L.A. Birdmen: West Coast Aviators and the First Airshow in America

While today most would name Wilbur and Orville Wright as America's earliest aviators, ask anyone in the first decade of the 20th century and they would surely list August Greth, John J. Montgomery, Lincoln Beachey, Roy Knabenshue, and Captain Thomas Baldwin as the face of American aviation. While the Wrights claimed they could fly, the Californians proved it - thrilling millions of spectators and capturing the spirits of the country. This energy coalesced in 1910 when, thanks to a skilled promoter named Dick Ferris, the city of Los Angeles hosted the International Aviation Exposition, the first airshow ever held in the United States. The airshow launched the West Coat aviation industry and cemented the city's reputation as the country's "flightiest" city at the time. Los Angeles Birdmen uncovers the stories and surprising legacies of California's daring pilots and airmen - the true American aviators at the turn of the century. Although the Wrights made their first public demonstration