Here's how you could ride in an 100-year-old Ford Tri-Motor airplane
Next month, Springfieldians will have the opportunity to fly in an airplane manufactured in the 1920s.
The Experimental Aircraft Association, or EAA, is bringing its Ford TriMotor Flight Tour to the Springfield Downtown Airport on May 23-26. Community members will have the chance to view and ride in the airplane. Tickets to ride are $99 for adults and $75 for children under the age of 17. Tickets can be purchased on the EAA website.
Less than 10 "airworthy" Tri-Motors are in operation today, EAA Communications Specialist Drew Stephani told the News-Leader. For years, the airplane has traveled across the country for flight tours.
As for the flight experience, Stephani said it lasts about 30 minutes, which starts with a walka-round the plane and an introduction to the pilot. In Springfield, this pilot will be retired airline pilot Bill Thacker, who has nearly 50 years of flying experience.
The flight itself is about 15 minutes. On a good weekend with clear weather, about 50 flights can be conducted over a four-day period, Stephani said. The plane can carry eight passengers.
The EAA considers the Tri-Motor to be an easy plane to board, with two normal-sized steps to enter the cabin. Seats are individual and separated by an aisle. Seatbelt extensions are available upon request.
What makes a Ford Tri-Motor special?
Industrialist Henry Ford invented the Ford Tri-Motor airplane in the early 1900s. Commonly referred to as the "Tin Goose," the Ford Motor Company produced 199 Tri-Motors between 19261933, according to the EAA. The EAA's model 4AT-E Tri-Motor was manufactured in 1929.
Up until this time, commercial aviation in the United States was considered in its infancy and often dangerous, but Tri-Motors changed this. Though the EAA's TriMotor can only seat eight passengers, the airplane was considered the first "luxury" airliner with its three radial engines, Stephani
said. All of a sudden, Americans were excited to fly.
The year EAA's plane was manufactured, 1929, was a busy year for the Ford Tri-Motor. The Transcontinental Air Transport used Tri-Motors to inaugurate the United States' first regular coast-to-coast flight service and the United States military purchased Tri-Motors to use as transport aircraft, according to the San Diego Air & Space Museum. The same year, Commander Richard Byrd conducted the first successful flyover of the South Pole in a modified 4-A Tri-Motor.
Along with the Tri-Motor's contributions to aircraft history, its technical specifications are one-ofa-kind.
Springfield Downtown Airport flight instructor Izzie Spinelli said in addition to the three radial engines, the airplane uses a tailwheel, meaning the wheel is underneath of the plane's tail. Most commercial airplanes feature two engines and a wheel at the front.
Additionally, the gauges on the Tri-Motor are located in a unique spot. While most planes have a dashboard-like system that is similar to a vehicle, the Tri-Motor's gauges are out on the wings, Spinelli explained. Tri-Motors also feature traditional steering wheels, rather than yokes, which are the control columns that are in most modern airplanes.
As for the EEA's 4AT-E Tri-Motor, the airplane initially was the flagship of the Eastern Air Transport. It then ventured to Cuba, served the Dominican Republic and fulfilled a variety of tasks domestically, including firefighting and crop dusting, according to the EEA. After surviving a large thunderstorm in 1973, the airplane was restored by EAA staff, volunteers and Tri-Motor operators over a 12-year period.
The EAA received the airplane in 1985 — the same year it returned to the sky.
In addition to flight tours across the country, the EAA's Tri-Motor has also been featured in several films, including Jerry Lewis' "Family Jewels" and Michael Mann's "Public Enemies," starring Johnny Depp.
During the Ford TriMotor Flight Tour, members of the Springfield Downtown Airport flight school will be on-site, showing off their own planes and fielding questions from the public.
Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield NewsLeader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com .