This is one of twelve Ford Tri-Motor planes, circa 1929, that are in flying condition. You can take rides on it at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo for a small fortune. Chris has been wanting to go up in it for a long time and so we finally did, and it was great.
Here is a guy putting fuel into the Tri-Motor. The pilot told us that he didn’t care if we used our cell phones, we wouldn’t be able to hear anything. It was pretty noisy. There are two doors, one on the side for boarding and one on the roof, for an emergency.
One of my favorite things about the plane was that there were vent windows that you could open or close, so you could feel fresh air as you flew. Originally the plane had glass slider windows, I think.
I included this photo because it shows the non-retracting landing gear and our own shadow on a lake below. When we landed, we smelled burning rubber from the tires.
Here is my darling Christopher in the front of the plane, checking out the controls. What a great ride, and I owe it to Chris! We’ve been hearing this Ford Tri-Motor flying over our house for twenty-four years, and finally we went up in it.
(Okay, it’s been a long time with no blog, and I was a little nervous at getting going again, but I think I’m remembering how to do it. Thanks for your patience, readers!)
Gorilla Girl Adventures in Writing 
high flyers! I love the shadow of the plane on the lake and the pre burnt rubber landing gear. Chris looks so darn happy, too! I miss you both (near had a typo ‘I kiss you both’).
Did at any point in the trip you yell out, “Hey look, I’m Amelia Earhart”, and try to take control of the plane?
Hi Bonnie Jo,
I think daily or even weekly blog posts are over rated. That said, I do hope you post more often. Just finished my first reading of Once Upon A River. Can’t wait to dig deeper into it. I’ve been on a hiatus myself but you have inspired me to pick things up and get going again. Thank you.