One of the most colorful characters employed at the local airport during the Warren Mullenax and John Nash periods as fixed base operators was John ‘J-4’ Twigg. John had acquired a derelict Piper J-4 Cub Coupe that he talked of restoring so the airport buffs bestowed him the nickname ‘J-4’. He was a slightly built man of many talents. Although employed in the aviation field J-4 had as his main interest automobile and motorcycle hot rodding endeavors. He built race cars and participated in local motor racing and individuals frequently consulted him when mechanical difficulties arose. Twigg had experienced accidents in his racing and his body displayed the results of those injuries. He fascinated the local airport buffs with his unusual middle finger of his left hand that had healed with a permanent V in the center after its fracture. His upper left arm had been surgically repaired following a fracture and the medical surgeon did not properly approximate the incision in the middle of the two symmetrical halves of John’s tattooed naked dancing lady. The result was a clearly unbalanced dancing lady that was the subject of many questioning stares.
One summer evening, after visiting the airport with his infant children, Bob Poling’s Volkswagen Beetle automobile would not start. He began reading the owner’s manual in an attempt to trouble shoot the VW’s problem. However, this did not please Poling’s youngest child who was tired and began to cry. At this moment J-4 Twigg, who had been observing the event, came forth and said, “Give me a hammer”. John crawled under the low lying VW’s frame and gave the engine a couple of strong whacks, crawled out, and said, “Try the engine now”. The engine started running immediately. A pleased and perplexed Bob Poling asked, “How did you do that?” Twigg responded by saying, “Listen, Doc, I don’t ask you how to practice dentistry so don’t ask me how to fix cars!”
When the so-called powerful and high speed ‘muscle cars’ began to be manufactured in Detroit, local speed enthusiastic owners would often drive them to the airport for acceleration speed tests. As aircraft activity during this period was minimal, the airport manager would often allow a few passes up and down the one and one-quarter mile long runway 6-24. Twigg owned an ungainly looking rusted 1949 Oldsmobile 88 automobile, but under the hood of this car was a racing engine. During this period Twigg’s Olds hot-rod was the standard by which fast cars were measured. It is believed that none of the muscle cars brought to the airfield for speed runs ever proved faster than Twigg’s Olds 88 hot rod.
John set up an automotive shop in a T-hangar and had constructed a stock car he raced at near-by racing events. After a week of labor he had prepared the stock car for racing that evening. The newly overhauled racing engine was considered in good shape as it was being run in and was about to loaded onto a transporter to travel to the track. Lewis Ort had arrived at the fueling station to gas up his aircraft. Twigg stopped his race car preparation and proceeded to accomplish his duty of fueling Ort’s Cessna Skylane. Lew asked of J-4, “Mr. Twigg, is that your race car there with the engine running?” Following Twigg’s “Yes” answer, Lew Ort, displaying his adventuresome personality, jumped into the racer and roared off for a few quick trips back and forth on the airport’s runway and taxiway, all the while dressed in a white shirt, tie and three piece suit. Twigg was perplexed and upset, but mostly worried about his race car. He knew Mr. Ort was a prominent and influential individual who had simply impulsively taken his racing car for the quick ride. Lew returned the racing car with no damage other than to John Twigg’s ego. John had a difficult time restraining his feelings, though his face was flushed red with emotion. Later it was learned that Ort had assisted in financially sponsoring Twigg’s race car.
John ‘J-4’ Twigg on the left, shown with Carl Valentine, is pictured with one of his racing cars.
Twigg’s wife, Genevive, operated the airfield snack bar and is remembered for her delicious Blue Plate Specials and excellent deserts. She was a kind and friendly lady fondly known by all airport visitors. The two Twiggs were a unique couple, talented, amicable, and colorful characters.
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Wings Over Cumberland 