Coast to Coast in Ford Trimotor

Within a few months of its introduction, Transcontinental Air Transport was created to provide coast-to-coast operation, capitalizing on the Trimotor's ability to provide reliable and, for the time, comfortable passenger service. While advertised as a transcontinental service, the airline had to rely on rail connections with a deluxe Pullman train that would be based in New York being the first part of the journey. Passengers then met a Trimotor in Port Columbus, Ohio, that would begin a hop across the continent ending at Waynoka, Oklahoma, where another train would take the passengers to Clovis, New Mexico, where the final journey would begin, again on a Trimotor, to end up at the Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, a few miles northeast of Los Angeles.[11] This demanding trip would be available only for a year before Transcontinental was merged into a combine with Western Air Service.
PJ 177

[@michaelrutledge7048]

Excellent post!! My dad (yes, my dad) use to fly the Trimotors in the late 20s, into the 30s. He flew early airmail (Jenny's)... first Detroit/Chicago, via stops throughout Michigan. Then, up/down the west coast (Ryans, Junkers, Fokkers), Seattle/San Fran and Sacramento/San Fran/San Diego. Made three jumps due to engine failure/out of gas, and two crashes, both of which he (obviously) survived. Then, early passenger/freight (TriMotors) in the Midwest. Of course, all this happened long before I was around. He was 20 years older than my mother, and I was last of three to be born. I’ve flown in the 4-AT a couple of times, here in Florida. Never gets old. Also, flew in a 4-AT to Put-in-Bay and the lake islands when I was a youth growing up in Toledo, OH. I’m thrilled to see so much interest in the golden age of aviation that my dad was a part of. Too many things get lost in the jet fast world of today.

[@davecrupel2817]

People that sit in those giant Tubes with wings have no idea what flying is all about.
What it can really be like. Both the fun and the danger.
And they have my pity for that.

[@robkunkel8833]

@@davecrupel2817 .. Pity those who love long lives and never feel a tension for survival. I’m saying this seriously. My scary moments in life were a couple of years of sail travel and living aboard a boat during hurricane seasons. Loved it but certainly ready to leave it behind. Aged out 🙂

[@davecrupel2817]

@@robkunkel8833 I've never been in a full fledged "hold on tight and hope for the best" situation. But I've almost been there.
But i kind of hope I'll end up in one, and live to tell the tale.
Cause i want to test myself. To test my character. Plus you never know. That experience might be helpfull one day.

[@markwinchester3005]

Amazing. Sure would've loved to have talked to your dad sometime about this flights.

[@lisablack2389]

Hey fellow Toledoan, I grew up in Rossford, on the Maumee River.

[@chicagorandy]

I've had 3 flights in one of those over the years I've gone to the EAA Convention in Oshkosh, WI. This year you could buy a seat for $77.00 on a 15-20 minute flight. Pure simple joy of aviation and living flight history those Tri Motors are.

[@jasonwinchester9350]

This footage is so beautiful
So much has changed

[@Frank-rh7vh]

What beautiful interesting times rushing by... Nice video and LIKE !!!

[@rogerb5615]

"Westbound plane reporting position" ... looks out window at ground. Things are a tad different today!

[@robkunkel8833]

Yep, he’s the westbound plane looking down to find the airport. Now the skies have literally thousands of westbound planes any given moment in the day.

[@robkunkel8833]

I once heard an interview of someone in early flying days over Mexico. He was mapping out a course and would fly low over railroad stations for the town name. He came back saying that this part was unsuccessful because all of the names were all the same: “ caballeros “. True story, he said.

[@lorenzodunn3226]

Well preserved film.

[@allanegleston4931]

b4 i clock out (66 here ) would love to fly in a dc3 and tri motor flying machine .

[@robkunkel8833]

That couldn’t have been the original music. The keyboard and percussion cannot be from the era of Paul Whiteman and Rudy Valle. Am I wrong?

[@paulazemeckis7835]

Why did it cut off?

[@brentg3707]

trimotor just road on one fantastic

[@sharpe67]

Didn’t see any passenger meltdowns. Wonder why?

[@garymorris1856]

I know there must be a legitimate reason, but please help me understand why these passengers take a train from New York City to Columbus, Ohio, and then board the airplane? Why do they not fly out of New York?

[@David-zq6ho]

Probably didn't have a place to refuel or mountains..

[@chrisnewman7281]

Strictly VFR

[@varadharajank7670]

They plane kept in museum.

[@davidt3725]

I used to see these up at Port Clinton and they look like they were sitting still but had a droning noise from the engines I believe there's six left airworthy...