drugged. Stokes chases Finley in his own aircraft but is afraid for Ruth's safety. Shaking his captive and reviving her, Finley says Ruth has to kiss him, or "get out and walk on a cloud." Suddenly, Finley's aircraft catches fire but Stokes is nearby, dropping a rope ladder to Ruth, who climbs into Stokes' aircraft. Failing to put out the fire, Finley dons a parachute and jumps safely, only to be arrested on the ground. After her ordeal, Stokes comforts Ruth, and makes his feelings about her known. Cast Laurence Criner as Capt. Billy Stokes (as Lawrence Criner) Kathryn Boyd as Ruth Sawtelle Boise De Legge as Blair Kimball Harold Platts as Finley Tucker Lions Daniels as Constable Jed Splivins George Colvin as Thomas Sawtelle Sam Jordan as Dr. Maynard R.L. Brown as Howard McAndrews (credited as Dr. R.L. Brown) Steve Reynolds as Peg (credited as Steve "Peg" Reynolds) Production With principal photography in Jacksonville, Florida, The Flying Ace was an example of producer Norman's "home talent" films, in which he would travel to various towns with stock footage and a basic script. After recruiting local celebrities for minor roles, they would film a small portion of footage (approximately 200 feet of new material) over the course of a few days. The films were processed at Norman's laboratory in Chicago. Once completed, the films would be screened and any funds raised would be split between Norman and the town where the scenes were shot. Norman cast J. Laurence Criner, a veteran of Harlem’s prestigious all-black theater troupe the Lafayette Players, in the leading role of Captain Billy Stokes, a black pilot who fought in France during World War I. While Eugene Bullard was a black pilot in the Lafayette Escadrille, African-Americans were not allowed to serve as pilots in the United States Army Air Corps until 1940. The role of pilot Ruth Sawtelle, played by Kathryn Boyd, is loosely based on African-American aviator Bessie Coleman. Coleman had sent a letter to the Norman Studios expressing a wish to be in a film based on her life. Only a day before she was to appear in an exhibition in Jacksonville, she lost her life on April 30, 1926, when she fell from her aircraft. It is unclear whether Norman and Coleman had met. The Flying Ace was advertised as "the greatest airplane thriller ever filmed"; however, save for one brief sequence,