Take Flight on the 1928 ‘Tin Goose’ Luxury Airliner

VIENNA, Ohio – A 1928 Ford Tri-Motor airplane will touch down soon at the Youngstown Warren Regional Airport and provide an opportunity for passengers to experience flying on what’s described as the “world’s first mass-produced luxury airliner.”

The four-day event, from May 28-31, is hosted by the Experimental Aircraft Association and the Northeast Ohio Ford Dealers Association. The Ford Tri-Motor, known as the “Tin Goose,” was built by Ford Motor Co, in the late 1920s.

Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man who walked on the moon and a native of Warren, “took his first ride in this very same airliner,” according to event organizers, in 1936 at the Ernie Hall Airfield in Warren.

The aircraft that will be on display, constructed in 1928, served as a tour plane over the Grand Canyon in the 1930s and later in Honduras, and then became part of the Harrah’s auto and aircraft collection in Nevada. The aircraft was purchased in 2014 by the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton and restored to flight status.

Flights will be held May 28 from 2-5 p.m. and May 29-31 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The Tri-Motor can carry up to 10 passengers at a time, and every seat has a window. Passengers are encouraged to bring a camera to record and share this experience. Tickets purchased in advance are $70 for adults; walk up tickets are $75 and $50 for children 17 years old and under.

Passengers can book their seats through a secure flight-reservation system operated by the Experimental Aircraft Association, www.flytheford.org ,or by calling 1-800-843-3612 or 877-952-5395.

The Experimental Aircraft Association, based in Oshkosh, Wis., describes itself as the “world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts.” It has 1,000 chapters with 185,000 members and conducts similar events across the country.

Pictured: 1928 Ford Tri-Motor airplane known as “The Tin Goose.”

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.