Tri-Motor Color

I pocketed my Olympus Infinity Stylus on the way to Double Eagle Field in addition to the Duo Six-20.  A wide-angle lens is always helpful in shooting aircraft, and the little camera is particularly good for interiors where auto-exposure and auto-focus are a big help in getting shots that otherwise might be missed.

The first visit to Albuquerque by a Ford Tri-Motor was in 1928.  The plane was on the way to the Grand Canyon, and the passenger list included Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Two thousand spectators showed up at Oxnard Field and a photographic record of the event is preserved in the Speakman Collection at the Albuquerque Museum.

The Ford Tri-Motor closely resembled the design of the Fokker Tri-Motors that were also  frequent visitors.  Note the control cables on the outside of the fuselage.

This Ford Tri-Motor is one of about eighteen that are flight-worthy.  It is maintained by the Experimental Aircraft Association.

The Tri-Motor made several flights on Sunday morning, but the wind cancelled the last flight of the day.  The upside was that I got to walk all around the plane to make pictures and also was able to view the cabin and cockpit.

The Ford Tri-Motor had a crew of three and normally accomodated eight or nine passengers.

The history of the Ford Tri-Motor is well told at Wikipedia.