I have written on several occasions about Payne Field, a historic World War I Army Air Service (grandfather of the Air Force) pilot training airfield four miles north of West Point, and about 10 miles west of Columbus Air Force Base.
The field was commanded by Lt. Col. Jack Heard, a former cavalry officer with Mississippi roots. Col. Heard left Payne Field in the spring of 1919 to help organize “The Victory Loan Flying Circus” for the Army Air Service.
The New York Times even reported that Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker’s 94th Aero Squadron might be brought home from Europe to participate in the Liberty Loan drive and show. The Times reported that among the pilots that might return was Lt. Samuel Kaye (of Columbus) flying his white Spad covered in “a mass of red and blue polka dots.” However, the 94th did not return for the show but remained as part of the occupation force in Germany.
Though it flew only in 1919, the Army Air Service’s Victory Loan Flying Circus was the world’s first officially sanctioned military aerial demonstration team. It has been called the forerunner of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, predating the Navy Blue Angels by 27 years.
The flying circus consisted of three groups of aircraft that toured the U.S., putting on exciting air shows to promote the sale of Liberty Bonds to help pay off the nation’s debt incurred during World War I.
The origins of the Victory Loan Flying Circus can be found in the April 12, 1919, Army Air Service Newsletter: “Many schemes are to be used in the raising of the huge fifth Liberty Loan, but one of the most unique plans of all is the sending of three flying circuses over the country. … On April 10 (1919), a special train consisting of nine baggage cars, three sleepers and a diner left Ellington Field (Houston, Texas) with its complement of men and material, proceeding to New Orleans, where the first exhibition will be given.”
The airplanes, which included American, British, French and captured German planes, were disassembled and carried on the train. The train to New Orleans carried the Midwestern Flying Circus and similar trains carried the Eastern and Western circuses.
Bad weather canceled the New Orleans exhibition, and the tour opened instead on April 11, 1919, in Jackson. Coverage of the event appeared in The New Orleans Times-Picayune. It was a little after 7 a.m. when the train arrived in Jackson, and the fliers were treated to breakfast by the Rotary Club. After breakfast the train moved to “a siding a few miles from town, where the planes were unloaded and assembled.”
The aircraft performed mock aerial battles, buzzed buildings and dropped paper “bombs” which said: “How many Victory notes would you be willing to buy if these were German bombs falling on your home?”
The air show had started with a mock battle of a German “Fokker fighting plane” and “four American Curtiss machines in battle formation.” One plane was piloted by Lt. Alvin St. John with Lt. Luther Manship of Jackson flying with him.
“After the mimic combat, the pilots all descended to a lower altitude and awed watchers with their daring antics. The last machine to return to the landing field was the photographic ship which circled the city at only a few hundred feet while taking pictures of Jackson from the air.”
That night a dance was given for the fliers at the country club before they boarded the train for Memphis.
It was not mentioned in the Jackson article, but Victory Loan volunteer workers and people who bought a substantial number of bonds were usually treated to a ride in one of the planes. One pilot later said women were braver than men about going up for a flight and many men who were offered a ride declined.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune with the headline, “FAMOUS AVIATORS THRILL THOUSANDS BY FLYING CIRCUS,” reported on the event. “Thousands from all sections of Mississippi thronged Jackson today to see the first performance of the ‘Flying Circus’ composed of famous army aviators who are touring the Mississippi (River) valley … in the interest of the Victory Loan. The crowds filled the city streets, while from roofs of business blocks and from the state capitol buildings hundreds gazed until the last ship had disappeared.”
Between the three circuses, performances were given in 88 cities and 45 states. There were 1,275 flights made and 368 civilians were rewarded for volunteer services, or bond purchases, with airplane rides. It was reported that nationwide more than 1 million people had watched the air shows. Those who made significant contributions, as volunteers or through bond purchases to the Liberty Loan drive, were given medals made from “Captured German Cannon.”
Though they were around for less than a year, the Army Air Service’s Victory Loan Flying Circus was the world’s first officially sanctioned military aerial demonstration team, predating the Navy Blue Angels by 27 years. This weekend, the Air Service/Air Force’s 103-year tradition of awing the public with spectacular air shows continues with Wings Over Columbus, an open house and Air and Space Show at Columbus Air Force Base. It will be an amazing show that will be free and open to the public.
Headlining the show will be Air Force Thunderbirds, who demonstrate the skill of the world’s best pilots. Other performances range from the 14th FTW flyover to the CAF Pacific Dogfight Demo, to the USAFA-10C Thunderbolt Team and to over 10 other top aerial demonstration performances. Members of the 454th Bombardment Wing who were stationed at Columbus AFB when it was a SAC base will also be attending the air show.
It will be a grand and exciting day. It is an event not to be missed. Gates open to the public at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and the Air Show begins at noon. For more information. including which gates are open, go to wocairshow.com or the Wings Over Columbus Air Show Facebook page.
Rufus Ward’s column on local history is a regular feature of the Sunday Dispatch. Email your questions about local history to him at [email protected].
Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].
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