Fri, Jul 09, 2004
Welcoming Back An Old Friend
If a city can associate itself with
an airplane type, Port Clinton, Ohio, certainly identifies with the
Ford Tri-Motor. Over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, EAA's Fly
the Ford mini tour visited the northwest Ohio city along Lake Erie,
which served as the original home base for Island Airlines,
operators of three Fords. Demand for rides aboard EAA's
meticulously maintained Tin Goose has been outstanding. All day
Saturday, Sunday, Monday and again Tuesday, thousands of people
turned out to see and ride the EAA Ford Tri-motor at the Erie
Ottawa Regional Airport.
"We've been flying like crazy," EAA Director of Aircraft
Operations Sean Elliott said Tuesday morning. "We did 24 flights
Monday, probably heading for the mid-twenties again today."
Literally thousands of Port Clinton area residents flew in
Island Airlines' Ford Tri-Motors that provided service out to
several nearby islands. The planes also served as aerial school
buses for many children in the 1950s and 1960s.
EAA Chapter 1247, nicknamed the Tin Goose Chapter, is very
involved with tri-motor history. Members recently started a
tri-motor restoration project.
"The people I talked with said it was a real neat opportunity to
kind of get reacquainted with the Ford," Elliott added. "They
thought it was really cool to see one over the skies of Port
Clinton again."
The airplane relocates to Ohio State University Airport in
Columbus (OH) on Wednesday, July 7, with public flights July 8-11.
It's on to Kalamazoo, Michigan, for flights July 12-14 and then to
Chicagoland's Aurora Municipal Airport July 16-18 before returning
to Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture.
More News
Inversion to Launch Reentry Vehicle Demonstrator Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 This fall, the aerospace startup Inversion is set to launch its Ray reentry demonstrator capsule aboard Spac>[...]
"We are excited to accelerate the adoption of electric aviation technology and further our journey towards a sustainable future. The agreement with magniX underscores our commitmen>[...]
"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]
Aero Linx: OX5 Aviation Pioneers Each year a national reunion of OX5 Aviation Pioneers is hosted by one of the Wings in the organization. The reunions attract much attention as man>[...]
"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]
SpaceX to Launch Inversion RAY Reentry Vehicle in Fall
See All