn’t. But I’m happier paying for that than I am for a theater ticket to a Broadway musical I’m sorry that I wound up buying a ticket for). Above is some astonishingly clear footage circa early 1930s of a biplane flying over an unidentified landscape, shot from another biplane at a slighter higher altitude. We see the takeoff, ascent and–at a minute and half in–some rather terrifying acrobatics. The flyer–who appears to be a woman (Katherine Hepburn in ‘Christopher Strong’?)–simply turns the damn plane upside down and keeps it there for a hell of a long time. Having just experienced a period Biplane seatbelt, I can’t imagine how she managed to stay upside down for that long–the seat belt we were in felt awfully loose and general–kind of a nod to a seatbelt rather than the full-tilt strap-in we’re used to in SUVs. But wait–there’s more. At about four minutes in, we’re treated to an air show, featuring three biplanes doing formation flying in some of the most beautiful, tight and choreographed patterns I’ve ever seen. Consider them the Thunderbirds of antique aviation–only without the computerized ‘glass cockpit’ that now helps keep formation flying safe. This footage is also shot by another biplane, flying underneath them at a decent elevation itself. There’s not much information offered on the Youtube description–I can’t identify the planes thought the first plane appears to be a one-seater which eliminates any of the training planes. The Sopwith Camel was a one-seater, of course, but clearly predates this one in design. Snoopy, the Red Baron–all of the fighter pilots of World War 1 were left with a remarkable skill after the war’s end, but without any clear way to put it to use and make a living. (There was no public air travel until the late 1920s). My guess is that the people flying in this clip are vets who found a way to stay in the air for profit. Why is my guess that the money they made was slim pickings compared with the skill they possessed and chances they took?