John Coffelt, Editor

What has 420 horsepower, three engines and can fly to a ceiling of 18,500 feet while nearly 100 years old?

The 1928 Ford TriMotor, one of the pioneers in passenger aircraft, and you can book a short flight around Tullahoma. Flights are April 27-30 from Tullahoma’s William Northern Field.

The Liberty Aviation Museum’s 1928 Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B, serial No. 8, began its long, colorful history with its first flight on Dec. 1, 1928.

About 14 years after that flight on an unrelated field in Tennessee, the tarmacs were being laid for an air field that would become Williams Northern Field.

The TriMotor was sold to Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT,the logo that graces the aircraft’s fuselage

today) in January 1929 where it became NC9645 and was named City of Wichita.

It inaugurated westbound transcontinental commercial air service on July 7, 1929, with sister ship City of Columbus.

By the time the cement had hardened at the Tullahoma field, The Ford was had served half a decade in Nicaragua until 1946. Hands changed the bird flounder for a while until Nevada’s William F. Harrah, of Harrah’s Hotel and Casinos, began an extensive seven year renovation, bringing the aircraft back to airworthy status and restoring the corrugated skin. The TriMotor would be part of the static display as part of Harrah’s impressive automobile collection until his death when parts of his collection

Were auctioned off in June 1986 to high bidder Gary Norton of Athol, Idaho.

In February 1990, the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, acquired the aircraft. It remained in storage there until 1996 when another restoration of the aircraft started, returning it to flying condition once again.

In 2014, the aircraft was acquired by Ed Patrick and the Liberty Aviation Museum

in Port Clinton, Ohio. Volunteers ferried the aircraft across the country to its new home.

After further maintenance to ensure the aircraft was tour-ready, Liberty entered into a lease agreement with EAA, working together to showcase the historic aircraft

The Ford TriMotor will be in Tullahoma for public flights April 27 – April 30.  

 Ford Tri-Motor Pricing for Experimental Aircraft Association members is $85 Adult. Nonmember tickets will be $95 Adult and $65  for children 17 and under.

Revenues from the Ford Tri-Motor tour help cover maintenance and operations costs for the aircraft and aid our ambition to keep the “Tin Goose” flying for many years to come.

Hearing protection in vicinity of aircraft is recommended. Ear plugs will be made available for use.

Book flights at www.eaa.org/shop/flights/flytheford.aspx.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.