Aviation Barnstorming Event Attended by Thousands
By Steve Lent, Crook County Historian
Aviation barnstorming was popular in the late 1930s. Tex Rankin was a famous aerobatic pilot who promoted an Air Circus tour throughout Oregon. The Prineville Chamber of Commerce lobbied to have the Air Circus come to the Prineville airport in 1939. The “mammoth pageant of the sky” was hoped to attract many visitors and boost the Prineville economy.
The date set for the event was August 7, 1939. Over 100 planes were scheduled to do a variety of stunts. Stunts included simulated dog fights, a woman parachutist who plunged from 12,000 feet, formation flying and formation stunting with smoke.
The event posed a significant challenge to Prineville to lodge and feed the large crowd. An exact number of spectators and participants was not known but it was estimated that between 4000 to 5000 people attended the event. Spectators came from all over Central Oregon. United Airlines provided a flag ship that took air committee members on flights.
Tex Rankin was a U.S. and World Aerobatic Champion. He performed difficult and breathtaking stunts that wowed the crowd. He performed many events throughout the northwest including barnstorming, speed racing and served as a pilot trainer. On January 10, 1930, Rankin established a National Aeronautic Association flying record, for executing and completing 19 consecutive aerial outside loops. In February 1931, he established a new world record for outside loops, completing 78 consecutive loops in 88 minutes. Later that same year, Rankin would set the world record a third time, with a total of 131 loops. He later gained fame during World War II for training pilots at Rankin Field in Van Nuys, California.
Local mills and businesses declared a half holiday so that workers could attend the event. An after event dance was held at the Prineville Gymnasium. It was the first major aerial event in Central Oregon during the barnstorming era.