B stand for Barnstorming

ABC Wednesday

The letter is B, and B stands for Barnstorming,

as it was in the early days of aviation, and as it is now, with relevance to political  activity.

When I was a small child I remember standing with my parents and their friends on the second story balcony of a house that skirted the small airport in Edmonton, watching an airshow, -  that popular form of entertainment in the 1920's in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes. 

Sometimes it might be an individual, and sometimes it was a group of pilots who would present what was called a Flying Circus.

And sometimes they would offer rides to inhabitants of the small towns where they were performing.

Most barnstorming shows would begin with a pilot, or group of pilots, flying over a small rural town to attract attention.  After landing at a local farm and negotiating with the farmer for the use of one of his fields as a temporary runway (hence the name Barnstorming), they would then drop leaflets over the adjoining town, advertising the show.  It is said that in many cases the whole town would shut down to come and watch this new and exciting entertainment.

And it was exciting - Barnstormers would perform a variety of stunts and acrobatic maneuvers, involving spins, dives, loop-the-loops and barrel rolls, while aerialists would perform feats of wing walking, midair plane transfers, and Google says even playing tennis, target shooting or dancing while on the plane's wings.  I don't remember seeing any of that, but I do remember some family association with bush pilots, (and their off spring) as Edmonton was a great aviation centre during the twenties and thirties, and became known as the Gateway to the North when the entertainment aspect of the industry evolved into mapping of the north, mercy flights into northern communities, and eventually mail service and transportation.

Politically Barnstorming is defined as a campaign or speaking tour, making brief stops in many small towns, - a practice which seems to reach a particular frenzy towards the end of a political campaign and as the day for the vote draws near....

For more interesting takes on the letter B hop on over to ABC Wednesday here, with thanks to Denise Nesbitt, Roger and all other blogging helpers who make this meme so popular.