Reporter Publisher Stu Clampitt seems to be stuck in the 1920s, but he’s hoping his recent flight on a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT has brought him back to the present.
Early this month Clampitt found a 1922 Ford Model T parked behind him in a small town in west-central Indiana. On Oct. 15 and 16, he took part in the Nickel Plate Express Murder Mystery Ride, a 1920s-themed experience. Then on Thursday, Oct. 20, he and photographer Nik Roberts took to the skies over Fishers in one of the first mass-produced airliners the world has ever known.
Thanks to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), a plane flown by both Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh is flying out of the Indianapolis Metro Airport, 9913 Willow View Road, Fishers, through Sunday, Oct. 23.
According to EAA Chapter 67 President Nick Boland, the Ford came to Fishers because “EAA national called me and asked if we would be interested in sponsoring it. We did that 13 years ago and we thought it would be a good opportunity to have a historic aircraft here. A lot of what we try to do is get the community interested in aviation. Something like this fits that perfectly.”
Pilot Taylor Oliver told The Reporter, “If you’ve seen one Ford Tri-Motor, you’ve seen one Ford Tri-Motor. They are all different. There are small nuances and they were all hand-built.”
Oliver said this particular plane had its first flight on Dec. 1, 1928. The 5-AT line was world’s first purpose-built all-metal airliner. It inaugurated westbound transcontinental commercial air service on July 7, 1929.
With only 10 seats available on the plane, this is very a limited opportunity for those who would like to experience part of American aviation history. According to the EAA website, at the time of publication, walk-up space is still available, though pre-scheduling a seat on the 5-AT is not possible online. Call onsite crew at (920) 379-8339 for more information.
Both Clampitt and Roberts found the flight to be fascinating and exhilarating. There was a fair bit of turbulence on Thursday’s flight. Perhaps they should have bribed Hoosier Weather Daddy Paul Poteet for a bit less wind that day.
Clampitt said he hopes he is done with the 1920s for a while, now that the planes, trains and automobiles cycle seems to have closed. “Can I come back to the 21st century now?” Clampitt asked when he was back on solid ground.
I don’t know, Mr. Publisher. We do hear some interesting things about the 1940s.
Learn more about the EAA in general and about the Ford Tri-Motor in particular at eaa.org.
Reporter photos by Stu Clampitt & Nik Roberts
Well done, Stu.