The EAA was in town this weekend, offering rides in a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor at Monroe Airport just outside of Charlotte. It is one of two that they have been touring with - one which they own, and this one, owned by the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum. I missed them when they were at Brookhaven earlier this summer, and when I heard about this visit, I immediately booked a flight for this morning. I got to the airport around 8:30 for a 9am flight, but the weather wasn't good this morning - 400 foot ceiling, fog, mist - but the forecast was for improving conditions. Finally around Noon, the ceiling rose, the sun poked through a bit, and they called us for the first flight of the day.
Yes, that is a C-46 in the background...
Corrugated aluminum skin, control cables routed outside the fuselage!
This was the second flight of the day departing.
Takeoff!
Climb out from Monroe. That's our shadow behind the wheel.
The flight lasted a little more than 10 minutes. We cruised at 90 knots and 1,000 feet, making a big circuit of the area before returning to the airport. The airplane carries 10 passengers, seated in rows of two with a very narrow aisle between seats. I was actually surprised at the noise level - it was loud, but even with the engine right outside the window, I was still able to talk to the passenger sitting next to me. I don't know that I would have wanted to fly cross-country in it, but it was a comfortable ride, and a great experience!
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