Lincoln Beachey

[Hedley]

http://www.lincolnbeachey.tv/

Accomplishments

Invented Stall Recovery

First to fly upside down

First to fly inside a building

First to build and fly a plane exclusively for aerobatics

First to pick a handkerchief up with his wingtip

First to master the loop

First tail slide (on purpose!)

First to do falling leaf

Invented Aerobatics!!

First to achieve terminal velocity (by flying straight down)

Called "The Eighth Wonder of the World" by a consortium of 100 newspapers after his plunge through Niagara Falls

Declared "The World's Greatest Aviator" by Curtiss, Wright, Edison, etc

Largest crowd in the history of the United States (1911 Chicago Meet)

[fleet16b]

Also, if I remember correctly, the first to fly under the bridge at Niagara Falls.