AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2016 - 76

THE JENNY'S BASIC COCKPIT includes some conveniences-
pitch trim and a radio (left). Facing page, clockwise from
top left: The airplane sports an early, vane-type Johnson
Air Speed Indicator; Sensenich carved the mahogany
propeller to original specifications; in Georgetown,
Kentucky, a Marine Corps veteran peeks inside the
Jenny's cockpit.

Fall Creek, Tennessee. All fabric work, metal work, the
assembly, and rigging were completed in Tompkinsville,
Kentucky-where much of the work was done by Jon
Foote's A&P students, with assistance from his aviation
class at Monroe County High School.
Several concessions were made for cross-country operation in the twenty-first century. Instead of restoring an
original JN-4H's Hispano-Suiza engine, a water-cooled
GMC V-8 with similar weight and torque was chosen; a 2:1
reduction gear provides 1,250 rpm at cruise power. "The
folks that use the original engines fly their Jennies around
their airstrips, because they're not known to be reliable
engines," Walker said. Brakes were added to facilitate operations on paved runways, as well as a removable tailwheel.
The airplane has a com radio and electric pitch trim.
BEHIND JENNY

Walker's always had a great interest in history, and in aviation. That combination took him to one of two topics: the
Wright brothers or Glenn Curtiss. "Given the two-no disrespect to the Wrights-I love what Glenn Curtiss did. And
he helped bring aviation into the aviation we know today."
And Walker is captivated by the Jenny. "This particular biplane was so instrumental in the history of American
aviation, because it did so many things. What other plane
76 | AOPA PILOT July 2016

in American aviation history carried as much load, or as
many benchmarks, as this airplane? The first airplane
to be mass manufactured. The first airplane to serve an
entire nation as a military trainer. The first airplane to
carry the U.S. Air Mail on a regular and recurring basis.
And really, as a barnstorming airplane-a surplus airplane
after the war-the first to introduce the concept of aviation to the common, everyday American. So I'm definitely
in love with the Jenny."
With the Jenny, "we can give the gift of that history
to anyone who's willing to cast their gaze skyward," he
said-instead of freezing it in time as a museum artifact.
The airplane has flown to 11 states so far. "You don't fly
over a shopping center or a farm that someone doesn't get
in their car and follow it," he added. "It's not something people get to see very often." Just nine are flyable in the United
States, he said. "Only ours gets away from the airfield."
Although the Jenny was built for two-an instructor
and a student-it requires a cadre of people to operate,
Walker said. A crew chief and at least one ground handler
follow along in the chase vehicle, a truck equipped with
tools and spare parts. It also carries six 8-foot-long display
boards that are arranged around the airplane at shows, and
tell the story of early aviation and the Curtiss Jenny.
One of the Jenny's crew chiefs, Myron Callaham, a
retired electrical engineer, was invited to participate at
a meeting of his EAA chapter. "I went over there to the
hangar, and I've been going back ever since," he said.
"The most appealing part, without a doubt, has been
the friendships. We all love airplanes, obviously. I like
the problem solving-you run into things that need to
be thought through."
Callaham also learned that he would not like to be a
professional rib stitcher. "That's far too tedious for me,
but I'm glad I got to do some of it."
Chuck Coppinger isn't retired and couldn't help on
weekdays, but he can help with weekend travel. "I've
always had the love of aviation," Coppinger said. "What
better opportunity than standing next to a living, breathing piece of history? These guys are a joy to be around.
You can tell their passion and their love for sharing their
experiences. Dorian is just eaten up with Jenny-you just
have to see the glow in his eye when he talks about the
history of the aircraft."
Walker's wife, Elaine, was drawn into the Jenny story
while he was working on the Curtiss documentary. "I
enjoy seeing the kids, and hearing the stories," she said.
"It's so much fun to hear the stories."
Stories like that of Jared Cummings, whom the crew
met at the Georgetown airshow. The Air Force Reserve

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2016