By Betsy Reason
betsy.reason@indystar.com
Dan Daubenspeck said aviation enthusiasts could experience living history when his local chapter of Experimental Aircraft Association hosts the Ford Tri-Motor Mini-Tour next week.
Daubenspeck, 47, Noblesville, anticipates an excitement he can't begin to describe when he thinks about riding in the passenger seat of the world's first mass-produced airliner.
Daubenspeck has been a member of EAA's chapter No. 67 in Noblesville ever since he earned his private pilot's license seven years ago. His 30-member club will host its summer fly-in and pancake breakfast 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Noblesville Airport, 14782 Promise Road. Daubenspeck said that'll be a chance to show off his Cessna 150, a two-seater airplane, and to talk to folks about aviation and about EAA's hosting of the Ford Mini-Tour.
The chapter is one of seven to host the tour, which offers opportunities for aviation enthusiasts to see and ride in a nine-passenger 1929 Ford Tri-Motor airliner. Passengers sit in wicker chairs, and everyone has a window seat.
"You're going to get a very historical feeling of how people had to travel in the early 1930s," Daubenspeck said. The 15-minute flights may be reserved now for the June 25-28 tour stop at Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport, 9913 Willow View Road, Fishers.
Ford Motor Co. built the Ford Tri-Motor, nicknamed "Tin Goose," in the late 1920s. EAA's airplane underwent a 12-year restoration beginning in the 1970s. Since the mid-1980s, the plane has been based at the EAA AirVenture Museum's historic Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh, Wis.
The airplane is a featured aircraft in the new movie, "Public Enemies," starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, which premieres nationwide July 1. The film's cast and crew spent several days in Oshkosh, temporarily repainting the Tri-Motor to be used in flying scenes in the movie that dramatizes John Dillinger in the 1930s, according to Adam Smith, director of the museum.
EAA member Jon Ogle, 70, Fishers, said the chapter is soliciting donations, including in-kind services, and sponsorships to raise $3,000 to fund the tour stop. Once the $3,000 is raised for the tour sponsorship, the club will keep $5 for every passenger.
Ogle said part of their duty as EAA members is to promote aviation to younger kids. All proceeds from the tour stop will help sponsor kids to visit EAA's home in Oshkosh.
Ogle, who previously had the opportunity to fly in the Ford Tri-Motor airliner, said the experience is one to cherish. "It's one of the first manufactured airliners in the country. It's very historic, and the only one left that's flying passengers."
Additional Facts
IF YOU GO...
Noblesville Experimental Aircraft Association's Chapter 67 fly-in and pancake breakfast
» When: 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday.
» Where: Noblesville Airport, 14782 Promise Road.
» Admission: Free to fly-in.
» Breakfast: $7 for adults, $5 for kids.
» Information: Call Brian Crull, (317) 201-6822; or Jon Ogle, (317) 773-3216.
Ford Tri-Motor Mini Tour
» When: June 25-28.
» Where: Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport, 9913 Willow View Road, Fishers.
» Rides: Noon to 5 p.m. June 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 26-28.
» Cost: $50 for EAA members, $60 for nonmembers. A limited number of co-pilot seats are $100.
» Reservations: Visit www.flytheford.org or call (800) 843-3612. Walk-ins are available as space provides.
EARLY DAYS OF FLIGHT COME TO SELECT
Airplane is featured in new Johnny Depp movie “Public Enemies”
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. — (May 11, 2009) — A classic aircraft from the early days of commercial air travel re-creates those days in the Midwest this early summer, as the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) brings its restored 1929 Ford Tri-Motor airliner to seven 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
“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
“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
The airplane is also notable as a featured aircraft in the new movie “Public Enemies,” starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, which premieres nationwide in July. The film’s cast and crew spent several days in
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
At each tour stop, visitors will have the opportunity to take 15-minute flights aboard this unique aircraft. Those flights are available for $50 for EAA members and $60 for non-members. A secure flight-reservation system and complete information are available through EAA’s Tri-Motor tour web site at www.flytheford.org. You can also pre-book a flight by calling 1-800-843-3612.
Upcoming tour stops include:
June 25-28:
(June 25:
EAA, The Leader in Recreational Aviation, is an international association with 170,000 members and 1,000 local Chapters. To join EAA or for more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org.
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