EAA’s B-25 and Ford Tri-Motor bring living history to the Oshkosh area on March 28-30
This event offers people in the Oshkosh area a rare opportunity outside of AirVenture to experience a flight aboard either aircraft. Both airplanes typically spend the year touring across the country stopping at select destinations to offer flights.
EAA’s Tri-Motor was built by Ford Motor Company and first flew in August 1929. The airliner was flown in Cuba and the Dominican Republic until it returned to the United States in 1949 where it would serve a variety of purposes including barnstorming and firefighting. EAA’s Tri-Motor also appeared in two feature films, Jerry Lewis’ 1965 comedy The Family Jewels, and the 2009 crime drama Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp.
EAA’s B-25 was first accepted by the U.S. Army Air Forces in December 1943. The airplane left the factory fitted with two fixed .50-caliber machine guns and a massive 75 mm cannon. The airplane served out the war as an administrative aircraft, stationed at bases in Washington, Colorado, and California. The Berlin Express name and accompanying markings come from the airplane’s appearance in the 1970 satirical war film Catch-22, based on the Joseph Heller novel of the same name.
Tickets aboard the Tri-Motor are $105 for adults, and $85 for children 17 and under. Every seat in the aircraft is a window seat, offering a view of the surrounding area. Each flight experience is approximately 30 minutes, of which about 15 minutes will be in the air.
Tickets on the B-25 are $475 when bought in advance and include a free hat. Once in the air, passengers are allowed to freely move about and explore the various compartments of the aircraft. Each flight experience is approximately one hour, including briefing, debriefing, and about 20 minutes of flight time.
More information on both aircraft is available on EAA’s Flight Experiences page.
About EAA
The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and embodies The Spirit of Aviation through the world’s most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA’s 300,000 members and 900 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org.
