Retired Air Force Colonel and Waldorf alum Tim Tarris 1970 will fly a home-built JN-4 Jenny aircraft across 48 states for a U.S. Army Air Corps Commemoration Flight beginning Monday, June 1, 2026, covering more than 6,000 miles. Tarris’ aircraft is a replica Curtiss JN-4 Jenny, the primary trainer used during World War I, with more than 6,000 built in its production history. Tarris is scheduled to make an overnight stop in Forest City on Saturday, June 13.
The purpose of the flight is to highlight the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and experimental home-built aircraft while honoring the men and women who have served the nation over the past 110 years. The flight will begin in Tucson, Ariz. and is scheduled to conclude at Langley AFB, Va. on Thursday, July 2, 2026, marking the 100-year anniversary of the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Tarris first received his Air Force commission through ROTC in 1973. In 1974, he was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate at Air Force Pilot Training at Williams AFB, Ariz., and by 2009, Tarris had logged more than 18,500 flight hours in his career spanning military and commercial aviation, continuing to remain active in aviation through commemorative and historic flight projects…