Vintage plane to visit Marquette
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. (July 30, 2012) — Aviation buffs will be able to experience early flight when a classic aircraft from the early days of commercial air travel visits Marquette in mid-August. The Experimental Aircraft Association will bring its restored 1929 Ford Tri-Motor airliner to Sawyer International Airport August 13 to August 15 as part of its 2012 tour. The tour provides opportunities for aviation enthusiasts in the area to see and ride in the world’s first mass-produced airliner. Some of the airports on the tour likely first saw a Ford Tri-Motoron their grounds 83 years ago.
“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 Rod Hightower, EAA president. “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 America.” 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 AirVenture Museum’s historic Pioneer Airport located in Oshkosh, Wis. This facility is a faithful re-creation of an early aerodrome, including flying activities from a 2,000-foot grass airstrip.
At each tour stop, visitors will have the opportunity to take 15-minute flights aboard this unique aircraft. Those flights are available for $80 per person, $40 for children age six to 17 and free to children under six when accompanied by a paying parent or legal guardian. A secure flight-reservation system and complete information are available through EAA’s Tri-Motor tour website at www.flytheford.org. You can also pre-book a flight by calling 1-877-952-5395 or 920-426-6820.