Lovely video of girl's first solo on 16th birthday in a Curtiss Jenny

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20 years

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Filmed just a couple a days ago , how great a see young people involved in historic aviation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfMro_EX840&feature=youtu.be

Original post

Isn't that nice!

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15 years

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Yes lovely to see, bet her Dad's real chuffed with her, what a great family thing to do and a brilliant achievement for her too.

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19 years 5 months

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I love Jenny's...but I think I'd choose something with a more reliable engine for a daughter's solo.

I know experienced tail wheel/antique pilots who respect the Jenny...I'm not saying it's not safe, just not something to be taken lightly.

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11 years 2 months

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Congratulations!
Couldn't think of a happier birthday.

Andy

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15 years 2 months

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Have you read 'School For Perfection' by Richard Bach?

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18 years 1 month

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Jennys are easy to fly, just different from what most are used to, lots of drag and not a lot of power, factors to account for at all times. Paul has allowed a number of the local pilots (including myself) to fly that one, and Caroline is as prepared as anyone can be to fly it, having been immersed in the vintage aircraft scene her whole life. And did PFLs in the Jenny with dad before solo. A fantastic accomplishment. She also soloed the Taylor E-2 Cub that day.

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20 years 4 months

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I was going to say that any first soloist should be well acquainted with PFLs before the big day. This is a nice and slow biplane that you can land in any reasonably sized field and it looked like she was certainly within gliding distance of a lot of usable fields the whole time.

I was thinking of Bach's 'School for Perfection' as well! :D

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11 years 2 months

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As I was watching, I was thinking that it can't be too far different from a Tiger Moth.
Sure it doesn't fly like a Cessna, but it is probably pretty honest, if you know how to use the rudder and watch your speed control.

Andy

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19 years 5 months

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I didn't say it wasn't a good flying ship, with enough dual instruction I'm sure anyone (especially a young pilot with less experience to "unlearn") could fly it safely.
I'm sure that particular airframe is well maintained and solid, still if she was my daughter I'd feel a lot better if she wasn't flying behind a 100 year old engine which wasn't that reliable when new.
Mau be I've read too many histories of the pioneer days.

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''I pushed the throttle forward, quickly glanced at the tachometer to check for the full 1450 RPM, let my feet dance on the rudder bar to keep the nose straight down the runway, and thought, “Wow! I’m actually out here on my own!”

A lovely write up from the girl herself.

https://generalaviationnews.com/2017/10/15/16-year-old-solos-in-100-year-old-jenny/

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18 years 4 months

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Thanks for the update story link Propstrike,good read.....and...do not be given a false sense of security by engine age, you still need to practice force landings and keep an ear tuned to how an engine behaves before and during flight.