By BRANDON HURLEY
Sports Editor
sports@beeherald.com
@BrandonJHurley
–––––
The mesmerizing plane climbed at an incredible pace to a devastating height as spectators gazed in awe, kissing the blue sky with remarkable grace before descending at an even more magnificent speed, ripping through an eye-splitting wall of fire.
As the taper-winged plane re-emerged unscathed, the crowd broke out in shrieks of joy and astonishment.
Arthur Davis was home, and the sky was his sanctuary.
The former Grand Junction resident thrived on adrenaline, never backing down from intense acts of bravery and bravado.
Such was life for the world’s most famous stunt pilot.
One of the 20th century’s most ambitious and experimental pilots was born right here in Greene County, enticing crowds for several decades, including the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.
Arthur J. Davis said hello to the world in 1895, sprouting up within the cozy confines of Grand Junction, where he later attended the Liberty School west of town.
The man who’d later tally more than 400 victories in plane racing and aviation showmanship, gained an early education in the local school district before his family packed up and moved north to Michigan when he was 13.
Davis’ exceptional flying career - which spanned six full decades - earned him a spot in the distinguished OX-5 Club Hall of Fame, joining notable pilots such as Amelia Earhart, Glenn Curtiss and Jimmy Doolittle. Davis was inducted in 1971, referencing his many “contributions to the establishment of the air industry.”
Davis was the nephew of Meida Luther, Frank Egli and Mrs. John Blaylock, all of whom resided in Greene County for many decades after his departure.
Newspaper paper accounts strongly hinted at Davis’ family loyalty over the years, as he visited Greene County almost annually, setting up shack with his aunts and uncles.
The former Greene County resident enlisted in the U.S. military in 1918 after completing a solo flight for the first time, quickly rising to second lieutenant’s commission in the Army Signal Corps. The veteran would eventually serve in both World Wars, first as a fighter pilot in World War I then later as a flight trainer in World War II. He also delivered bomber jets and other various military planes to troops in need all over the world as part of the Ferry Command, as reported by the Jefferson Bee in 1957. He also held various aviation-related posts such as plane mechanic, an aircraft construction worker, a test pilot, an inventor and a parachute engineer. Davis eventually rose through the ranks to achieve the prestigious distinction of major, retiring from the military in the 1950s, more than 30 years after he enlisted.
But it was his life away from the battlefield which truly caught on.
–– • ––
Aviation was Davis’ life-long obsession.
He fell in love with the beauty of piercing the sky, piloting well over 50,000 hours of air time. He quit tracking his mileage in 1946 when he surpassed the rare milestone, flying for more than 50 years of his life. Davis, though he never took time to officially document each victory, claims he won more than 400 first place trophies throughout his life.
The ever-curious pilot toured the world in search of the latest thrill, which usually resulted in either a lightning-quick aerial race or yet another death-defying stunt during an entertaining air show.
Davis first embarked on the barnstorming circuit in 1919 as a battle-tested 24-year old.
Barnstorming air shows were frequent in the early to mid-20th century. Typically a team of pilots visited rural towns throughout the country, showcasing their professional skill for thousands of spectators. The shows were usually held over local farmland via use of a temporary runway. The events were unique due to the fact airplanes were still somewhat of a rare commodity in the 20s and 30s, with many residents having never even seen a plane first hand. Some pilots, in addition to performing remarkable stunts, would offer plane rides for a small fee. Towns all over the country would go nuts for these barnstorming expeditions, with advertisements littering the local newspaper pages, touting tantalizing stunts such as Davis’ “Kiss of Death” and the “Wall of Fire” as well an aerial dog fight - in which two pilots would attempt to replicate each other’s maneuvers, in addition to a spiral loop. Barnstormers also battled each other in bomb-dropping competitions, in which planes would drop objects from high in the air aimed at a target.
Davis once performed for the King and Queen of England at an airshow in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Jefferson held several airshows at Davis’ request as well, becoming somewhat of an annual homecoming, entertaining local crowds at the municipal airport during the 1930s and the 1940s.
Davis piloted a variety of planes throughout his lengthy career, such as the World War I Curtiss JN-4D Jenny, a single engine, two seat war plane built by the United States army. The Curtiss OX-5 engine produced 90 horsepower. He was quoted in the Jefferson Bee in 1971 saying he flew every Army plane up to the F-80 fighter jet and the B-29.
Davis also piloted a black, taper-winged Waco biplane in his numerous air shows. Because Davis was an adrenaline junky, he flew with only a fuel gage and a compass, preferring to “fly by the seat of his pants.” Davis also navigated a P-80 jet fighter, the first American-made plane exclusively built for combat, which initially went into service in 1945.
