John W. “Jack” Colley — National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame
Father of the Colley Super Stearman
Personal Background
- Birth: May 23, 1923, Edmonds, Washington
- Education & Youth: Attended Edmonds schools; played clarinet, basketball, football, baseball; had a paper route and raised homing pigeons; early passion for airplanes and motorcycles
- Military Service:
- Joined National Guard senior year of high school, completed one-year service
- Graduated high school via night school
- Joined the Army Air Forces as an aviation cadet in 1942: preflight in Alabama; primary in Georgia; basic in New York; earned wings at Turner Field, Georgia
- Became a flight instructor for French students in B-25s, attaining Captain by 1945
Postwar Activities
- Ran a motorcycle delivery business in Seattle
- Member of Cossack’s Motorcycle Stunt and Drill Team; 1947 Pacific Northwest Championship winner
- Successful motorcycle racer
Aerial Application & Aviation Career
- Active Years in Ag Aviation: 1950–1987
- Flight Experience:
- Treated wheat in Washington and Montana
- Treated cotton in New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Central America
- Multi-state and international schedule: wheat (Pacific NW), cotton (Louisiana/Nicaragua), often flying 10 months a year
- Fire Control Work:
- Forestry fire control for the U.S. Forest Service out of Grangeville, Idaho (1960–1965)
- Stunt Flying:
- Provided aircraft and stunt piloting for the movie “Whiff’s” (1974) near Salt Lake City, Utah
Accidents Survived
- Three serious Stearman accidents—with total loss of aircraft but no serious injuries:
- 1952: Engine failure in southern Idaho
- 1956: Engine failure—crashed through a house in Nicaragua
- 1976: Downdraft in Nezperce, Idaho—aircraft burned
Colley Super Stearman – Engineering and Innovation
- Owner/Operator: Colley Aviation, Nezperce, Idaho (from 1960)
- Designed and built the renowned “Colley Super Stearman”
- Built 26 highly modified Stearman aircraft
- Key Modifications:
- Complete fuselage overhaul: sandblasted, treated (linseed oil inside/epoxy paint outside)
- 300-gallon fiberglass hopper with Transland gate, Simplex spray system, 2-inch bottom loader
- Molded fiberglass canopy and fuselage cover with large access doors and good visibility; cockpit-controlled hopper door
- Modified tail trunnion to elevate tail for ground visibility
- New hardware: bearings, pulleys, cables
- Power: 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 engine, Hamilton Standard 12D40 propeller
- 27-inch wheels, automotive brakes, 12-volt electrical system
- Wings: Extended/squared, performance fiberglass wingtips, ailerons on upper wings (four total, all servo-boosted)
- Fuel: 80 gallons (including two 18-gallon upper wing reserve tanks)
- Structure: Inspected/refinished wood, epoxy-finished tail, Dacron fabric, signature blue/yellow/orange color scheme
- Specs: Empty weight 3,300 lbs; gross 5,200 lbs; 36’ span, 26’ length, 11.5’ height
Industry Involvement & Leadership
- Association Involvement:
- Member of multiple state agricultural aviation associations, including Idaho, Pacific Northwest, and national (NAAA)
- Retained memberships even after retirement
- Leadership Roles:
- President, Idaho Agricultural Aviation Association (IDAAA)
- Vice-President, Idaho Aviation Trades Association
- Board member, IDAAA, PNWAAA, and NAAA
Reputation and Legacy
- Known as: “Father of the Colley Super Stearman”
- Achievements:
- Unparalleled innovation in modernizing and rebuilding Stearman aircraft for ag work
- Colley Super Stearman became a benchmark of quality, performance, and safety, earning respect across North and Central America
- A career marked by safety (survivor of multiple accidents), technical ingenuity, and dedication to advancing both equipment and industry standards
- Inducted into the National Agricultural Aviation Hall of Fame: 1993
