News – Sheridan Media
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Recently, at the Sheridan County Airport, there was an air show with several different planes performing stunts for the crowd. It might be interesting to look back at air shows that have been held in the past.
Today, planes are common place. Most of us have flown to see relatives, or visit far away places. Commercial airlines are big business these days, and if you need to get somewhere fast, planes are the way to go.
But, up to WWI, planes were more of a novelty than a part of our culture. At first, planes in war were used mostly for reconnaissance, not necessary combat. Later, specialized types, fighters and bombers, were developed. Ace fighter pilots often became celebrities back home after the war. One thing they did was air shows.
These two stories were from the Sheridan enterprise on April 28, 1919
This group of pictures (There were several photos illustrating the story.) shows two of the type of war planes and the army men who will pilot them Tuesday afternoon in one hour’s flying over Sheridan, the putting on of the greatest publicity stunt ever offered in the interests of a Liberty Loan drive. It is known as the Victory Loan Flying Circus. Eleven planes will be in the air at once, Including American, French and British types. The Circus will be on from 1:30 to 8:30 o’clock and will be at an average altitude of 5,000 to 6,OOO feet It can be seen from any point in the city.
The second story talked about what it took to bring the Circus to town.
Army Of Autos Will Assist Big Flying Circus Which Appears Here On Tuesday. 350 Gallons of Gasoline to Be Required in Staging Hour’s Exhibition Over City
Now lets see, we need 200 gallons of pure water, 300 gallons of ’64’ gasoline; one dozen aerial photographic plate holders; eleven light trucks; fourteen heavy, flat bodied trucks; a flock of motor cars; a diagram and map of the landing field; 150 pounds of Victory Loan literature; lots of police protection, and— oh, yes, one ambulance.”
All of which, along with a few other things, Major Hambilton, advance agent for the flying circus which will appear here Tuesday, was assured by the local committees in charge of arrangements for the big event here. Major Hambilton enumerated them in detail when he inspected the grounds adjoining the fair grounds yesterday afternoon. Major Hambilton said the grounds here would “get by” the critical in- inspection of Major Spatz, the executive officer of the big show.
Aces To Join Circus – All that had gone before in the shape of publicity about the flying circus bad been problematical, tentative to a certain decree, on account of the changing conditions of the big Victory Loan stunt. There wasn’t known, for instance, until Major Hambilton arrived yesterday that two well known British aces. Majors Fuller and Holliday, will have joined the circus by the time it reaches Seattle. They may displace two of the American army pilots in the big show.
Sheridan police and soldiers from Sheridan will throw protection around the special train from the moment arrives here from Billings, Montana, in the morning until it leaves for Alliance, Neb at night. They will also keep the crowd back from interfering the planes and the pilots and the mechanics at the fair grounds. The show will be in the sky anyhow.
At the railway yards, however, the public will be given an opportunity of watching the unloading of the warplanes, their assembling and testing, and then, afterwards, their disassembling and loading on the cars again. Nine double end steel baggage cars are used to carry the eighteen planes. There are alsothree sleepers and one diner on the special train. Considering that there are twenty-six circusesput on in thirty days, the work of the fifty mechanics and the twenty-five officers accompanying the flying circus is cut out for them. It requires about two and one-half hours to disassemble and load the planes. In many ways the coming of the flying circus will be just like the coming of the circus of everyday variety. They will be in early in the morning and will begin unloading the first thing.
Lasts One Hour – From the railroad yard the planes will be taken to the landing field on eleven small trucks and fourteen large flat bodied trucks. There they will be tested, filled with gasoline and oiled and generally gone over in preparation for the circus, which begins at 1:30 and lasts one hour. In the complement of war planes there are two German Fokkers, four Spads, four E-5s and five Curtis U.S. army training planes. Eleven of these will take part the circus, including all five Curtis planes and two each of the others.
Air shows also featured daring stunts to thrill the audiences on the ground.
Sheridan Post-Enterprise, October 6, 1924 – Aviators Here For Series Of Flying Stunts Tickets To Be Dropped From Air By Birdmen. The three lucky tickets which will entitle Sheridan people to free rides in the firmament with the Western Aviation company fliers were dropped upon the city at noon Monday. The flights will be made Monday afternoon or Tuesday. At 4:30 o’clock Tuesday a “field day” will be held by the fliers. The hour was chosen so that school children might gather at the flying field northwest of the city limits and witness the stunts which will feature the performance.
Captain Lowell Yerex, who was a British ace during the war and one of the most widely known aviators of the day, will arrive in Sheridan Monday afternoon. His departure from Livingston, originally scheduled for Sunday was delayed.
Lieutenant Ted Mosely flew into Sheridan Sunday morning, and spent the afternoon taking up passengers. He made four flights over the city. Mrs. Lowell Yerex arrived in the city Sunday, driving her own car, while Perry Vermillion, stunt performer, came in with the truck which carries the repairs and tools of the company.
Vermillion is familiarly known by the descriptive title, “Sky-High,” and is one of the most noted and daring acrobats of the air, whose reputation has traveled all over the United States. He startled Sheridan people Monday with his feats of walking on the wings of a plane in motion, and hanging with one hand from the plane. The Western Aviation company came to Sheridan in the interests of the Texaco Oil company whose products they are advertising.
The Sheridan Enterprise September 1, 1920 –Sign Up Air Artists For County Fair – Two Aviators And Parachute Jump To Furnish Thrills For Crowds.
A. Stock of Casper. president of The Western Aeroplane and Motor corporation, has signed a contract to have two of his machines fly here during the days of the county fair. He will personally bring the planes to Sheridan.
The trip from Casper will also include several nearby towns. Literature pertaining to the Sheridan County Fair will be released from high in the air along the route by men in the planes. Besides his machines, with daredevil pilots who will appear in Sheridan, there is also to be a woman parachute jumper.
This aerial artist, who leaves the machine in which she rides at a height of several thousand feet in the air is said to furnish one of the most daring acts being shown lo the public.
Mr. Stock has done much for the flying business in this state, being generally given entire credit for the establishment at Casper of an up- to-the-minute hangar, in which all kinds of repair work can he accomplished. The local fair management, left in the lurch by persons who had previously contacted to fly here, consider themselves fortunate to have secured aviators and machines of Mr. Stock.
Air shows were a popular part of county fairs around the country, with aviators performing several death defying stunts such as wing-walking, stunt flying and parachute jumps. Today, there are still air shows in many towns, including Sheridan.
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Last modified: August 24, 2026