have you flown in a ford...lately?

ezernut9mm · Post by **ezernut9mm** » September 6, 2009, 2:52 pm

how can you pass up an opportunity to fly in an 80 year old ford tri motor? well, i couldn't.
i took my 12 year old out to lee's summit airport and flew in the eaa's own ford. they were giving rides for 60$ a head.
this plane was commissioned in august of 1929-making it 80 years old. it was the first plane bought by what would one day become eastern airlines.
it spent time as a passenger plane, a crop duster, airforce one for the leader of the dominican republic, and is now a traveling air museum.
it was loads of fun and i would do it again in a heartbeat!

here some short vids:

jakdad · Post by **jakdad** » September 6, 2009, 3:02 pm

Awesome vids!!! I also would go on that ride, just so it wasn't the original pilot..........................

Uncle Skip · Post by **Uncle Skip** » September 6, 2009, 4:02 pm

They also have one at the airport in Las Vegas that goes out over Lake Meade and then over Hoover dam on the way back.
If you ever get to Vegas, that is a must do.
Freaking awesome.
The hostess and pilots are dressed in period clothing too.
One of the highlights of my life.
U@ss

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » September 6, 2009, 4:31 pm

thats excellent. i would definitely shell out 3 jacksons for a ride in the tri-motor.

ezernut9mm · Post by **ezernut9mm** » September 6, 2009, 5:52 pm

jakdad wrote:Awesome vids!!! I also would go on that ride, just so it wasn't the original pilot..........................

not the original pilot. i think he was a little too cantankerous for a passenger pilot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6dWtDk_rOI

Post by **Greg D** » September 6, 2009, 7:13 pm

That is so cool you got to do that! I have never even seen it in person. I did see this 31 Stinson Trimotor fly once though, bout 1993.

http://www.fantasyofflight.com/aircraft ... tinson.htm

I have always wanted to go do this one, they actually let you fly it!

http://www.stallion51.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1pSUHbd ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hgboNY1KhA&NR=1

ezernut9mm · Post by **ezernut9mm** » September 6, 2009, 8:24 pm

that would be fun as well greg. and you get to sit up front-even better.

BMJ's 65 · Post by **BMJ's 65** » September 6, 2009, 10:01 pm

I wonder if that was the same Ford that was in Lincoln last weekend. I didn't take a ride, but I got to see it fly over a bunch of times. From the ground, it looked like it was barely moving

Post by **Greg D** » September 6, 2009, 10:05 pm

Cruise airspeed on the Ford 5AT is 90 MPH. That does look like slow motion from the ground.

Gritsngumbo · Post by **Gritsngumbo** » September 6, 2009, 10:19 pm

That's great. I've seen one on the ground but never got to fly in one. My wife gets all the cool rides. She's flown in a Blackhawk and a B25.

BMJ's 65 · Post by **BMJ's 65** » September 6, 2009, 10:24 pm

It's kinda cool to see something moving that slow through the air.

Post by **Greg D** » September 6, 2009, 10:29 pm

Matt, did you see the RC biplane hanging in my garage? It will slow down to about 2 MPH. I used to fly a full size plane that had a 55 MPH cruise, you could slow it down to about 40 and maintain level flight.

BMJ's 65 · Post by **BMJ's 65** » September 6, 2009, 10:43 pm

I didn't see the bipe, I saw you had a couple planes hanging around though. On the way home I took Hwy 6 untill I got to Waverly. I cut over and took the back roads into Lincoln which took me past the RC strip. There were a couple of large scale planes doing patterns over the airfield. Always fun to watch.

ezernut9mm · Post by **ezernut9mm** » September 6, 2009, 10:47 pm

the pilot said that it got lite at 65 took off at 75 cruised at 85 and landed at about 72. i drove home in my mustang faster than that ol' girl took off from. lol

Max · Post by **Max** » September 6, 2009, 11:48 pm

Cool Chris! I flew in that same Tri-motor at Oshkosh several years ago. We flew out over Lake Winnebago and back.

36truck · Post by **36truck** » September 7, 2009, 12:24 am

Chris I flew in it twice at an air show here. Also got a ride in a Mustang fighter plane doing some stunts that was a blast.

gearhead21 · Post by **gearhead21** » September 7, 2009, 12:46 pm

I love the sound of piston powered aircraft. Growing up near Ohare airport, I got to see many throughout the early 50's. I loved seeing the DC3's and Constellation's. When jet powered passenger aircraft first came out, thier uniqueness, was interesting, but that wore out fast.

Post by **Greg D** » September 7, 2009, 12:57 pm

All of the old piston/prop planes have their own unique sound - there is no mistaking a P-51 with it's 4 paddle bladed prop and the Merlin Engine, same with a Corsair - along with the big double row radial it has sort of a whistle as it passes.
Last weekend the airshow was at Offutt here, I could tell what was flying over from under my truck - didn't go was working on the Uni.

Michelle · Post by **Michelle** » September 7, 2009, 5:02 pm

Henry Ford was a visionary and always very much ahead of his time. When he was building the Tri Motors he once commented that the air craft of today uses automobile engines, meaning internal combustion engines. He said in the future the air plane will have its own form of power. He may not have known what it would be called but he was predicting the jet engine, and it was only a scant 20 years later that it would come true.

bluebolt · Post by **bluebolt** » September 7, 2009, 9:18 pm

My favorite airplane rides I have done.

1. Flying in a Ford Trimotor. (probably same one as this thread)

2. Flying in a Canadian C-47 Skytrain around 1990 (military version of the DC-3) Pilot even let me sit at the controls and do a couple of turns.

3. Takeoff in a KC-135R tanker with a light fuel load. 150,000 pound airplane with 90,000 pounds of thrust gets you off the ground real fast.

have you flown in a ford...lately?

have you flown in a ford...lately?

Airplanes