| The Barnstormer Express April 7, 2009 Double Trouble - Best of Both Worlds! - the debut - | | 
It's a hit! The reviews are in and it's all thumbs up for the Double Trouble - Best of Both Worlds team. Tyson did a spectacular job in his first air show performance and was greeted warmly by his peers and fans. And congratulations to the Florida International Air Show who drew record crowds to their 29th annual event. We were thrilled to be a part of your show! | | Comments from colleagues & the crowd... | | Florida International Air Show, Punta Gorda March 21 & 22, 2009 Double Trouble was my favorite act of the day. -- Mike LaCoe, LaCoe Photography "Double Trouble" looked fantastic!! -- Mike Robinson, Starfighters I'd heard nothing but praise for these performers and thus had high expectations, which in both cases were not only met but surpassed. -- Sean Kelly, Photographer/Airshow Fan/Airport Operations-ARFF(KHVN) Many of the performers I have met are fabulous, but I am REALLY impressed with you. You [Jenny], Tyson and Walt are a class act... -- Shawn Yost, Photographer/Airshow Fan Read the full comments on our Testimonials page. | | Not your typical wing walking acts... | |
The SPECTACULAR Double Trouble wing walk-- This is the ONLY North American team offering a performance with two daredevils moving about the wings of a Stearman in flight and riding through aerobatics to boot! This wing walking act mixes acrobatics with grace, precision, and the 'Double Dare' javelin hang for a show you just can't miss!
The AMAZING solo wing walk--  This is the most complete solo wing walk routine available! No other team's wing walker hits 4 distinct places on the plane, performs aerobatics standing at the wingtip, and hangs upside-down from the javelin by her knees!
Further details on what is offered in our airshow packages can be found on our Booking Info page.
YES - American Barnstormer offers even more than what is briefly mentioned here. | | Wing walking and the United States Air Force... bound together since 1918!
While there are a variety of reasons given for the US Army Air Service's Lt. Ormer Locklear's first walk out on the wing in 1918 at Barron Field, Texas, the New York Times reports in an August 4, 1920 article that he had originally begun wing walking because, "He conceived the idea that it would be possible to mount machine guns on the wings of a plane. Army officers said it would be impossible to manoeuvre with a man’s weight on the extreme edge of the wings, and some of his first “stunts” were done to demonstrate that a plane so weighted could be manoeuvred.”  According to the US Centennial of Flight Commission,
"Although Locklear could have been court-martialed for such antics, his commanding officer encouraged him, instead, to perform more "stunts" because they boosted his colleagues' moral, and their confidence in the soundness of their Jenny biplanes, which were suffering a rash of accidents at the time."
In short, the early USAF saw wing walking as a fantastic and successful recruiting technique! Additionally, Locklear was the first person to transfer from one plane to another in flight. This is what inspired and led to the world's first air-to-air refueling in 1919; Wesley May, with a five gallon can of gasoline strapped to his back, transferred from a Standard flown by Frank Hawks to a Jenny piloted by Earl Daugherty ("Chewing Gum, Bailing Wire, and Guts" by Bill Rhode, 1970). | | 
| | | Wing Walker Stats... | | Jenny 
height - 5'9" age - 38
marital status: single
first wing walk: June 2004
favorite maneuver: Javelin hang
hometown: Cleveland, OH
Tyson 
height - 5'3" age - 34
marital status: engaged
first wing walk: February 2009
favorite maneuver: Javelin hang
hometown: Monterey, CA | | | American Barnstormer in World Airshow News American Barnstormer Walt Pierce was featured in the March/April issue of World Airshow News with Double Trouble featured as the center spread. Be sure to get your copy and read An American Barnstormer - Walt Pierce Carries on the Barnstorming Tradition. www.AirshowMag.com
Double Trouble in the press at Punta Gorda
Jenny & Tyson were interviewed after their Saturday performance by the Herald Tribune. Thousands Turn Out for Charlotte Air Show.
Jenny Forsythe featured as the very first 'Member in Action' Jenny was chosen to be the very first "Member in Action" for the group Friends of Aviation. This group's mission is "to increase communication and cooperation between all people and organizations of Aviation and by that increase the public knowledge and support for Aviation. We want to keep the dream of flight alive and make it possible for anyone to experience what Flying and Aviation is all about." Visit this group's website or join them on facebook! | | |
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