Neligh Native Helps With Flights On Historical Airplane

Riding on the 1929 Ford TriMotor at the O’Neill Municipal Airport gave passengers a taste of history.

The opportunity was held by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) last week.

Pilot Bill Sleeper, who flew the vintage plane, which started off as the first luxury airliner, said it is well-seasoned as it has lived many lives.

“It started out with Eastern Air Transport as an airline aircraft in 1929,” Sleeper said. “And, it moved to Cuba, it’s been all over South America, it’s a smokejumper, a 4-A bomber. It’s lived many lives, and it’s now living out the rest of its life as a ride hopper for the Experimental Aircraft Association.”

In 1950, the EAA’s Ford TriMotor was used as a crop duster. This field of work is familiar to event chairman and Schindler Flying pilot, Jason Schindler.

​Schindler flew as the primary pilot starting in 1999 for Schindler Flying in Neligh, which is owned by his father, Rick. There, he did aerial application until he moved with his wife, Candi, and three children, Sam, Sophia and Sutton, to O’Neill in 2010, where he said he saw an opening to start his own Schindler Flying business.

“I saw a lot of opportunities in ag to expand the business,” Schindler said. “I saw a proactive community with a sense of small town and vision for expanding agriculture.”

According to Schindler, he also moved because Candi is from Inman and she wanted the family to move back closer.

Moving away from his father’s company and achieving his own success was overwhelming, but he received a lot of encouragement, Schindler said.

“We had a lot of support, but at the same time, it was exciting,” Schindler said. “I mean, it’s a little overwhelming at first, but it definitely is a positive to accomplish something on your own.”

Schindler said the company recently branched out to helicopter operations, in which he hired John Fulks as the full-time
helicopter pilot.

When the EAA reached out to him and asked for his help setting up the event, Schindler said he decided to donate his time to help the cause that has been important to him in his career.

“Part of their philanthropy is that they tour around the United States with this 1929 Ford TriMotor,” Schindler said. “And, they give the opportunity to get rides in this aircraft, which is essentially one of the first mass produced airliners.”

The organization’s goal is to inspire general interest in aviation and provide a historical encounter, Sleeper said.

“The EAA is all about promoting an interest in aviation,” Sleeper said. “This is a great way of letting people experience what it was like to fly back in airliners in 1929.”

According to Sleeper, the Ford TriMotor was the first all metal airliner produced in the United States, and the particular one used for the event is number 69 off of the assembly line of 199 examples of these planes.

The plane seats 10 people including the copilot seat, and the chairs are made from old, authentic leather.
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Flying the Ford TriMotor is similar to other planes’ basic control functions, except that the controls are external, Sleeper said.

“All of the basic controls function the same way, but as far as the handling goes, it’s an early airplane and all of the controls are all external,” he said. “It’s a little bit heavy on the controls, but it doesn’t have any bad habits.”

Sleeper has been flying this airplane for three years and said the EAA has been offering these flights for somewhere between 20-25 years.

Before coming to O’Neill, the EAA offered flights in York, and its next stop is at Rapid City, South Dakota.