Thu, Apr 10, 2008
Historic Plane Gets Some Air Time Ahead Of Oshkosh 2008
A classic aircraft from the early days of commercial air travel
re-creates those days in the Midwest this spring and early summer,
as the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) brings its restored
1929 Ford Tri-Motor airliner to eight cities in five states.
The tour includes opportunities for aviation enthusiasts in that
part of the nation to see and ride in the world's first
mass-produced airliner. It begins in Detroit, MI on May 30-June 1
and continues through Iowa, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois through June
and early July. Some of the airports on the tour likely first saw a
Ford Tri-Motor on their grounds 80 years ago.
"This airplane allows people to experience true living history
of aviation, as well as learn more about EAA and our mission to
help people fully participate in the world of flight," said Adam
Smith, director of the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, where the
airplane is based. "As we bring the airplane to this region of the
country, thousands of people will get a rare glimpse of a unique
flying machine that changed the way people travel in America."
The Ford Tri-Motor, nicknamed the "Tin Goose," was built by the
Ford Motor Company in the late 1920s. EAA's airplane underwent a
12-year restoration beginning in the 1970s and since the mid-1980s,
has been based at the EAA museum's historic Pioneer Airport. This
facility is a faithful re-creation of an early aerodrome, including
flying activities from a 2,000-foot grass airstrip.
At each tour stop, visitors will have the opportunity to take
15-minute flights aboard this unique aircraft. Those flights are
available for $40 for EAA members and $50 for non-members.
A secure flight-reservation system and complete information are
available through EAA's Tri-Motor tour web site.
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