Volume 8 , Issue 21

Garver Flying Circus...

Has anyone out there ever heard of Garver Flying Circus out of Attica, Kansas?

We did a Google search online for Garver Glying Circus and found a few links of interest. We also found out that some pilots organized flying circuses as entertainment businesses. The Garver Fancy Flying Circus of Kansas was often called the best in the United States. Members of the Garver family did loops, spins, rolls and other airplane piloting tricks.

There was this mention of "Ravenna's Party for Central Nebraska," was first held on August 15-17, 1923. It was held every year since except for the war years: 1942-45. "Garvers Flying Circus," featuring pilot Garver and his flying partner, Paul Duncan, the "Thrill Master" held the crowd's attention. Mr. Duncan performed wing walks, trapeze stunts under the wing, hung by his teeth, his toes, by one hand while flying low over the crowd, and then performed the grand finale, "leaping off into space, trusting his parachute" from 5,000 feet. Pilot Garver performed tail spins, ten loop-the-loops in succession and a stunt called "the falling leaf." He also gave rides for $1.00 a minute. That year he also performed a humanitarian act. Miss Helen Goehring of Ravenna was in the plane, ready to go for a joy ride when a distraught man, Mr. Hanson of Arcadia approached the pilot, saying his son was seriously ill in the Grand Island hospital and he had missed the last eastbound train out of Ravenna, #40. Pilot Garver quickly agreed to fly the father to Grand Island, with Miss Goehring still aboard. Thus, the young lady received a sixty mile ride for the price of a dollar! -- Buffaloe Tales - Ravenna's party for central Nebraska

Then there was The Western Star, August 28, 1925. - "FATAL AIRPLANE ACCIDENT" -- Many Coldwater, Kansas people witnessed an airplane tragedy on last Sunday afternoon when Joe La Chappelle, a member of the R. Carter Harrison Air Passenger Service and the Garver Flying Circus, dropped 200 feet to the ground from an airplane on which he was doing some acrobatic stunts and was instantly killed. He came to this city the latter part of last week with three other airplane men and, together, they were putting on an exhibition of difficult stunts with the airplane and parachute." -- Fatal Airplane Accident

Besides Garver Flying Circus of Attica, Kansas, let us not forget one of the most famous female pilots in America that was born in Atchison, Kansas, in 1897. Amelia Earhart was a national celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s, and she continues to receive national attention today because of her mysterious disappearance. We also hear that Atchison, Kansas is a great town for ghost hunters.
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