History of the Ford Tri-Motor NC9645 Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B, serial Number 8, was delivered to its first owner, Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) on January 18, 1929. It was named the City of Wichita and used to introduce the first coast-to-coast passenger air/rail service in the United States on July 7, 1929, and the development and inauguration of the first all air passenger service on October 25, 1930. On July 16, 1935, T&WA sold NC9645 to Grover Ruckstell, who flew passengers with Grand Canyon Airlines in Arizona. In February 1937, the aircraft began flying passengers with Boulder Dam Tours. In the late autumn of 1937, the aircraft was sold to Transportes Aereos del Continente Americano (Air Transport of the American Continent), or TACA, of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The aircraft was registered in Nicaragua as AN-AAS, where it flew for TACA until 1946 when it was sold to Ricardo Izuriente of Campeche, Mexico, and flown commercially under Mexican registry XA-FUB (XA designating it as a commercial registration). In 1950, Izurienta sold the aircraft to his brother, Arturo D'Argence, also of Campeche, Mexico, and it was registered as XB-NET (XB designating it as private ownership). In May of 1951, the aircraft was completely overhauled by Servicios Aeronauticos de Mexico, SA of Mexico City. During the overhaul, the corrugated skin was replaced with modern Dural sheet metal and the aircraft acquired the nickname , 'The Smooth Skin Ford.' XB-NET was back to flying status in late 1951. In January 1954, it was damaged when a wheel locked, turning the aircraft off the runway and into a ditch. This time the aircraft was not repaired but sold 'as is' in poor condition to Frank D. Oergel of Burbank, California, who in turn sold it to Eugene Frank, who placed it in storage in Caldwell, Idaho. In July of 1964, a full restoration of the aircraft began and the corrugated skin was re-installed at great expense by its new owner, William F. Harrah (Harrah's Club of Reno, Nevada). After the extensive restoration was completed in 1971, the aircraft flew once again before being placed on static display with Harrah's Automobile Collection. In 1975, TWA flew the aircraft from Reno to Newark, New Jersey, a transcontinental flight to commemorate their first all-air service of 1930. After William Harrah's death in 1978, the aircraft remained in the collection until 1986 when it was sold at auction for the princely sum of $1.5 million to Norton Aero Ltd., of Athol, Idaho. In February of 1990, the Ford Tri-Motor was acquired by Evergreen Vintage Aircraft. It was modified for static line parachute jumping in 1998 before it was eventually placed on display in the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum of McMinnville, Oregon. Many tourists of the museum may recall seeing the little 'Tin Goose' displayed beneath the wing of the huge Howard Hughes H-4 Hercules transport, also known as the 'Spruce Goose.' On February 10, 2013 The Liberty Aviation Museum of Port Clinton, Ohio purchased NC9645 for its collection. The aircraft is currently on loan to the EAA Aviation Foundation, while it is toured throughout the U.S. offering rides to the public. , This picture was taken on 25 March 2017, Sig...