Wing Walkers From the 1920s: These Vintage Photos of Daredevils Doing Stunts on Top of Flying Planes Will Make You Cringe

It wasn’t long after the Wright brothers made their historic first flight that daredevils began doing death-defying stunts on, over, and below flying airplanes.

The first known instance of wing-walking was when someone tests a particular model for lateral stability by walking along its wings in-flight. It was done quick and fast, no entertainment factor involved.

Men and women in surplus World War I biplanes dazzled crowds with their risky stunts, like plane-to-plane transfers, handstands, dangling by teeth and more, each performer trying to one-up the others.

Here, take a look at some of these stunt photos from the 1920s...

Richard Schindler practices a stunt, 1919.

A wing walker stands on one leg on the wing of a Curtiss 'Flying Jenny' biplane in the air above New Jersey, c.1920.

Wing walkers show off above and below a biplane, c.1920.

Famous wing walker Lillian Boyer dangles from the wing of a biplane, 1922.

1922

Ivan Unger and Gladys Roy play tennis on top of a biplane, 1925.

Gladys Roy walks the wings of a Curtiss JN-4 'Jenny' biplane over Los Angeles while blindfolded. March 29, 1924.

Gladys Engle balances atop a biplane. Feb. 1, 1926.

Richard Schindler practices a trick on a Klemp plane piloted by Richard Perlia, c.1927.

Billy Bomar and Uva Kimmey of the Howard Flying Circus wing-walk on a biplane over New York State. May 13, 1930.

(Photos: Getty Images, via Mashable)