JN-4 Jennie Flies Again at Call Field!

THE CALL FIELD JN-4D EXHIBIT

TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE *

Call Field JN-4 - 002-2014

JN-4D on ramp at Call Field

The Call Field (named after a First Aero Squadron pilot, Loren H. Call) Exhibit commemorates Call Field, the United States Army Air Corps training camp in Wichita Falls during WW I.  The plane flown at Call Field, which served as this country’s first military main stream trainer, was the Curtiss JN4-D, known as the “Jenny.”  The crown jewel of the exhibit is this Museum’s genuine Jenny biplane.  It is one of only five in existence still certified for flight, and for the last few years she has graced the skies above Wichita Falls.  Use the buttons to learn more about the history of Call Field and this rare flying Jenny.  Interestingly, as is pointed out by FASF Historian, John Deuble, Jr., Call Field’s first Commanding Officer, Major John B. Brooks, was also a FAS pilot in Columbus during the Punitive Expedition in 1916!

The exhibit includes a Model-T Troop Carrier and a Model-T Staff Car such as those used at Call Field. There are also WW I uniforms and equipment, a scale rendition of Call Field, multimedia displays, and more.  Currently all these elements are located in a hangar at Kickapoo Airport in Wichita Falls (click on link for map and address).  However, the entire exhibit will soon be relocated.

NOTE: The location of the Jenny’s hangar is about 1 block south of the location shown on Google Maps.  The hangar is directly across the street from the United supermarket.

In Fall 2014, the Call Field Exhibit will move to the new Wichita Falls Regional Airport as part of a project we call “Jenny to Jet.” Across from the Jenny will be a United States Air Force T-38 jet and artifacts related to Sheppard Air Force Base.  This one-of-a-kind display with the very first U.S. military training plane and a modern jet that is a current trainer will show the world Wichita Falls’ unique history and proud commitment to our armed forces.  And given that Call Field was the forerunner to Sheppard, “Jenny to Jet” will also serve as proof that history has a direct link to our present day lives.​

* Story courtesy of North Texas History Museum

1 thought on “JN-4 Jennie Flies Again at Call Field!

  1. RIC – Webmaster for FirstAeroSquadronFoundation's (FASF) website. Also the CEO of the 501C(c)(3) aviation history-oriented FASF non-profit, which is dedicated to the Birth Place of American Airpower and Rebirth Place of American Civil Aviation in 1916 & 1917 in Columbus, NM.
    John Deuble, Jr.

    Historian John Deuble, Jr., an official FASF Speaker, author and historian, points out that:
    “Loren H. Call [Call Field] was a pilot with the 1st Aero Squadron; and, the first CO of Call Field was Major John B. Brooks – also a 1st Aero Squadron pilot at Camp Furlong in 1916.”

    Reply

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