EAA Ford Trimotor to Make Stop at Spirit of St. Louis Airport This Weekend

By Carmelo Turdo

St. Louis will welcome a visit from a very historically significant aircraft this weekend - EAA's 1929 Ford Trimotor - the stalwart airliner that still had to share cross-country transportation duties of the day with passenger trains. The Ford Trimotor will be available for ground tours and scenic flights Friday through Sunday at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield. Click on the link above for more information on the St. Louis site visit and to make your flight reservation.

This particular Ford Trimotor, 4-AT-E was first delivered to Eastern Air Transport in 1929. In 1930, it was leased to Cubana Airlines and was later used by the government of the Dominican Republic. After returning to the U.S., it was used for barnstorming, crop dusting, aerial firefighting and transporting smoke jumpers. After returning to the airshow scene in the 1960s and 1970s, it was nearly destroyed in a storm at the EAA's 1973 Fly-In. Never defeated, the aircraft was again destined to serve as an aviation time machine after a 12-year restoration by the EAA Aviation Foundation, and it proudly represents EAA AirVenture Museum around the nation.

The EAA's Ford Trimotor has already made several stops on the current spring tour. As a preview to the St. Louis visit, we have a great collection of photos from the recent flights out of Iowa City, IA from The Aero Experience guest contributor Duane Cooley of DRC Images. Also included here is a video of our flights in the EAA Ford Trimotor from previous tours.