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A Leap from the Clouds - The Balloon-Parachute Act and the Daredevil Heritage of Aviation (Paperback) Loot Price: R723
Discovery Miles 7 230
A Leap from the Clouds - The Balloon-Parachute Act and the Daredevil Heritage of Aviation (Paperback): Jerry Kuntz

A Leap from the Clouds - The Balloon-Parachute Act and the Daredevil Heritage of Aviation (Paperback)

Jerry Kuntz

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Loot Price R723 Discovery Miles 7 230 | Repayment Terms: R68 pm x 12*

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In the late nineteenth century, circus aerialists collaborated with show balloonists to perform death-defying stunts, initially by suspending themselves from trapeze bars beneath a balloon, later by jumping from the balloons using fabric parachutes. By the 1890s, these performances became a worldwide craze, remaining in rural fairs and fetes for decades. Many of the original balloon-parachute pioneers went on to play key roles in the creation of airships, test flying the first gliders and airplanes. Based on extensive historical research, this unusual account explores how a nineteenth-century daredevil act united with the desire to achieve human flight. These performers' contributions did not come without a price: dozens, if not hundreds, of people died in horrifying events witnessed by thousands of spectators. This book chronicles the act that had no practical purpose other than entertainment, which eventually evolved into the development of the free-fall parachute pack--a key aviation need--and the foundation of a new activity known as skydiving.

General

Imprint: McFarland & Company
Country of origin: United States
Release date: August 2022
Authors: Jerry Kuntz
Dimensions: 229 x 152 x 19mm (L x W x T)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 277
ISBN-13: 978-1-4766-8960-9
Categories: Books > Sport & Leisure > Transport: general interest > Aircraft: general interest
Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history
Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Air sports & recreations > General
Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history
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LSN: 1-4766-8960-1
Barcode: 9781476689609

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