Ordinarily, I’m not big about reading news stories. But yesterday I lucked out and ran across WLOS story showing a Ford Tri-Motor airplane tour over the weekend at AVL airport.

I’ve always been a pilot at heart. A few years back I was taking flight lessons. A few tens of hours in Diamond DA20 with Premier Flight Academy at BKL, and just a flight or two in Cessna 182 at Weltzien Skypark Airport 15G. But in such a short time, never learned the most important part: how to land.

Luckily this tour, offered by Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), was hosted by experienced pilots with great landing skill. This 1928 Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B, serial No. 8, is owned by Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio, on loan to the EAA.

Turning on engines, from left to right, and feeling the vibration, hearing the noise, was remarkable. Perhaps like hearing a Model T automobile starting – well, with a few more horses. A short 30 minute flight included fly-by near downtown Asheville, including Biltmore Estate and Mission Hospital.

For a flight tour, tickets cost a donation of $75 for walk-ups. But it was well worth it to ride in a piece of history. (Your donation supports an expensive to maintain and service antique plane… just a small 2 seater costs ~$125/hr or more to rent with fuel! I’d be surprised if the ticket price even covered half the cost of hauling you on a leisure tour.)

Just imagine, this is how commercial air lines got started – in this exact plane. Sitting in the passenger seat, I was trying to imagine the 48-hour journey the elite were able to enjoy during the 1920’s. Surely only those with money could afford such a luxury – crossing country in just a few days instead of several weeks by train. Interestingly, the plane was lined in corrugated metal and offered ‘train like’ appearance, as did most of the inside light fixtures and seats, all perfectly restored.

This particular plane, NC9645, has seen multiple refurbishments, many owners including Mexico, Central America, and decades of storage. It was part of several different commercial airline fleets, and flew tours over the Grand Canyon for many years. It’s hard to imagine someone sitting in the same plane, looking out at different views. I’m excited they brought it back to life so we can go on a ride! Check out a detailed history of NC9645.

My tour was at the Asheville Regional Airport on Saturday, October 7, 2017. EAA tour schedules seem continuous at different airports throughout the year during good weather… Check out the EAA’s website for more information and current schedule.

UPDATE: Here’s a few short videos of various portions of my ride.

Here’s another blog post by a different guy obviously also very excited about the experience!