Davis was not only a remarkably daring pilot, but he was world-class in terms of safety, somehow managing to never crash or injury himself during any of his air show performances.
He never stopped chasing the thrill, which rocketed his celebrity to new heights.
–– • ––
Davis was an instant celebrity in the state of Michigan, earning consistent newspaper press throughout the decades.
Though Davis was rarely quoted in newspaper clippings, he was clearly a man of great confidence and subtle arrogance. He believed he was the inventor of the wall of fire trick, a showcase of skill which required a pilot to fly through a massive ball of fire high in the sky. He was also known for the “Kiss of death,” an air show maneuver which required a pilot to snag a flag off the wing of another plane with the tip of his his own plane’s wing. Davis rarely shied away from his accomplishments, also claiming he was the first American pilot to introduce sky-writing state-side, a tactic which required the pilot to write words in the sky with smoke.
The Michigan government even declared a day in 1959 as “Arthur J. Davis Day,” initiating an event at his privately owned airport which drew 4,000 spectators. The man of honor, at the tender age of 64, certainly didn’t disappoint, conducting the only stunt flying of the day, which included a jaw-dropping aerial loop less than 600 feet above the ground.
The world’s most famous stunt pilot entered aerial competitions whenever he saw fit, competing in races all over the United States. His most well-known competition was in the 1930 race from Miami to Chicago. Davis finished second after holding a brief lead, arriving in Chicago after 11 hours and 59 minutes of flying, six minutes longer than Art Killips of La Grange, Illinois. The race spanned 1, 588 miles. Today, a simple commercial passenger plane can travel the same distance in three hours and 20 minutes. Davis also won the 1932 Polish national championship, earning the rights to a trophy of a white eagle thanks to his one-mile race win in which he climbed to a height of 5,280 feet before descending back down to the finish line, completing the event in three minutes and 11 seconds. Davis was also undefeated in balloon racing, tallying 12 United States national titles, which remains the single most titles in history.
Davis was a juggernaut, never loosening his grip on competitive flying.
Perhaps his most prolific year came in 1929, when he prevailed in a number of local races. He was first in the Jefferson Air Show 24-mile race and prevailed in the Pony Express race in Carroll while he was second in Carroll’s balloon bursting contest which required a pilot to pop balloons with the tip of a wing. Davis also won the 24-mile race in Boone and finished second in both the Pony Express and the balloon bursting contest. Davis even took his exploits up to Sioux Falls later that year, capturing victory in a 28-mile race in which he was clocked at a top speed of more than 200 miles per hour, completing the circuit in seven minutes and 30 seconds.
Davis’ love for the air took him to many places interwoven with a number of impressive feats, none more spectacular than his long-lasting proficiency. The Michigan resident became the oldest stunt pilot in the United States in 1950, performing death-defying acts at the age of 55.
That distinction did little to slow the ground-breaking pilot, he only seemed to grow stronger with age, flying well into his 70s. He hoped to become the world’s oldest pilot, pushing himself to one day fly at the age of 100. Though he’d fall well short of that mark, citizens all over the world took notice of his incredible longevity, though he certainly didn’t do it all alone.
–– • ––
Davis’ partner in crime for many of his airshows was Charlie Zmulda, perhaps the world’s most daring stuntman. The polish pilot was famous for his “flying bat” stunt in which he leapt from the plane at 10,000 feet above ground, aided only by man-made wings which resembled those of a bat.
He twirled toward the ground at a speed of 90 miles per hour, emitting a “trail of smoke,” before suddenly avoiding disaster by snagging his rip-cord, releasing his parachute and landing safely on the ground.
When Davis’ career began to slowly dwindle, he began considering other entrepreneurial endeavors, though he decided to stay close to his profession.
Davis was one of the first pilots in the country to own and operate a private airport. He opened the 80-acres of Davis Airport in 1948, just outside of East Lansing, Michigan. It was there where the pilot established his own aviation school and plane dealership, training hundreds of upcoming flight enthusiasts as well as some of the world’s greatest war pilots. The facility was in operation for more than 50 years, eventually closing 31 years after his death in 2000.
Davis passed away suddenly in September 1979 at the age of 83 from a perforated ulcer while eating breakfast at an East Lansing restaurant.
His mark was everlasting in the world of aviation, one of the more instrumental figures of his time. Davis was a pioneer, ushering in a wave of aerobatic entertainment and skill that would take the world by storm. He also believed in using planes as mass transportation, predicting giant, international airports would become commonplace well before air travel was the norm.
His legacy was also passed on to his wife, who competed in a handful of aerial races, while his son, Arthur Davis, Jr., often flew alongside his father during airshows later in life.
Arthur J. Davis, a man native to Greene County, truly lived to fly, and should be remembered so.