Kinjockety
photo credit Ruben Green
photo credit Ruben Green
Gar Wood was the first operator of J-14 and he put many flight hours in his favorite amphibian. Above are 2 photos of NC2954 named "Kinjockety XI" at his Canadian island. Many of Wood's aircraft were named Kinjockety with its subsequent roman numeral identifier. The Kinjockety Hunting Club was also the name of his private island in McGregor Bay, Ontario .
Read more about Gar Wood and J-14
The bays and inlets of Lake Ontario were exceptional for amphibians to gain access to majestic Canada. A number of AAB Mallards visited before they flew the skies of the warmer Caribbean.
Gar Wood's
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Kinjockety I
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The other Kinjocketys
Kenjockety is a Native American term meaning "away from the crowd" . There are other variations as "beyond the woods", but based on Gar Wood's use, we will stay with the former.
Gar Wood apply named his special places, and his airplanes to get to those places, Kenjockety.
The amphibian aircraft flew him to Kenjockety Island in McGregor Bay, Ontario.
I previously provided an in-depth article on his Grumman G-73 Mallard N2954 / J-14 and Mark Holderman recently sent in two new/old photos (above) clearly indicating the name of the aircraft was Kinjockety XI. That meant there were 10 aircraft before J-14. So here is my effort to identify the many Gar Wood's airplanes.
Kinjockety III
Gar grew up around water, thanks to his father, who was a ferryboat operator. By his teenage years, he was already experimenting with ways to enhance the speed of the boats he operated. While I could elaborate on his achievements in boat racing, I would like to highlight his transition to flying when he acquired his first airplane, a de Havilland Moth, at the age of 42. His subsequent two aircraft were seaplanes, allowing him to access his favorite propetries while other aircraft needed to fulfill his passion for speed.
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photo from Tom Anusewicz / Alamy Lic.
Texaco developed a series of die-cast models of various iconic airplanes. The Grumman Gamma was #2 of 25. I received my copy from Texaco's John Miller in 1996. I found it interesting that 30 years later I connect my model to Gar Wood's Kinjockerty.
With the acquisition of the Fokker F-11AHB, Gar had now graduated into large amphibious airplanes. Enter Kinjockety II
photos from Wayne State University approved for posting
Grayhaven, Gar's mansion along the Detroit River was indeed a grand property... for a while.
Read more about this unique estate.
Baby Clipper
The
Gar Wood's "Baby Clipper" was sold to the British American Ambulance Corps before it was transferred to the RAF
Gar's Baby Clipper is docked in the town of Little Current on the island of Manitoulin in Ontario, Canada around 1940.
By 1947, Gar had been flying for 15 years and already had owned 7 aircraft. When Grumman produced the GOOSE, Gar knew that would be his next aircraft. Amphibious was a requirement for him with Greyhaven along the Detroit river, Kinjockety Island in Ontario and his properties in Miami. The first was NC16917 s/n 1012 in October 1937 and in April 1938 it was destroyed in a fire in a Miami hangar.
Gar's Gooses
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NC20643 s/n 1017 arrived in July 1938 to replace s/n 1012. In 1942, the U.S. Navy applied pressure for its acquisition of the Goose for the war effort. (BuAer#09782) It served in the Pacific. NAS Alameda/Maui/Pearl Harbor/Palmyra. - Struck off charge
Before he relinquished his Goose to the military he acquired his Grumman G-44 Widgeon and flew it until February 15, 1947 when he found his perfect amphibian...the Mallard. He operated NC2954 for the next eight years. See more about this Mallard at
The name is Kinjockety, the numbers may vary
There is documentation from photos, newspaper and magazine articles that clearly state the name Kinjockety on Gar Wood's aircraft but I found only four. I list the aircraft and dates and could assume that they probably were also Kinjockety, even though we don't see the name on the aircraft. I will continue to research.
Kinjockety I Fairchild FC-2
Kinjockety II Fokker F-11AHB N127M
Kinjockety III Northup Gamma 2A
Kinjockety IV
Kinjockety V
Kinjockety VI
Kinjockety VII
Kinjockety VIII
Kinjockety IX
Kinjockety X
Kinjockety XI Grumman G-73 Mallard (J-14) NC2954
de Havilland DH60G Moth
Fairchild FC-2
Fokker F-11AHB N127M
Northrup Gamma 2A
Lockheed Orion 9D Special
Waco UIC NC13570 Fairchild 91
Grumman Goose NC16917
Grumman Goose NC20643
Grumman Widgeon NC28681
Grumman G-73 Mallard (J-14) NC2954
Dornier DO-R4 - Cas (P&W R1690)
12/27/1922 to 3/8/33
1928
1929 - 1939
8/21/1934 - 1936
7/1932
1933 -
1936 - 1941
10/1937 - 4/1938
7/1938 - 1942
8/1941 - 1946
1947-1955
1929
Fairchild 91
The Kansas City Journal 10/13/1929
photo credit Imperial War Museum
Winston Salem Journal - 3/3/1941
Dornier DO-R4
The Commercial Appeal - Memphis, TN / 11/24/1929
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Dornier built 16 R4's with 2 having Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet engines delivered to U.S. customers. Still researching deliver specifics. 1 was supposedly delivered to Stout D&C Air in Detroit.
Stout Air Service bio states they operated Ford Trimotors (4)
.The newspaper articles indicate that both Stout and Gar took delivery of Dornier DO-R4 but there is no record of them actually arriving and registered. Gar may have flown it but maybe not in the U.S.
Still looking.
The Sacramento Union - 11/10/1929
photo credit L'Aerophile Magazine Nov. 1, 1928
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Van Breese was a friend of Gar Wood because birds of a feather flock together
The Florida Times Union - 2/23/1929
Lockheed Orion 9D
The Buffalo News - 7/12/1932
"As one of Waco's most successful styles, the UIC was a popular as a corporate aircraft with famous names such as Jaqueline Cochran, Henry Dupont and Gar Wood."
1933 Waco UIC
Grumman G-44 Widgeon
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Gar Wood's acquired his Widgeon NC28681 in August of 1941 and flew it until 1946.
The photo is not Gar's Widgeon but Garland's. A neighbor of Wood's on the Detroit River.
Harry Garland bought his
Widgeon in April of 1946.
I didn't find a photo of NC28681 but the neighborly thing to do was include Harry's seaplane.
So Gar has had 3 Grumman's and is now looking for his 4th...
the G-73 Mallard.
photo credit Garland Family
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I almost died under the wing of my Mallard in the '50s when it was struck by lightning at Detroit's 36th Street Airport. "Somebody said: "That man's dead. But a Pan-Am stewardess who'd had nurse training came by and revived me."
As you delve into the history of Gar Wood over the past century, you will undoubtedly find yourself with many questions, but I do believe I have posted some answers about the Kinjockety's and the airplanes flown by Gar Wood.