Saturday, January 4, 2014

Flying Upside Down -- January 4, 2014

The 31-December-1913 San Francisco Call and Post advertised that Lincoln Beachey would fly upside down on New Year's Day on the grounds of the upcoming Panama-Pacific International Exposition.  The ad does not mention that Beachey would also fly inside a building, the Palace of Machinery.  The article, from the 01-January-1914 San Francisco Call and Post gives a few more details.  This was probably the first flight of a manned, powered airplane indoors.  Lincoln Beachey was an early stunt flier. He was the featured performer at San Francisco's Panama Pacific International Exposition, where he died on 14-March-1915.

Beachey to Fly Today

Inside Machinery Hall


Lincoln Beachey. the aviator, will add to his exploits by flying within the machinery palace this afternoon. The flight will be the first to be made indoors and will demonstrate the size of the exposition building. Beachey's aeroplane is about 30 feet wide, and the width of the building is about 75 feet. The interior of the building will permit a flight of several hundred feet.

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