A Little Information On The Desktop Jenny
Wing walking was a stunt that many Barnstormers performed, particularly on the Jenny. It was dangerous work and definitely not for the faint of heart. Those early performers didn't have any regulations dictating that they be safety wired to the wing or wear a parachute. Nope, they were out there on their own. One small mistake and it was all over but the crying. That lack of regulations changed along the way and eventually it put the Barnstorming pilots out of business. But, lest you be concerned that you might never see this phenomenon again, it is alive and well and being practiced at airshows all over the United States and Canada today.
There are a number of wing walking acts and I can proudly say that my own Dad is a member of that brave fraternity. It's a little different today than the era of the Jenny. There is a post that is mounted on the upper wing, braced six ways from Sunday. The wing walker works his way from the forward cockpit up onto the top wing and with great showmanship eventually straps himself to the front of the post. If you think that's taking the easy way out, think again. As opposed to the gentle Jenny which had a top speed of 75mph with a 90 horsepower engine, the current batch of Barnstorming airplanes are brutes. Showstopping, eyepopping, earsplitting brutes like the Super Stearman that have 450 horsepower and top speeds up around 175 mph. Imagine being on the top wing of one of these aircraft!
My Dad, Glenn Matthews, had the pleasure of taking a little walk of his own on the top wing of Joe Hughes' beautiful Super Stearman. It was the ride of his life. The following photo was taken right after his performance. What a guy!
