Ten-year-old Walter Ernst was mesmerized by the sight before him. His father had brought the family to the St. Louis riverfront to watch a man fly an aeroplane down the Mississippi. Young Walter had been fascinated by the news reports his father had read from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the Wright brothers' flying machines and the daring pilots who built and flew their own aeroplanes. Now, in September 1910, Walter was finally witnessing his first aero show.
The crowd cheered as they watched Thomas Scott Baldwin, a former dirigible pilot, guide his "Red Devil" Curtiss-type biplane high above the river. The plane flew across the river and landed just on the other side. There was a lull in the crowd, but not for long. The Red Devil reappeared. No one was sure what Captain Baldwin was doing until they saw him skillfully fly the machine under the Eads Bridge. If that wasn't thrilling enough, he did the same to the nearby McKinley Bridge. The crowds roared and cheered. The riverboats blew their whistles.
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During the long ride home, all Walter could think about was that amazing biplane. He brought along a piece of paper and a pencil from school and began to draw the plane. His brothers and sisters always marveled at his artistic talents and as he sketched the aeroplane, they would continue to talk about the show. Father had read that there was another aeroshow coming in October, but nothing was confirmed.
The weeks that followed, Walter drew more and more pictures of the aeroplane. In October, the newspapers had stories of former President Theodore Roosevelt taking a plane ride with Arch Hoxsey at Kinloch Field - not far from where the Ernst family lived. They weren't able to attend that event due to several of the children coming down with colds. Then Walter's father came across an ad in the Post-Dispatch about a First National Aero Show coming up in November at the Coliseum on Washington Boulevard. Not only would the public be able to see these amazing flying machines up close, children could build models of these planes and enter them in a contest. There were cash prizes for the best planes.
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Walter was thrilled. He gathered sticks along the roads as he walked home from school. Carefully, he whittled the sticks down to shape the structure of the biplane. His oldest brother, George, brought him a jar of glue to piece the model together. Mother gave him bits of cloth to make the wings and flaps.
The day came to attend the aero show. Walter was nervous. The family took the electric street car into the city and walked to the Coliseum. The place was filled with spectators. Walter, his brother George and Father found their way to the model aeroplane contest area and entered his model Curtiss biplane. Fifty model aeroplanes were on display, ready for the contest. The judges would make their announcement of the winners in a few days. In the meantime, the Ernst family chose to enjoy the show.
Three days later when the show ended, the Post-Dispatch published the winners of the model aeroplane contest. Walter had received honorable mention and one dollar cash prize.
This a fictional story based on an historical event. While the Ernst family is fictional, the events described here are fact. Sources used: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Kinloch Flying Field. Days of Glory to a Grave Unmarked" by Jack M. Abercrombie, "City of Flight; The History of Aviation in St. Louis" by James J. Horgan
