If you're in the Columbus area this weekend, you can take a look at what it meant to fly in luxury almost a century ago.
For a fee, visitors can take a short flight in a small-sized plane nicknamed "The Tin Goose" for its unique metal shell.
The Ford Tri-Motor was the first regularly scheduled passenger airliner to operate in the country, and it was used from 1926 to 1933. This particular plane has a storied history – it's been purchased by mining operators, private owners and museums around the world.
Ed Rusch, a pilot with the Experimental Aircraft Association, says the ride is surprisingly smooth thanks to sturdy craftsmanship and successful efforts to restore the plane.
"There has never been a crash of a Ford Tri-Motor that was attributable to any kind of structural failure," Rusch says. "They're built like a battleship. It's quite different from modern airplanes in its flight characteristics, but I'm lucky enough to have a fair amount of experience with old airplanes and it flies like a lot of old airplanes do."
Rusch says their mission is to promote aviation through history in a hands-on way.