Junior Birdmen

The Junior Birdmen of America was an organization for boys interested in building model airplanes, founded (ca. 1934) and promoted by the Hearst newspapers, with the cooperation of the U.S. Bureau of Air Commerce. [http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Social/winged_gospel/SH2.htm] It is now best remembered for the song "Up in the Air, Junior Birdmen", which has been sung with a variety of lyrics to mock would-be or inexperienced aviators. [http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=268629] [http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=860635]

One set of lyrics is::"Up in the air, Junior Birdmen!:Up in the air, upside down!:Up in the air, Junior Birdmen!:Keep your noses off the ground!"

The song was sung while placing one's hands over one's eyes in a facetious goggle fashion. Demonstrably, the thumbs and index-fingers of each hand would touch tips (as if to make a peacock shadow on the wall). Each hand would then be turned with the palm upward, the little finger closest to the face, and the thumbs farthest from the face and closest to the ceiling (or sky); then, with the remaining three fingers of each hand being placed under each jaw (little fingers closest to the ears), and the palms placed on the cheeks, the thumb and finger "goggle" of each hand would be placed to encircle each eye. Down and up head-bob swoops and waist bends would accompany the singing, particularly during the "up in the air" portions.