A reminder of San Antonio's glorious aviation history will now greet passengers t San Antonio International Airport, News Radio 1200 WOAI reprots.
A Curtiss JN-4D biplane, commonly known as a 'Jenny,' will now be on display at the Airport, courtesy of the Witte Museum.
Airport Director Lt. Gen. Russ Handy (USAF Ret) said the Jenny is already a point of pride for the airport.
"The morning after it was hung, I watched a number of passengers as I stood here, and about half of them stood with their mouths open," he said. "That's the reaction we are looking for."
The Jenny is one of the most storied airplanes in aviation history, and it was a staple of aviation training at Kelly and Brooks Fields in the 1920s. Charles Lindbergh got his wings training on a Jenny at Brooks in 1924 and 1925.
Handy says having this Jenny at the airport is appropriate."The Airport is the first and last thing that a traveler who is traveling by air sees," he said. "It should look, feel, sound, and smell like the region."
This particular Jenny was purchased by the Witte Museum in 1937 after the planes were retired from service by the Army Air Corps.The Jenny, which was fully restored in 1977, has been on display at Hangar 9 at the former Brooks Air Force Base, which is the last surviving World War I era military hangar.