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Willow Springs Memorial Airport Air Show, August 5, 1951, Mountain Grove, MO native Pansy “Kitty” Middleton performed her first wing-walking act. Billed as the Skylarks, with Carl Ferris, Lansing, Michigan piloting the Stearman, Kitty was strapped in the harness on the top wing. They performed dives, barrel rolls, Cuban 8s and snap rolls. This was the first air show of this caliber that many of the 2000 in attendance had ever seen. “Kitty Middleton” at 17 years old was an instant sensation. Following the Willow Springs show the Skylarks continued to the Ozark Empire Fair starting August 11 in Springfield. There too they were a big success. Their next scheduled event was the Minnesota State Fair as the featured afternoon grandstand attraction. Labor Day, September 3, 1951 was the final day of the fair and would complete their air show season. As they began the last maneuver, the grand finale, the spectators watched as the plane dived from the sky hitting the ground with such force it spread the landing gear out flat. Pilot Carl Ferris was killed instantly; Kitty pulled from the burning wreckage died the next day.
Sixty years after that fateful day, Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter #1218, Willow Springs will pay tribute to Kitty during our annual Open House/Fly-In October 8. On hand will be chapter member Don Nevels author of “Wings, Dreams and Memories” the story of Kitty Middleton, the Skylarks, the early days of aviation in the Ozarks and the sequence of events leading up to that fateful September day. Copies of the book will be available for sale and autographed by Don Nevels. Video clips from the Skylarks performance during the Minnesota State Fair will be shown.
The Open House will be 10 AM – 2 PM with a free burger cookout at noon. Join us at Willow Springs, Missouri Municipal Airport (1h5), Saturday, October 8th, 2011 to pay tribute to Kitty Middleton, her pioneering spirit and bravery .\
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