Young Eagles visiting AirVenture this week can stop by the Phillips 66 Aviation tent and register to win a flight on EAA’s meticulously restored Tri-Motor. Winners will be announced daily at 2 p.m. A Ford Tri-Motor was one of the original corporate planes for Phillips 66 Aviation.
Eight decades ago, Phillips Petroleum Co-founder Frank Phillips flew the country in Tri-Motor (pictured), building what has become the nation’s largest aviation dealer network.
Giving away free Tri-Motor rides is a way to build excitement and publicity for the volunteer pilots who make the Young Eagles program successful, explains Rosemary Leone, Director, Programs Development, Phillips 66 Aviation.
Phillips 66 Aviation is a longtime supporter of the Young Eagles program. Its Young Eagles Fuel Rebate has helped volunteer pilots take hundreds of thousands of youths flying, she noted.
Young Eagle pilots who win a ride will be flying in the world’s first mass-produced aircraft. The Ford Tri-motor was Henry Ford’s answer to do for aviation what he did for automobile travel. Ford specified three engines to allay fears about engine reliability, rampant among travelers of the time.
The Tri-Motor helped transform commercial aviation, with its ability to comfortable, reliable flights for up to nine passengers. The aircraft made the first commercial flight over the Western Rockies, and was flown by legendary aviators like Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Between 1926 and 1933, Ford produced 199 Tri-Motor aircraft.
For more information, stop by the Phillips 66 Aviation tent during the 2012 AirVenture or visit Phillips66Aviation.com
