Catching a Nice Little Treat

So on Saturday I found out that there was going to be a Ford Trimotor coming into Willow Run.  I was given the tail number so that I could track it's arrival.  It was pretty cool.

 So when I found out that it was getting close to Willow Run, I headed over there.  The planes were coming in from the south, so I couldn't use my normal spot but I did find a good spot to catch the planes.

 Fortunately, there was a plane coming in so I could gauge about where I needed to be.  I've

 Anyway, this is a Stinson 108 that was built in 1947.  This was one of the first postwar general aviation designs and it was built in Wayne, Michigan.  Interestingly enough, this would not be the oldest plane I would see.

 I brought my radio along so that I would have an indication when the plane I was interested in was coming in.  I got to hear the radio traffic as this Survival Flight helicopter flew across the field.

 The Stinson was followed by this Cessna 172.

 It is owned by Kalitta Air.  I think they use it for training.

 And this is the plane I was interested in.

 It is a Ford Trimotor 4-AT-A.  This particular one is the oldest TriMotor in existence.  It was built in 1928.

 It was Ford's foray into aviation and many of the things they learned with this would be used in building the B-24s in Willow Run.  If I remember correctly, this was built in Dearborn and used the runway that is now the Ford Test Track.

 This particular one was flown by Ford's chief test pilot.  It is believe that Amelia Earhart once flew this particular plane.  It was also used to take Charles Lindbergh's mother to Mexico to see her son.

 This plane was owned by the Golden Wings Flying Museum in Minnesota and I believe his collection was sold in 2015.  Somehow this plane ended up in Texas somewhere.

 When it came up here, it came in hops.  For instance when I started to track it on Saturday, it started in Evansville, Indiana.  The plane stopped in Muncie for fuel and then continued to Ypsilanti.  It arrived at about 3:30 in the afternoon.

 I figured this plane would lend itself well to Sepia.

 I think the Yankee Air Museum was planning on using this for flying trips this year but Covid kind of put a damper on that.  At any rate, I can't wait to see this guy flying on a regular basis.

 Anyway, I can imagine this plane was leaving a red line as it flew from airport to airport.

 Anyway, it seems like modern aviation owes alot to this plane.

I think this is a Piper Arrow but I'm not sure.  Turns out this is a Ryan/North American Navion.  It is another plane that was built in the 1940s.  It is kind of a descendant of the P-51.