Formation flying is an exacting and treacherous art–it’s still done and it’s still beautiful to behold, but it’s now greatly aided by technological communication. In the earliest days, however, there were no Bose headsets or radio transmission between pilots to be had, so the entire feat was accomplished using hand signals (and no doubt a very through pre-flight planning session). Like so many things in flight, there must have been a dreadful trial-and-error phase which probably had more than its share of error before the art of it was perfected. Look at the reel above of some late 1920s formation work–certainly some of the most beautiful ever captured on film. And then there was the wing-walking craze of the 20s barnstorming years. So many things can go wrong in doing the stuns shown below that frankly I find it difficult to watch. The second viewing is better since you know the guy made it–at least on that day. Enjoy both windows onto the early, mad years of aviation…