With over 60 classic cars and dozens of classic and vintage aircraft, Keith (Yunxi) Zhu attended the “Remember When” Airshow at Fresno’s Chandler Airport and took a ride on one of the antique planes, Nov. 5.

Zhu spent time walking around the classic cars, but his particular interest was in three classic airliners.

His favorite classic antique passenger airliner was a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B. This plane made history in it’s day by being one of the 199 first all-metal, multi-engine commercial airliners. The creation of these planes led to the first airline terminal for passengers and the modern airports we know today.

In 1959, the 1928 Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B plane graced the movie screen in North by Northwestern, in which Cary Grant is chased by a crop duster.

When the opportunity came up, Zhu rode the historic aircraft above Fresno with others who each paid $75 for the experience.

The Ford Tri-Motor plane was put out of service, and moved into storage in 1954. It remained in storage, except for the movie, until William F. Harrah of Harrah’s Hotel and Casinos purchased and restored it in 1964.

It was the most luxurious airliner of it’s day, and inaugurated westbound transcontinental commercial air service on July 7, 1929. The aircraft helped develop TWA’s route system and spawned modern airport runways. After the Ford Tri-Motor plane was retired from airline service it was used for quite some time to carry heavy freight to mining operations in the jungles and mountains.

Zhu is currently writing articles about his experience as a passenger on the 1928 Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B. Please return to The Feather at the end of next week for part one.

For more Feather photos, visit media, photos 2016-17.