13 Black Cats

Group of stunt performers thumb|right|upright=1.33|13 Black Cats, circa 1925. Front (left to right): McClelland, Greenwald, Matlock. Back (left to right): Johnson, MacDougall, Goebel, Nichols, Richter. The 13 Black Cats, also known as the 13 Flying Black Cats or simply the Black Cats, was a 1920s group of Los Angeles–based performers who would do stunts, primarily using airplanes and also including motorcycles and automobiles, for a set price.https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/the-13-flying-black-cats The 13 Flying Black Cats San Diego Air & Space Museumhttps://www.twaspirit.com/blackcats.html The 13 Black Cats ... twaspirit.comhttps://www.twaspirit.com/PDFs/13_blackcats.pdf The Thirteen Black Cats Ed Betts February 3, 1986 twaspirit.com Examples included upside-down flying for $100 and blowing up an airplane in mid-air for $1500. They performed at airshows and in movies and were featured in newsreels of the era.Hollywood Stunt Pilots David H. Onskt https://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Explorers_Record_Setters_and_Daredevils/movie_stunt_pilots/EX26.htm Centennial of Flight Commission https://books.google.com/books?id=DQb43bzF91QC&pg=PA45 Aviators in Early Hollywood Shawna Kelly Arcadia Publishing 2008 9780738559025 44 The group's advertising used the tagline "If a Black Cat can't do it—It can't be done." History On its founding in 1924, the group had 13 members, led by Ronald "Bon" MacDougall (1901–1970), and was based at Burdette Airport—of which MacDougall was a part-owner, and where some of them worked or learned to fly—at Western Avenue and 102nd Street in Los Angeles, California. The group disbanded in 1929 due to competition from cut-rate pilots. The uniform of the Black Cats was a black sweater which was adorned on the front with a cat and a number 13 patch. The members had their name on the back. The logo of the group was a black cat turned sideways with an arched back standing on a fence with a full moon visible.Brown Peter C. Barnstormers, Wing-Walking and Flying Circuses 21 April 2022 Air World South Yorkshire, England 978-1-5267-9419-2 47–50 https://books.google.com/books?id=2J5hEAAAQBAJ&dq=Thirteen+Black+Flying+Cats&pg=PT47 22 December 2023 en Members thumb|right|upright=.66|Gladys Ingle in 1923 Members of the group were supposed to have a name that was 13 letters long; some of those who did not satisfy this requirement acquired nicknames. Membership varied, but included the following:https://books.google.com/books?id=DQb43bzF91QC&pg=PA45 Aviators in Early Hollywood Shawna Kelly Arcadia Publishing 2008 9780738559025 45 "Loot" Barber, so nicknamed because he was a lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve, according to Howard Batthttps://books.google.com/books?id=NR6fckxHa4UC&pg=PA47 I Learned About Flying From That! — No. 6 Howard Batt October 1939 Popular Aviation 47 Howard Batt (1900–1988)https://www.grandcentralairterminal.org/people/batt_hh/ Howard Harry Batt grandcentralairterminal.org Reginald Denny (1891–1967), British actor Art Goebel (1895–1973)https://www.earlyaviators.com/egoebel.htm Arthur C. Goebel Early Birds of Aviation Sam Greenwald Gladys Ingle (1899–1981), a wing walker Al Johnson Bon MacDougall (1901–1970) William "Spider" Matlock (1901–1936) George "Slim" Maves Heard "Herd" McClellanhttps://archives.archden.org/islandora/object/archden%3A5077/datastream/OBJ/view Stunter Shot as Steel Vest Fails April 20, 1933 Denver Catholic Register 7 Kenneth "Fronty" Nichols (1902–1975) Freddy Osborne Jerry Phillips Paul E. Richter (1896–1949) Ivan Unger Goebel won the deadly 1927 Dole Air Race from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, which claimed 10 lives before, during, and after the race. One of Ingle's notable stunts was going to the rescue of an airplane which had "lost" a wheel while in the air. She would strap a spare on her back, rendezvous with the "stricken" airplane, climb to the top of the upper wing of the second airplane and transfer to the bottom wing of the airplane in distress. She would then climb down to the landing gear and install the wheel.October 7, 1926 Daredevil Girl in Thrilling Stunt The Fresno Morning Republican Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fresno-morning-republican-gladys-ing/115794794/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20230713025552/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fresno-morning-republican-gladys-ing/115794794/ July 13, 2023 The stunt was captured in a newsreel (see External links below). Another stunt was pretending to play tennis on the top wing. Matlock was also a car racer and riding mechanic; he was killed in a crash in a race at Legion Ascot Speedway. Richter was later a co-founder of Standard Air Lines and executive vice president of Trans World Airlines (TWA). References External links Pathé News newsreel of "Air Crash Averted" by Gladys Ingle Category:American aviators Category:Stunt performers Category:Stunt pilots