Ford Tri-Motor airplane in Elkhart

June 3, 2013

I’m usually not a big fan of Mondays, but today was the exception: I had the opportunity to photograph and ride in a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor airplane. It was one of those moments where I had to pinch myself and say “do I really get paid to do this?”

Ford Tri-Motor Plane — A 1929 Ford Tri-Motor plane sits on the tarmac on Monday, June 3, 2013, at the Elkhart Municipal Airport. The plane, nicknamed “The Tin Goose” at its time, is owned and operated by the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisc. (James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)

Ford Tri-Motor Plane — Pilot Larry Harmacinski, a Mishawaka native, gives a safety briefing under the wing of a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor plane before a flight on Monday, June 3, 2013, at the Elkhart Municipal Airport. (James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)

Ford Tri-Motor Plane — A 1929 Ford Tri-Motor plane sits on the tarmac on Monday, June 3, 2013, at the Elkhart Municipal Airport. The plane features three engines to help ease concerns at the time about engine reliability. (James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)

Ford Tri-Motor Plane — Vic Pixey, of Elkhart, inspects an engine on the 1929 Ford Tri-Motor plane on Monday, June 3, 2013, at the Elkhart Municipal Airport. (James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)

Ford Tri-Motor Plane — The tail wing of a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor plane is seen on Monday, June 3, 2013, at the Elkhart Municipal Airport. (James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)

Ford Tri-Motor Plane — Robert Lusco III, left, of Elkhart, shares a laugh with his grandson, David Watson, 3, as Watson covers his ears to shield them from the noise generated from the three roaring engines of a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor plane during a flight on Monday, June 3, 2013, over rural Elkhart. It was Watson’s first flight ever. (James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)

Ford Tri-Motor Plane — Pilot Larry Harmacinski, a Mishawaka native, leans back in the cockpit as he points out engine gages on the right wing to a passenger before a flight on Monday, June 3, 2013, at the Elkhart Municipal Airport. (James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)

Ford Tri-Motor Plane — A 1929 Ford Tri-Motor plane soars over a rural area on Monday, June 3, 2013, near the Elkhart Municipal Airport. (James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)

Ford Tri-Motor Plane — David Watson, 3, of Elkhart, covers his ears to shield them from the noise generated from the three roaring engines of a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor plane during a flight on Monday, June 3, 2013, over rural Elkhart. It was Watson’s first flight ever. (James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)

Ford Tri-Motor Plane — Pilot Larry Harmacinski, a Mishawaka native, shares a laugh as he emerges from the cabin of a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor plane after a flight on Monday, June 3, 2013, at the Elkhart Municipal Airport. (James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)

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