Take a flight above Ottawa County

pfanner@sanduskyregister.comA legendary plane re-emerged to give rides at the Liberty Aviation Museum this week.The museum's 1928 Ford Tri-Motor airplane, which has been fully restored, was brought out to help drive people to the museum. The plane offered guests a chance to relive a golden age of flight. "We're always trying to figure out more ways to get the word out about the museum and the Erie-Ottawa International Airport," museum volunteer Jim Boule said. "A lot of people don't realize how much is actually available here."Boule helped prepare guests for their 30-minute ride on the Ford Tri-Motor with safety briefings before each flight. Guests checked in at the front desk, signed a waiver, claimed their tickets and gathered in the museum's main hangar for the briefing.Ed Rush, volunteer and pilot who flew the plane, also gave a brief history of the plane to each group of guests. "It is wonderful to have a Tri-Motor plane back here again," Rush said. "I was on the last flight for the Island Airlines in 1986 when a Tri-Motor was used."Rush said the plane saw its fair share of travel as it was used in a transcontinental transportation system where travelers would use a combination of trains and Tri-Motors to go from New York to Los Angeles in 48 hours — twice as fast as using a train alone."After that, it ended up in South America for a while and eventually made its way up to Mexico," Rush said. "It was flown there as a private plane during the 1940s. It returned to America in the 1960s."The plane was restored, or made air-worthy, several times since then. "It was my privilege to be involved with restoring this plane back to flying status," Rush said.Only 17 Tri-Motor planes are left from the original 199. Of those 17, just six are in flying condition."I really like the plane," guest Dale Baker, of Berlin Heights, said Wednesday. "It's been restored very well. We came up here to see this." Baker said he was at the museum with his cousin, who lives in Virginia, to check out the airplanes."This must have been state-of-the-art for people back in the day," Baker said. "The islanders could get their food or mail on this thing."Each ride gives guests a 30-minute experience aboard the plane, which will fly over portions of Danbury Township and Lake Erie.Want to go?WHAT: Rides on a Ford Tri-Motor airplane WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., now through Sunday WHERE: 3515 E. State Road, Port Clinton. Liberty Aviation Museum. COST: Tickets are $75 for adults, $50 for children aged 17 and younger. MORE: Reserve a flight by calling 800-843-3612Register photo/ROBIN HECKER A 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane lands at the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton on Wednesday, July 1. Register photo/ROBIN HECKER Pilot Ed Rush and passenger Richard Frantz look out the windows of a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane just as they get ready to take off from the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port CLinton. Register photo/ROBIN HECKER Rita Frantz and Bonnie Sweeney stand on the grounds of the Liberty Aviation Museum on July 1 to watch their loved ones arrive in a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane after a 30 minute flight. Register photo/ROBIN HECKER Kim Thomas of Virginia turns the wheel inside the cockpit of the 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane that was on display and giving rides on Wednesday, July 1 in Port Clinton. Register photo/ROBIN HECKER Laura Bailey looks out the window as she rides a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane over Ottawa County on Wednesday, July 1. Register photo/ROBIN HECKER The view from the window of the 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane just after taking off from Liberty Aviation Museum on Wednesday, July 1.