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Week of Thursday, August 28, 2003Vintage aircraft
leaving By JUDY
BUSACK Fly back to the golden age of aviation when the recreation of a National Air Tour begins at Willow Run Airport Sept. 8 and ends there Sept. 24. From 1925 through 1931 National Air Tours landed and departed from the Detroit area at the former Ford Airport, which is now an automobile proving grounds. During its seven-year run, the National Air Tours landed in 114 cities across the United States and Canada. The air tours were modeled after the "Glidden Automobile Tours" of the early 1900s, which popularized automobile transportation. "The air tours were the idea of airminded Detroit businessmen led by Harvey Campbell, with support from Henry and Edsel Ford, to introduce America to the idea of commercial flight," said Suzanne Fedoruk, spokesman for the National Air Tour 2003. "They modeled the air tour out of some of the famous automobile tours that were done at the turn of the century." Airplane flight was not for everybody, like it is today. The general public thought of it for daredevils or the military. So in an attempt to promote the safety and reliability of air travel and the idea of uniting the country, the National Air Tours were conceived. Although a 1932 tour was organized, it didn’t get off the ground because of the economic hardships of the Depression. The 2003 tour is based on a 26-city route that had been planned for the 1932 tour. Tour aircraft were chosen based on their relevance to the original tours and the era. More than 25 vintage planes will be part of the tour, including the Sikorsky S-39, better known as a flying boat. The pilot, Dick Jackson, and his crew have spent 40 years and 40,000 hours restoring the aircraft. "It was painted like a giraffe to do African exploration. They didn’t want to alarm the native people when they landed," said Fedoruk. Jon Stevens, president of the Yankee Air Museum, said, "Without sounding like too much of a geek, I’m geeked." Stevens said member Bette Watson, and himself, talked with Craig Schiller, director of the tour when they met him during the Ford centennial in June at the Ford proving grounds. "We knew it was coming, and the initial plan was to have the aircraft stop and start at the Ford proving grounds. That would be a disruption so they were looking at other locations. In talking we realized we were a good fit," said Stevens. Some of the vintage airplanes on the tour will be American Airlines oldest flying airliner, a 1931 Stinson Tri-motor. This plane has flown more than 1.5 million miles, carrying more than 100,000 passengers. The only flying Fokker Super Universal in the world is expected to fly in too. Several of the few flying Ford Tri-motors will be on the tour, including the NC-9651, which was the plane Harrison Ford flew in the movie "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." Actress Gloria Swanson christened that plane in 1929. Pilot Ben Scott of Reno, Nev., will be flying a 1930 Stearman 4E Speedmail his father purchased new in 1930. Just as his grandfather, Edsel B. Ford, kicked off the original tours, Edsel B. Ford II will do the same for the 2003 tour. Some of the cities the tour will stop in are Dayton, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Little Rock, Shreveport, Fort Worth and Tulsa. Stevens said he couldn’t pick one plane that he is most looking forward to seeing on the tour. "I want to see them all. There is going to be a variety of aircraft coming in. Like the big air display we did a few weeks ago, it’s eye candy. It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a grouping like this of 30 vintage aircraft - the kind our parents or grandparents saw in their day. We see a lot of (vintage) car meets, but to see this many vintage aircraft in one spot is a once in a lifetime thing." The planes will start arriving around 5 p.m. Sept. 6 and depart the Willow Run Airport at 9 a.m. Sept. 8. They will return to Willow Run around 11:30 a.m. Sept. 24. Admission to see the planes is free, but an admission will be charged for the Yankee Air Museum, which will hold special hours for the tour. The Museum will be open from 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 7 and Sept. 8. Admission will be $10 for adults and $5 for children and seniors. For more information on the tour visit its website at www.nationalairtour.org or call the Yankee Air Museum at 483-4030. |
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