The Charlotte area public had a rare chance to experience the early days of air travel in an aircraft that made aviation history. The Ford Tri-Motor was the airplane that gave rise to scheduled passenger flights. The
first scheduled passenger flight, as well as the
first scheduled air freight flight, took place in a Ford Tri-Motor. The EAA Tri-Motor is the actual plane that was 1 of 2 used to start Eastern Airlines passenger service!
On May 17,1938, Eastern Airlines flew the first scheduled airline passenger flight into Charlotte. The
Carolinas Aviation Museum at the Charlotte Douglas Airport, the premier aviation museum in the Carolinas, is now housed in the
original airport facility. All major airlines began with a Tri-Motor.