MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. — FreeStar Financial Credit Union will unveil a restored replica of a World War I-era Curtiss JN-4 aircraft next month, marking the completion of a project intended to preserve the credit union’s ties to Selfridge Air National Guard Base and Michigan’s military history.
The aircraft, commonly known as the “Jenny,” has been donated by FreeStar Financial to the Selfridge Military Air Museum and will be permanently displayed in the museum’s Aviation Education Hangar, according to the credit union.
The $350-million FreeStar Financial purchased the replica in 2024 with plans to restore the aircraft and use it as a symbol of the credit union’s connection to its members and the military community.
Three-Year Project
The credit union said the restoration took three years to complete. The replica is one of only eight Jenny aircraft displayed in museums across the country.
The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Co. began mass-producing the JN-4 in 1915. The aircraft became the primary trainer for an estimated 95% of American pilots who served during World War I, according to FreeStar Financial.
The aircraft also has a connection to Selfridge. The restored replica resembles the Jenny that made the first official flight from Selfridge Airfield on July 8, 1917, the credit union said.
First U.S. Military Officer to Die in Crash
The installation, now known as Selfridge Air National Guard Base, was named for Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge, the first U.S. military officer to die in an airplane crash. The base has played a significant role in the development of U.S. military aviation.
FreeStar Financial’s history is also rooted at Selfridge. The credit union was founded there in 1957 as Selfridge Air Force Base Credit Union, initially serving military personnel and support staff stationed at the base.
About More Than Restoration
“This project is about more than restoring an aircraft,” FreeStar Financial President and CEO Drema Isaac said in a statement. “It represents where FreeStar Financial began, the military community that helped shape our organization and our commitment to preserving that history for the next generation.”
The restored Jenny will be officially unveiled Sept. 15 during the Selfridge Base Community Council meeting at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
Following the unveiling, the aircraft will remain on permanent display at the Selfridge Military Air Museum.
Additional photos can be found on FreeStar’s Facebook page here.
