By Tim Tarris, EAA 1226913
I’m a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and airline captain. In 2019, I returned a Douglas C-53D, D-Day Doll, to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. In 2024, I was part of a round-the-world, seven-continent trip with another pilot.
I am currently building a 3/4-scale replica of a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny, which was used as a primary trainer by the U.S. Army and others in the early days of military aviation.
Once completed, my plan is to fly to all the lower 48 states as part of a patriotic commemoration and recruiting trip, and arrive at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia no later than July 2, 2026. That date is the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Army Air Corps, and that is also the weekend of the United States’ Semiquincentennial. Jennys were used in training at Langley from 1915 to 1923.
At my more than 55 stops along the way, I will be met by members of the Order of Daedalians, EAA chapters, the Air National Guard, and others, and plan to include a stop at Oshkosh for AirVenture 2026 on my way home.
