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

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

High above the patchwork of New York State in 1930, a biplane from the Howard Flying Circus carries more than a pilot and a roaring engine—it carries two performers balanced out on the wings, turned into dark silhouettes against the pale sky. Billy Bomar and Uva Kimmey step into the slipstream with the calm posture of practiced daredevils, gripping struts and wires as the aircraft’s fabric-covered wings hold steady over winding waterways below.

Wing walking belonged to the bold, barnstorming era when aviation was still young and spectacle helped keep it alive, drawing crowds to airfields and fairgrounds with promises of fearless stunts. In this moment, the geometry of the plane’s rigging becomes a stage, and the performers’ placement—one near the wingtip, another closer to the center—suggests choreography as much as courage, with every shift of weight part of the act.

For readers interested in early aviation history, airshows, and the culture of 1930s daredevil sports, this photo offers a vivid reminder of how entertainment and aeronautical innovation often shared the same runway. The Howard Flying Circus name evokes a traveling world where pilots and wing-walkers marketed modern flight through risk, grace, and showmanship—an airborne performance captured in a single, unforgettable frame.