Ford Trimotor 5-AT-C N414H

Serial Number 74

MFR Year 1929

 

If 5-AT-74 could speak, the stories she could tell of her incredible history. In her infancy from 1929 to 1931, she was one of the first Tri-Motors equipped with twin metal floats, accumulating nearly 250 hours as the Ford Motor Company's factory demonstrator as a seaplane on the Detroit River. Then sold to Pan Am in 1931, she flew scheduled routes out of Miami into Central America.

 

In 1935, 5-AT-74 moved south of the border and began operations in Mexico City, for Cia Mexicana de Aviacion registered as XA-BCX and later XA-BKS. It came back to Pan American in 1936 and then back to Cia Mexicana de Aviacion. In May 1941, it moved further south to Guatemala operating for Cia Guatemalteca de Aviacion in Guatemala City. 5-AT-74 stayed in Guatemala operating as LG-AFA until 1950.

 

Recovered by Robert Waltermire in March 1950, 5-AT-74 was returned to the United States and was reconditioned for use as an aerial sprayer fighting a grasshopper plague. At this time Northwest Agricultural Aviation Corp out of Choteau, Montana operated it.

 

Between 1956 and 1959, 5-AT-74 had a series of owners before finally falling into dereliction and disrepair in Florida. 5-AT-74's salvation came at the hands of John and Katherine Louck of Manmouth, Illinois. When Louck found the aircraft in Florida, it was in less than pristine condition being described as "full of frogs, snakes, bugs, etc." He worked for two weeks cleaning and making the aircraft airworthy to ferry it to Monmouth, Illinois. A myriad of problems caused the trip to take 68 days covering 1700 miles. Louck bought 5-AT-74 with the intention of barnstorming it, and he did! It was reported that in one year 5-AT-74 carried 17,000 passengers, 2800 of which were carried in one five day period at Rockford, Illinois. Louck carried a total of 100,000 passengers in 5-AT-74 while he owned it.

 

During 1963, it was leased to TWA for a cross-country series of flights starting from Los Angeles, California to Newark, New Jersey. Total time in the air was 27 hours, 48 minutes and total en route was 54 hours, 7 minutes. In February 1965 Louck sold 5-AT-74 to American Airlines in New York City. 5-AT-74 was present at the New York City World's Fair in 1965.

 

Chuck LeMaster purchased her for barnstorming in the early 1970’s before selling her to Mr. Seibold for “a fairly large amount” in 1977. Shortly afterward repeated its 1965 cross-country trek. This time it made the cross-country flight in company with a Scenic Airlines Twin Otter that was operating as a camera ship. Starting in Long Beach, California it flew to Las Vegas, Nevada. From there 5-AT-74 flew over Lake Mead and Hoover Dam and on to fly the length of the Grand Canyon. 5-AT-74 finished its cross-country trip in 7 days ending at New York's Kennedy Airport. While in New York, 5-AT-74 flew over New York Harbor and past the Twin Towers and the Statue of Liberty. Later it flew on to East Hartford, Connecticut to appear at Pratt and Whitney's 60th anniversary celebration before returning to Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

During 1983, 5-AT-74 was flown out of the San Fernando Airport by Art Scholl and Bernie Godlove during a brief movie career in which it appeared in the movie "To Be or Not To Be". It's beautiful rainbow was temporarily painted out by dozen's of cans of women's silver hairspray in order for it to represent Hilter's personal German Ju-52. Bernie was the senior (number 1) captain at United Airlines system wide, with over a thousand hours in the Ford. He also headed up a 'type rating' program, as a type rating was required to fly the airplane commercially. Many commercial pilots simply wanted the honor of having "FO-5" (the designator of the Ford Tri-Motor 5AT series) stamped on the back of their licenses. One of those commercial pilots was Bernie's son, Bryan, who is the Captain of the Ford today! Bryan has been at the controls for over twenty years and also has over one thousand hours in the Ford. Bryan's thirteen-year-old son, Kelby, is an up and coming pilot and hopes to someday be the third generation Godlove at the controls of 5-AT-74.

 

In June 2003, by special invitation, 5-AT-74 participate at the Ford Motor's Company's 100 Year Centennial Anniversary Celebration in Dearborn, Michigan. It joined the EAA's Ford Tri-Motor 4-AT, NC8047, in a special event where the Ford Tri-Motors landed at the original Ford Airport and what was first paved runway in the world (now the FMC Dearborn Proving Grounds) which was the hallowed ground where both airplanes first took flight over seventy fives years ago. A few weeks later 5-AT-74 also participated at Oshkosh Air Venture 2003 flying in a 'Tri-Motor Reunion' with the EAA Ford Tri-Motor, a Bushmaster 2000, a Stinson Tri-Motor and a JU-52.

 

In September of 2003, 5-AT-74 joined nearly 30 other historic golden age aircraft in the recreation of the National Air Tour from 1932, flying over 4500 miles in 18 days. The National Air Tour 2003 was simply an experience of a lifetime for everyone involved and could easily have volumes written about it. In the mean time, you can read much more at www.nationalairtour.org.

 

In November 2003, 5-AT-74 returned to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport at the request of the City of Phoenix to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first flight in a Ford Tri-Motor from the airport that Grand Canyon Airlines (initially known as Scenic Airways) on November 18, 1928. Guests on board was the honorable Mayor of Phoenix, Skip Rimza.

 

On September 4, 2004, Grand Canyon Airlines celebrated the 75th birthday of 5-AT-74 by offering rides to the public along with GCA employees, friends, and family members. One of the highlights was being honored with special guest Janie Stanton, the grand-daughter of William B. Stout who designed the Ford 80 years earlier. Janie sat in the right seat on the first flight of the morning, 75 years to the day of 5-AT-74's first flight in Dearborn, Michigan.

 

Mr. Seibold has begun plans for a Grand Canyon air tour history section in the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Valle (40G) to show his collection of a 1917 Standard J-1, a 1927 Stinson Detroiter SM-1, a 1928 Curtis Robin, a 1929 Travelair 6000A, and of course the 1929 Ford Tri-Motor. He is currently on a quest to acquire at least one of every airplane known to fly air tours for Scenic Airways and Grand Canyon Airlines. The purpose of the display will be to educate the Grand Canyon visitors of the rich aviation history and evolution of the air tour industry of the Grand Canyon. Ironically, the battle continues as the latest round of rules and restrictions from the National Park Service and Federal Aviation Administration have imposed a nearly fatal blow to the air tour operators.

 

“It’s a travesty,” John Seibold says. “Now after over 80 years of providing millions of visitors the most spectacular and least intrusive way to see the Grand Canyon, our Government and the extreme environmentalists want to remove our service from the list of solutions to preserve and protect it. I truly believe many want to eliminate air tours completely. Our industry has evolved from the early, arguably much noisier and intrusive Tri-Motors to extremely safe and ultra-quiet VISTALINERS, yet we are still punished for what I believe is a user conflict of the Grand Canyon. If he were alive today I wonder what Parker Van Zandt would say if he knew that the industry he began is now in jeopardy of its extinction. The Tri-Motor began a marvelous mode of enjoyment of seeing the Grand Canyon from the air. I want our public to be educated about this issue and understand that the Ford Tri-Motor and Grand Canyon have intertwined histories that should not be forgotten.”

 

Currently 5-AT-74 is in its home and can be viewed at the Valle Airport (40G) which is located between Williams and Grand Canyon on HWY 64.

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