By Mark Cavitt
Exclusive to the Oakland Press
Henry Ford’s interest in aviation began nearly 100 years ago and led to the rapid production of the Ford Tri-Motor airplane.
Not only will a Tri-Motor be on display at the Festival of Flight at Oakland County International Airport, but visitors will also be able to fly in this historic 96-year-old aircraft, owned by the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio.
In 1925, the Ford Motor Company began an experimental air freight service between Detroit and Cleveland. Later that year, the company purchased the Stout Metal Aircraft Company and then built the all-metal Tri-Motor, known as the “Tin Goose,” which featured three engines: a radial engine in the fuselage in front of the pilots and one under each wing.
The Tri-Motor, of which 199 were produced, helped convince the public that flight was safe and reliable, according to the National Aviation and Space Museum, thanks to its association with Ford, which was a symbol of reliability at the time.
It was considered stable, robust, reliable and safe and was the largest civil aircraft in America at the time.
According to the Henry Ford Museum, the company’s production peaked at 25 aircraft in June 1929, due to Henry Ford’s use of assembly line techniques in aircraft production.
Connie Nieves, administrator of the Liberty Aviation Museum, said the plane flying this weekend took part in a two-day flight from New York to Los Angeles in July 1929, the first flight of its kind.
According to Nieves, aviation pioneers Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart were part of this historic transcontinental journey.
“There are probably about eight of these Ford Tri-Motors still flying,” she said. “There are several others in various stages of restoration, including here in our museum. Hopefully in a few years it will be flying. It’s a great airplane that was top of the line for its time.”
She added that this aircraft is a “very robust workhorse” that can handle any task, from delivering aid and mail to transporting people.
Due to the Great Depression, Ford was forced to refocus on its automobile business, and production of commercial aircraft was subsequently discontinued in May 1933.
The Festival of Flight takes place on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and parking are free.
Piloted by Ashley Messenger, the Tri-Motor will be available for rides from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the airport’s main terminal, 6500 Patterson Parkway, for $75 to $99. Children 2 and under can ride for free when sitting on a parent’s lap.
Cheryl Bush, manager of Oakland County International Airport, said Pentastar Aviation, owned by Edsel Ford II, the great-grandson of Henry Ford, is sponsoring the Tri-Motor’s appearance at the festival.
The air show, which will take place from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday, will feature several other pieces of aviation history flying over Oakland County, including a North American AT-6G trainer aircraft belonging to the Tuskegee Airmen, Civil Air Patrol aircraft, seaplanes and various military, general aviation and flight training aircraft, a Boeing 727 cargo plane and the Lake Erie Warbirds TBM Avenger torpedo bomber manufactured by General Motors during World War II.
In addition, military vehicles from the Second World War are on display.
