The "Air Travel From The Past: Part II - The Liberty Ford Tri-Motor Plane" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Standing inside the fuselage of a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane taking a photo of the interior to share with you.  

Photograph from my front yard of the Ford Tri-Motor.
Click on photographs to enlarge them.

All day yesterday I kept seeing this bright silver plane flying over my house every half hour.  Figured it was coming from the nearby Lancaster Airport, but didn't realize exactly what it was or the historical significance the plane carried with it.  Then I saw a story in the local daily newspaper and realized what I was seeing flying past my house.  

Taxiing into the loading area at the Lancaster Airport.

It was a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane that was in attendance at the Lancaster Airport Community Days and offering rides to anyone who wanted to pay $75 for the approxi- mately half-hour flight.  The Ford Tri-Motor is one of eight planes that still remain from the 199 that were made in 1928.  

Wing towers above me.

Pretty sleek silver aircraft that can reach speeds of 90 miles per hour which was considered extremely fast for 1928.  It can reach heights of 1,000 feet and has two seats in the cockpit as well as 10 passenger seats; five on each side of the fuselage.  Needless to say, every seat in the plane is a window seat.  Since the plane carried very few passengers, a co-pilot wasn't needed, thus 11 passengers could fill the plane.  

Plaque on the side of the airplane.

The planes were made by the Stout Metal Airplane Company which was a division of the Ford Motor Company.  The company was founded by William Bushnell Stout in 1922 and was purchased by Ford Motor Company in 1924.  In 1936, at the height of the Depression, Ford closed the aircraft design and production division, but temporarily re-entered the aviation market with the production of the B-24 during World War II.  

Refueling the plane.

I made a visit to the Airport Community Days to see several of the planes, but really wanted to see what all the excitement was about with the Tri-Motor.  As I stood looking at it, I noticed a couple standing in line whom I recognized.  Found that Jim, whom I taught with at one time, was waiting with his wife for a chance to ride the Tri-Motor.  

Interior of Ford Tri-Motor airplane.

I told him I would love to have a photo of the interior of the plane, but didn't want to fly in it.  He told me he would try to take a photo and email it to me if I wanted one.  I said that would be great if I couldn't find a way to get it myself.  Few minutes later I was talking to an attendant who was preparing to take tickets from those in line.  He said he would ask his boss who was helping to refuel the plane at the moment.  

Passengers loading into the plane

He walked toward his boss who in no time motioned me toward the plane.  Yelled to me I had a minute to enter the plane and take the photo before people would board.  Climbed into the rear of the plane and snapped a horizontal and vertical photo and took a second to look around the passenger compartment.  

Passengers can be seen through the large windows.

The interior was lined with wood paneling and had miniature curtains at every window with valances between the windows.  Small wall sconces dotted the paneling above each seat much the same as current planes would have an overhead light for reading.  I didn't notice if there were seat belts, but suppose there must have been.  

One lucky passenger got to sit in the cockpit.

I could see the cockpit in front of the plane but realized my time was up when the first passenger arrived.  Stood close by as my friends entered, the door was locked in place and the motors were started, one at a time.  The plane taxied to the runway and in no time was in the air.  Pretty neat experience and would have been even better had I been one of the 11 passengers.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Taking off!

Sign telling of the price for the ride.