FOREST CITY — Waldorf alumnus and retired Air Force Col. Tim Tarris will take to the skies in a home-built replica of a World War I-era aircraft for a cross-country U.S. Army Air Corps Commemoration Flight beginning Monday, June 1, 2026.
Tarris, a 1970 Waldorf graduate, plans to fly a replica Curtiss JN-4 Jenny aircraft across 48 states, covering more than 6,000 miles. The historic aviation journey is scheduled to begin in Tucson, Arizona, and conclude Thursday, July 2, 2026, at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
Tarris is scheduled to make an overnight stop in Forest City on Saturday, June 13.
The aircraft he will fly is a replica of the Curtiss JN-4 Jenny, a primary training aircraft used during World War I. More than 6,000 Jenny aircraft were built during its production history, making it one of the most recognizable American training planes of the early aviation era.
The commemoration flight is intended to highlight the Experimental Aircraft Association and experimental home-built aircraft, while also honoring the men and women who have served the United States over the past 110 years.
The flight will also mark a major military aviation milestone: the 100-year anniversary of the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Tarris received his Air Force commission through ROTC in 1973. In 1974, he was named a Distinguished Graduate at Air Force Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona.
His aviation career has included both military and commercial flying. By 2009, Tarris had logged more than 18,500 flight hours. He has continued to remain active in aviation through commemorative and historic flight projects.
After his military and aviation careers, Tarris spent 10 years consulting for the Department of Defense on the National Airspace System.
In 2023, he received the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, which recognizes more than 50 years of outstanding piloting skill, professionalism and aviation safety. In 2024, Tarris also participated as a pilot in an around-the-world flight attempt.
Tarris is also an author and a member of the Daedalians, the national fraternity of military pilots.
Tarris and his wife, Vicky, who is also a 1970 Waldorf alum, live in Tucson, Arizona.