Liberty Aviation Museum’s 1928 Ford Tri-Motor is scheduled for a second round of flight experiences at Put-in-Bay Airport on Monday, 5 August 2019.  Flight experiences usually last about 15 minutes of air time and 5-10 minutes on the ground. Available times are 9am-5pm, with arrival by 4pm to guarantee a seat on the aircraft.  Ticket prices: Adults are $77 per adult in person; children, 17 & under, are $52.

According to the Tri-Motor Heritage Foundation, “In 1926, The Stout Metal Aircraft Division of the Ford Motor Company produced the Ford Tri-Motor, the first all-metal passenger airliner in the world. Often referred to as the “Tin Goose” or “Flying Washboard”, it was the aircraft specifically created to carry passengers rather the mail, with a seating capacity up to 14 passengers. As the name implies, the airplane was powered by three radial engines, which provided for unsurpassed safety and reliability, while at the same time flying higher and faster than other airplanes of the same time period.

The Ford Tri-Motor formed the backbone of many of the fledgling air service companies that would become the world’s most successful airlines. Eastern Airlines, TWA, Continental, and Aero Mexico are but a few of the airlines that credit there start to the venerable Ford Tri-Motor. In addition, it was a Ford Tri-Motor, piloted by Berndt Balehen, which was used in the first flight over the South Pole in November of 1929.”

The video below, from 4 August 2019, is courtesy of Sheryl Patry.  Apologies to Ms. Patry for the poor framing.