In the early 1960s, my family drove to Port Clinton, Ohio, for a trip to Put-in-Bay (South Bass Island.) We flew on an airliner operated by a small, island-hopping carrier called Island Airways (later, Island Airlines.) It was my first airline flight. I've forgotten a lot about that trip — the exact year, even my age — but I remember those barn-door like wings, the naked radial engines, and the long roll down the grass airstrip as we lumbered into the air for what seemed like a wave-hopping flight to the island. The airplane was a Ford Tri-Motor, also known as the Tin Goose.

Even then, the chance to fly on a pioneer airliner was a rare treat and an experience that helped shape my interest in aviation heritage. The chance to fly on Henry Ford's dream of the future (video) is much rarer now, but still possible: The Experimental Aircraft Association operates a restored, 1929 Ford Tri-Motor, and its annual tour will bring it to the Dayton region for four days of flights from June 26 through June 29. The 1929 "Tin Goose" will be at Commander Aero, Wright Brothers Airport, on Springboro Pike (Ohio 741) in Miami Twp. Rides in the 12-passenger plane will be available to the public for $50 per person. To order tickets, call the EAA at 1-800-843-3612 or book a flight online. The visit is supported by EAA Chapter 48 of Moraine. (Disclosure: I'm an EAA 48 member.)

I don't know what prompted my parents to take me on that Ford Tri-Motor flight more than four decades ago, but I'll always be glad they did. This is your chance to do the same for your children or grandchildren — or even yourself!



Aerobatics in a Ford Tri-Motor?

No, your Ford Tri-Motor flight won't include loops or spins, but if it did, here's how it would look.

More Ford Tri-Motor videos

Tags: Ford Tri-Motor, Island Airlines, Wright Brothers Airport, EAA