Ivan Gates

The Hangar Aug 28, 2026

Ivan Gates, the Gates Flying Circus, and the Quarter-Million Americans Who Paid Five Dollars to Touch the Sky

Ivan Gates turned barnstorming into a scalable business empire that put over a quarter million Americans in airplanes - more than any government program of the era.

Taildragger

The Hangar Jul 23, 2026

The Gates Flying Circus, Ivan Gates, and Upside-Down Pangborn - the Barnstorming Outfit That Sold America Its First Airplane Ride a Dollar at a Time

How the Gates Flying Circus sold over a million Americans their first airplane ride for a dollar and launched the barnstorming era.

Taildragger