Barnstormers/Flying circuses

[mat777]

Hi everyone,

To cut a long story short, I am looking to get a vintage light haulage trailer signwritten for towing behind a road haulage traction engine to carry supplies, and being an aviation enthusiast I was was hoping to make it aircraft related.

My first thought was a turn of the century aeroplane builder, such as A.V.Roe & Co., or the Bristol Aeroplane Company, to look like a parts delivery trailer. Then I thought one better, and in the way that a lot of showman's steam engines haul travelling fairgrounds, I could do [mat777's real name]'s Fabulous Flying Circus or similar.

However, being a pedantic sod I would like to check beforehand if any period flying circuses or barnstormers ever had ground-based support vehicles, or did they carry all they needed in their aircraft?

Thanks,

Matt

[Eric Mc]

The real "barnstormer" period was post WW1, not before it. Indeed, the expression dates from the 1920s.
Likewise, the term "Flying Circus" was coined during WW1 rather than before it. The expression related to large formations of German fighters, such as "The Von Richthofen Flying Circus".

In the 1930s, Sir Alan Cobham formed a travelling air display which toured the UK and Ireland pronoting aviation to the public. This was often referred to as Alan Cobham's Flying Circus" but was very much later than the Edwardian Era of early flight.

Before World War 1, most big flying "displays" were less about stunt flying and aerobatics as much as just demonstrating to the public the fact that the planes could fly at all. There were some "stunts" such as male (and sometimes female) "dare devils" who parachuted from balloons. There were also great air races.

Here's some typical pre WW1 air "display" posters which shows you the style of the advertising used in that period -