Gusty Wind Prevents Flight of Biplane Across the Golden Gate -- July 1, 2010

William "Ivy" Baldwin was a remarkable character. When he appeared in this photo from the 28-August-1910 San Francisco Call, he was 44 years old, considerably older than most pioneering aviators. He had been a circus acrobat, a balloonist, and a tightrope walker. He flew balloons for the Signal Corps during the Spanish American War. In 1910, according to another story, he had given up on ballooning because no one paid any attention. He felt he could make more money with his Curtiss airplane. This particular attempt to fly across the Golden Gate did not work because high winds kept the ship from leaving the ground in Fort Baker. He had not made the flight by the end of the year. Somehow he managed to live until 1953.