Jane Wicker…Her Passion Has Taken Her Far….
No stopping her now!
There is a very spunky lady in the state of Virginia who is just not going to take NO for an answer. You might say she has an “attitude” and attitude is what you need to achieve your dreams. She has encountered set backs and disappointments, but nothing will hold her back from attaining her goal. She was a well known wing walker, known as Beauty and the Beast, who had lost her wing and had been looking for another one for a couple of years and just couldn’t find a wing, so she bought one. Now that takes some moxie and a bit of attitude.
Jane Wicker is the proud owner of a modified 450 Stearman. When she bought it, it was 80% done by the builder, Steve Wagner and will be a completely restored plane. Jane had it inspected by Jim Carlson, the former director of maintenance for the Red Baron’s. He is heading up the completion, along with Ryan Dulas another Red Baron mechanic out in Minnesota.
Jane will be flying the Stearman home to Virginia in March (that will be a mighty chilly trip) with her ferry pilot, Brian Rosenstein, and performing in it by this summer. I doubt anyone could be more excited. What makes Jane stand out is she can also fly the Stearman. It is obviously hard to do both, but if there were a way, you bet she would be doing just that. She is a very determined person. Jane is known for her wing walking stunt called the “Hang Down”. You would have to see it to believe it. She is a natural on the wing.
Jane has been flying for over 20 years and has her commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings. She has also flown competition aerobatics. She is probably the only Wing Walker that will be flying her own airplane to shows. She will be announcing who her pilot will be and the name of her act once she gets the Stearman back to Virginia and gets the “feel” of the plane.
Jane has two boys, Ben and Patrick. Ben is 14 and Patrick 12 and they both grew up at air shows and are excited about their Mom going back out on the wing….Of course having their plane near home gives them huge bragging rights with their friends. As Jane said “I was the hit of career day at my sons school”……I am sure she was right. How many kids have Moms, or Dads for that matter, that climb out of an open cockpit airplane and then do stunts out there on the wings and struts on a low flying plane?
Jane is a full time budget analyst for the FAA and a full time Mom. That is a very hefty schedule with two active boys. Now she is going to be flying and wing walking weekends.
I am not certain many people would be able to maintain that schedule, but Jane is a bundle of energy, just waiting to reach her potential and finally be where she belongs………..on the wing of a plane and her own plane at that.
Visit Jane’s web at www.wingwalk.org for information on her act, her plane and how to contact her.
By: Joyce Oster Palmer
