The Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton offers visitors something museums rarely do: Rides on exhibits!
The growing museum is home to a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor AT-B. At the time they were manufactured in Detroit, the aluminum-clad aircraft were state-of-the-art. In fact, the plane purchased earlier this year by the Museum was one of two that serviced the nation’s first transcontinental airline route, flying from Columbus to California regularly.
But don’t just look at the big shiny “Tin Goose,” climb aboard and fly back in time.
Climbing in, an all-original interior, including leather seats, greets passengers. The plane is equipped with 10 passenger and two pilot seats. When the three massive engines fire up they grumble and rumble, 27 cylinders producing a whopping 1,350 horsepower. And they are loud.
Once in the air, passengers are afforded amazing views of the Lake Erie islands, Cedar Point, Canada and are able to see the skylines of Cleveland, Detroit and Toledo through the plane’s very large windows.
Pilot Todd Mather said the shiny, silver beast cruises at about 85 mph and consumes a gallon of fuel per minute. And, he said, riders are never disappointed.
I certainly wasn’t, and neither were Peter and Laura Lamberty, who traveled from Wadsworth to see autumn colors and fly the Tin Goose. Peter is a pilot himself.
“It was great just to be on that airplane and seeing all three cities at the same time,” Laura said. “And that it’s a piece of history and is being maintained.”
Peter agreed, describing the ride as raw.
“Every vibration goes right to the airframe,” he pointed out. “I could easily imagine myself back in 1934 heading from California on that plane.”
Rides cost $75 for adults, $50 for children under 17 and are available on select weekends beginning May 21 and will end in October, 2015
For bigger, faster rides, try the B-17G bomber which frequents the Liberty Aviation Museum. The bomber is also scheduled to be back May 30 and run through August, 2015. Rides on the B-17G bomber costs $450 per person.
A new hangar can be found at the museum filled with planes, Jeeps, weapons and other vintage war paraphernalia. Dozens of model aircraft are on display, plus a Ford Tri-Motor that is being rebuilt by a local group.
An authentic 1950s diner is on-site, and events held at LAM include car shows, concerts, dances, arts events, radio-controlled model airplane shows and veterans reunions, among others. The Museum anticipates authentic PT boat cruises on Lake Erie. Currently under restoration, the Museum plans to announce when cruises will begin late spring/early summer.
This post was submitted by guest blogger, James Profitt of Wild Lake Erie.
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