A flight through time Southern Illinoisans get opportunity to ride in 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane
MARION - In a world where air travel is the norm for long distances, it's easy to forget that such trips have been around for less than a century.
Area visitors to Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois in Marion had the opportunity to see the beginning of commuter air travel over the weekend, and even take a short flight over Williamson County.
For Marion Republican contributing photojournalist, Kristin Moore, her ride in the 1928 Ford TriMotor 5-AT-B, was her first plane ride.
"I'm a little nervous," she said, as pilot, Colin Saucy, warmed up the engines.
Less than a minute after takeoff, Moore's nervousness disappeared and she began shooting photos with the confidence of a seasoned flyer.
The plane, one of only 199 originally built by industry and business magnate, Henry Ford, is one of only eight still flying today.
It saw its first light on Dec. 1, 1928 and calls the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio, home.
The plane rides and visit to the area helps to raise funding for the museum.
In comparing the plane to today's air travel, the obvious is the seating. An average flight today seats around 300 passengers, compared to the 10 passenger seats on the 1928 model.
The first plane to ferry passengers across the country in a trip that averaged about three days, the seats are wider and leg room is abundant. However, the cross-county "flight" was broken down into segments of flight time averaging around four hours each, with passengers disembarking and riding between airports on trains in sleeper cars.
"That still beat a 10-day trip by train," said Saucy.
Today, the average flight from New York City to Los Angeles takes about five hours.
Conversation is virtually impossible on the 1928 plane with the three engines roaring. However, Saucy pointed out that passengers have "a much better view from the windows" than in today's aircraft.
"It was a glamorous way to travel," said Saucy, noting that passengers dressed up, men in suits, women in dresses and gloves, for airline trips.
When Ford began producing the planes, he was convinced that air travel was the wave of the future.
"The thing that stopped him," said Saucy, "was the Great Depression."
Saucy, a retired Delta Air Lines pilot, said he's been flying for 52 years, since he was 13.
"My dad taught me," he said, noting that both of his parents were pilots.
Flying the 1928 model is "very different" from today's plane, Saucy admitted. "You have to make a lot of decisions," he said. "You have to fly by the seat of your pants."
Saucy said it costs around $300-per-hour to fly the plane.
After a short flight of about 15 minutes, our "trip" was over.
"That landing was a lot smoother than I thought it would be," said Moore, grinning.
For more information on the Ford TriMotor and the Liberty Aviation Museum, visit www.flytheford.org.
Note: Kristin Moore was a student of SILMG reporter Holly Kee, while at Johnston City High School. This story is the first time the pair has worked together professionally.<object id="Extra Pictures" type="x-im/image" uuid="69594F1C-F565-42FC-A5ED-C1AA20EED078"><links><link rel="self" type="x-im/image" uri="im://image/69594F1C-F565-42FC-A5ED-C1AA20EED078.jpg" uuid="69594F1C-F565-42FC-A5ED-C1AA20EED078"><data><title><![CDATA[