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In 1915, for the first time in human history, the general public had access to the crowning achievement of the industrial age—the “aeroplane.” Death defying aviators performed aerial stunts at the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition as huge audiences swooned. Also offered to the public were rides on an airplane above San Francisco. Paying passengers included women who were thrilled to try this exciting new form of transportation. Check out more historical photographs created from the original glass plate negatives in Fancy Flying: Aviation at the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition on display pre-security in the Aviation Museum and Library. The Aviation Museum and Library is open from 10:00am to 4:30pm Sunday through Friday. #WomenInAviation Robert Fowler in his Christofferson flying boat with Carl J. Schilling and Ada Schilling at the Panama Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco 1915 Cardinell-Vincent Company SFO Museum Collection Gift of Edwin I. Power, Jr. and Linda L. Liscom Printed with funds provided by the San Francisco Aeronautical Society 2015.040.045 This image was posted on September 30, 2015.