Ford Trimotor rides?

YES! Definitely go for a ride in one of the Tin Geese. Really and truly, it'll be $60 well-spent to experience firsthand the excitement and adventure of luxury air travel in the 1930s.

 

Absolutely a good move ! I had the good fortune of getting a flight in Bill Harrah's Tri motor when I was at the Merced Antique Fly In with my old airplane in 1970. Even had a bit of time in the right seat along with Pete Bowers. It flew like somebody's barn but what a kick! You will be flying in a 1929 vintage airliner and you won't believe the vibration and noise. Ninety MPH in the climb, 90 cruise, 90 on approach, and 100% fun. I would do it again for 60 bucks.
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$60 is the cost of a tank of gas for my car...that's more than enough of a reason to go for a Trimotor ride.

Do it.

 

In 1997, we visited the Kalamazoo Air Museum in Michigan. We had a ride in the Museum's Trimotor. Don't hesitate... Do it!
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$60 is a small small price to pay to experience history that won't last forever....

Do it!

(and post pics please )

 

Two more photos. One from outside, one from inside.
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I used to see a Ford giving rides at the old "Wings & Wheels" museum in Santee, SC. More recently I got to look inside of one during an Air Tour stop at Falcon Field in Peachtree City, GA. Very interesting airplane!

 

Bill Harrahs restored tri- motor was beautifully restored to the wicker seats and Hunter Green leather upholstery. When we were living on the farm in Potomac, MD. in 1931-34 I used to see them go clattering over on their way west. Stinson tri motors and Curtiss Conors also were going by and I still have vivid memories of a bright silver Ford taking off from the old Hoover airport while we were stopped on the road that crossed the runway. Another interesting feature to look at is the 3 deg. negative incidence in the Goetingen 398 airfoil to neutralize some of the lift at cruise.
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Bob, I remember getting a free ride in a Ford Tri in Venice Florida in the late 80s. I was flight instructing and the OLD guy giving rides offered me the right seat. Very interesting pilot and a really nice guy but I don't remember his name. After he leveled it off he graciously gave me the controls. At first I thought maybe my wheel wasn't actually connected to the control surfaces because it had absolutely no effect on the airplane's attitude. It was a typical Florida day and the thermals were steadily increasing the Ford's altitude. So, I thought, I'll see what it takes to hold altitude. After a minute or two of wild control inputs the pilot said "If you keep that up, you'll have them throwing up in back. . . I got it". When it was all over I thought about how lucky I was to get to fly a King Air now and then!

Dave

 

Ah! My old stomping ground. I grew up in Sarasota just up the road. But when I lived there before and during the war Venice was nothing but an empty grid work of streets and curbs that were built in the late twenties in anticipation of the big boom that became a bust. There may have been 2500 people living there then, one police car, a 1936 Ford that had orange head light beams. I knew that from the many times that they tried to chase us. An airplane like the Tri Motor takes a strong input and then a waiting period while it thinks it over before doing anything. I found the same thing when I flew the Boeing 247 for an hour before it was turned over to the museum people in Seattle. The DC-3 was a vast improvement and had pretty good control response and they were well balanced but sensitive in pitch CG travel. Great fun.
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We had a ride in another Tri-Motor during "Thunder over the Coconino" airshow at Valle Airport, August 25, 2012. A beautifull day with a car show and some very nice planes.
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1967, only my 2nd ride in an airplane. Put-n-Bay Is on Lake Erie. Still had the wicker seats.

I don't need photos, it is still fresh in my mind.