Aviator &  News Scout, John Read

Just in from one of our old time members, and also one of our top Aviation News Scouts, John Read (at left) of Florida.  This old movie news clip is from the roaring twenties, when Barnstorming was in its heyday.

And, what kind of airplane is at center stage?  The inveterate Jenny, of course.

The film is entitled, “AIR CRASH AVERTED – by a woman’s pluck and iron nerve. Woman pilot changes planes and fixes new landing wheel on disabled plane in mid-air.“

While this clip is only 2:45 long, it is a real cliff-hanger.  Notice the heroine has no parachute to deploy in case she slips!  Flying a Jenny in those days was in and of itself a risky endeavor, but what our center stage young lady does in front of our eyes is almost unbelievable.  Sit back, turn up the sound, watch your knuckles go white, and enjoy!  The FASF has used this clip at some of its public events, but one never gets tired of watching this heroic behavior up among the clouds by these daring Jenny-loving barnstormers.  And, this is one of those few brave female aviators!

Don’t forget:  This very same model of Jenny (a JN-4D) was developed right here at our own FASF historic 1916 Airfield in downtown Columbus. It is the airplane that became the backbone civilian aviation when it was surplused by the U.S. Army Air Services at the end of WWI.