Radiolab: "Loop the Loop"

Host: Jad Abumrad, Robert Krulwich
Guests: Sam Kean (author), Frank Marrero (author)
Date: September 20, 2011

Overview

In this Radiolab short, Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich unravel the dazzling, nearly forgotten life of Lincoln Beachey, an early aviation daredevil whose aerobatic feats changed both public perception of flight and the course of aviation history. The episode winds through Beachey’s exploits, innovations in aerial stunts, and the tragic costs of pushing boundaries—both for himself and the many who tried to emulate him. It concludes by exploring why his fame faded, except in the echoes of a schoolyard jump rope chant.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Mysterious Figure in a Children’s Chant

[02:02 – 02:24]

• The episode opens with New York City schoolgirls chanting a rhyme about Lincoln Beachey—a name that, hosts admit, is unfamiliar to most today.
• The team sets out to discover the story behind the man immortalized in street song.

Early Life & First Forays into Flight

[02:50 – 03:24]

• Beachey grew up in San Francisco, described as shy, chubby, and not hero material, but gripped by an obsession with flight.
• Frank Marrero: “He wasn't exactly a popular kid, not someone you'd peg as a hero, but he was fearless.” (03:01)
• As a boy, Beachey sought thrills with daredevil bike stunts, setting the tone for his risk-taking future.

From Mechanic to Ace

[03:28 – 04:33]

• Beachey became a dirigible pilot in his teens—dirigibles described humorously as “a big floating sack of hot air.”
• His ambition pushed him to master not only dirigibles but real airplanes, then in their infancy.

The Death Spiral and Aerobatics Revolution

[04:46 – 07:26]

• At a Los Angeles airshow, Beachey, as a backup pilot, faces a deadly spin at 3,000 feet.
• Most pilots who entered a spin crashed; Beachey, in a pivotal moment, turns into the spin rather than fighting it, recovering control—a first.
  • Frank Marrero: “When you do the absolute worst thing you can think of, then all the controls come back.” (06:15)
• This maneuver unlocked a wave of innovation. Beachey became the father of aerobatics, inventing tricks like the figure 8, vertical drop, and "the Dip of Death".
  • Marrero: “He was the first person to point his plane straight down and achieve terminal velocity. At the time, medical science said if you achieve terminal velocity, you would die from fear.” (06:38)

Rise to Fame and Tragedy’s Shadow

[07:26 – 09:16]

• Beachey's stunts draw millions; he becomes a legend, with 17 million seeing him in a single year.
  • Frank Marrero: “Railroads changed their schedules to follow him around the country.” (08:09)
  • Sam Kean: “What Orville Wright called him the most wonderful aviator anyone has ever seen.” (08:13)
• Tragically, many aspiring pilots die imitating him. “Doing a Beachey” becomes ominous slang.

The Burden of Influence and Brief Retirement

[09:16 – 10:36]

• After a friend dies copying his loop-the-loop stunt, Beachey feels responsible and retires.
  • Beachey (quoted): “You could not make me enter a plane again at the point of a revolver. I'm done.” (10:05)

The Loop-the-Loop, Obsession, and Existential Musings

[10:36 – 12:23]

• Beachey’s desire to perform the first loop-the-loop haunts him. When a Frenchman beats him to it, he returns, determined to outdo all.
• He masters the loop, moving the boundaries of flight forward and reflecting on his brushes with death.
  • Beachey (quoted): “On such occasions, I have defied him [Death], but in so doing have experienced fright which I cannot explain today. The old fellow and I are pals.” (11:39)
• Frank Marrero: “Something happened in the psyche of humanity... for a hundred thousand years, millions... have wanted to fly.” (12:06)

The Fatal Flight and Legacy Lost

[12:34 – 14:48]

• At the 1915 San Francisco World’s Fair, Beachey’s experimental monoplane fails mid-air. He is killed—not in the crash, but trapped underwater by his seat straps.
  • Sam Kean: “...he could not get out of the straps. Plane had him wrapped in so tightly it just drug him down to the bottom and he drowned...” (13:41)
• San Francisco’s phone lines are overwhelmed by the news.

Why Did History Forget Lincoln Beachey?

[14:21 – 14:48]

• In the parade of aviation heroes, Beachey is left behind as new legends emerge after WWI.
  • Frank Marrero: “After the war we had new heroes and he slipped into obscurity, except for one thing.” (14:38)

Enduring Echo: The Jump Rope Chant

[14:52 – End]

• All that remains in popular memory is the playground chant:
  • “Lincoln Beachy thought it was a dream / to go up to heaven in a flying machine. / The machine broke down and down he fell. / He thought he'd go to heaven, but he went to...” (15:11, various speakers)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "He wasn't exactly a popular kid, not someone you'd peg as a hero, but he was fearless."
  — Frank Marrero (03:01)

• "When you do the absolute worst thing you can think of, then all the controls come back."
  — Frank Marrero (06:15)

• "He was the first person to point his plane straight down and achieve terminal velocity. At the time, medical science said if you achieve terminal velocity, you would die from fear."
  — Frank Marrero (06:38)

• "Railroads changed their schedules to follow him around the country."
  — Frank Marrero (08:09)

• "'You could not make me enter a plane again at the point of a revolver. I'm done.'"
  — Lincoln Beachey (quoted by Frank Marrero, 10:05)

• "On such occasions, I have defied him [Death], but in so doing have experienced fright which I cannot explain today. The old fellow and I are pals."
  — Lincoln Beachey (quoted by Frank Marrero, 11:39)

• "Something happened in the psyche of humanity...for a hundred thousand years, millions ... have wanted to fly."
  — Frank Marrero (12:06)

• "After the war we had new heroes and he slipped into obscurity, except for one thing."
  — Frank Marrero (14:38)

• The jump rope chant repeats throughout, capturing Beachey’s legend in playful yet haunting simplicity. (14:52 – End)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:02–02:50] — The introduction of the Lincoln Beachey jump rope chant
• [03:24–04:46] — Beachey's entry into early aviation
• [04:46–07:26] — Invention of aerobatics, escaping the death spiral
• [08:05–08:18] — Cultural impact; Beachey praised by Edison, Sandburg, Wright
• [09:18–10:11] — Confronting the consequences of his influence, announces retirement
• [10:36–12:23] — Mastering the loop-the-loop and philosophical reflections on flight
• [13:05–13:41] — Fatal crash and public reaction
• [14:21–15:23] — Beachey’s historical fade and persistence in children’s songs

Tone & Production

True to Radiolab’s signature, the episode blends playful curiosity with reflective depth. Complex history and technical explanations are interwoven with music, sound design, and the voices of children. The hosts’ amazement and affection for their subject create an inviting and reverent atmosphere.

For Listeners Who Want More

• Sam Kean’s Book: The Disappearing Spoon and Other True Tales of Madness, Love and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of Elements
• Frank Marrero’s Book: Lincoln: The Man Who Owned the Sky

This fascinating short captures the lost legacy of an early twentieth-century superstar, a man whose daring redefined what it means to dream—and to fly.