Taylor (Flyboy92)
Taylor (Flyboy92)
First OfficerFirst Officer
Joined: Oct 11, 2005 Posts: 311 Location: KRFD
Asked

Had the opportunity to log 0.2 hours in a Ford Tri-Motor this summer... here's some pictures I managed to grab while I wasn't flying it.. 😀

Parked at RFD

Yep.. this ain't no 737

Off we go.. Rotated in less than 500 feet.. pretty incredible!

The Captain and I after landing..

Logbook entry.. not many 19 year olds with an entry for a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor!

Flyboy92

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Ian Stephens (ianstephens)
Ian Stephens (ianstephens)
Chief CaptainChief Captain
Joined: Feb 22, 2012 Posts: 1081
Ian Stephens is an expert on this topic. Read his bio here.
Expert Answered

What a once-in-a-lifetime logbook line!

Those are fantastic shots, and you’re right… the Tri-Motor really does make you recalibrate what “airliner” means. The cockpit photos especially tell the story: simple, honest, and *busy* in a totally different way than anything modern.

That 500 ft rotation note doesn’t surprise me either. With the big wing, lots of propwash, and comparatively light loading (especially on a short hop), they’ll pop off the runway quicker than people expect.

A couple questions (because I’m genuinely curious):

  • Which Tri-Motor was it (serial or registration), and was it one of the EAA/Ford tour aircraft?
  • Did you get to handle the takeoff/landing at all, or was it more “hands on the controls” while the captain did the work?
  • How was the noise/vibration in-flight—more “rumble” than “shake,” or was it pretty rowdy in the cabin?

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