Plane of history flies by 932nd

An unusual and interesting sight was seen near the 932nd Airlift Wing headquarters during lunch time on June 20, 2017. One of the highlights recently at Scott’s Centennial Airshow and Open House was a display of this historical aircraft known as the "Jenny" and it made another appearance at noon, circling the area. The Curtiss JN-4D Jenny is one of North America’s most famous World War I aircraft. It was a twin-seat, “student-in-front-of-instructor,” dual-control biplane. The tractor propeller and maneuverability made it ideal for initial pilot training, and the aircraft was widely used during World War I to train beginning pilots, with an estimated 95 percent of all trainees having flown a JN-4. In 1917, Congress allocated $640 million to build more of these trainers because at that point there were only 32 airplanes in the Army in which only 10 or 12 were serviceable. This one, tail number #38262, flew several passes near the 932nd Airlift Wing Headquarters as part of the base Centennial celebrations on June 20, 2017, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lt. Col. Stan Paregien)