Vintage cars surround the “City of Wichita/City of Port Clinton” Ford Tri-Motor after it made a commemorative flight to Rattlesnake Island prior to the First Day of Issue Ceremony at Liberty Aviation Museum on Aug. 27. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

PORT CLINTON – This year marks two locally significant, historic birthdays, the 60th anniversary of the Rattlesnake Island Local Post (RILP) and the 100th anniversary of the Ford Tri-Motor. RILP started mail service on Aug. 27, 1966, and the first Tri-Motor took its maiden flight on June 11, 1926. Both anniversaries were celebrated at the 60-year Anniversary First Day of Issue Ceremony at Liberty Aviation Museum on Aug. 27.

Guests had the opportunity to purchase first day 2026 RILP covers and stamps, as well as purchase tickets to ride in the 1928 “City of Wichita/City of Port Clinton” Ford Tri-Motor with pilot Tom Leahy. The plane was utilized for passenger, freight, and mail delivery between the mainland and the Lake Erie islands beginning in 1936.

Ford Tri-Motor pilot Tom Leahy prepares to take passengers on a flight during the First Day of Issue Ceremony at Liberty Aviation Museum on Aug. 27. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

While Leahy was giving historic rides on Aug. 27, he was reliving his own personal history. Leahy was one of the local pilots who worked for Island Airlines, flying passengers and freight across the lake. He was employed as an Island Airlines pilot from 1979 to 1987.

“It was my first flying job,” he said. “At the time, it was the world’s shortest airline for scheduled service. Each trip took less than 12 minutes.”

“City of Wichita/City of Port Clinton” Ford Tri-Motor, piloted by Tom Leahy, flies above Port Clinton on Aug. 27. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

The planes ran all year long and were busiest in the winter, when the frozen lake prevented passage by boat.

“The work was cold and hot. We worked in all weather, unless it was really foggy,” Leahy said. “We took passengers, freight, and mail and did medical runs. We had the occasional coffin on board. We flew for funerals and new babies.”

Pilot Tom Leahy stands in front of the “City of Wichita/City of Port Clinton” Ford Tri-Motor that he pilots. Leahy flew Ford Tri-Motors for Island Airlines from 1979 to 1987. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

Leahy said flying a Ford Tri-Motor was physical work, but it was fun work.

“It’s like driving an old pickup truck without power steering,” he said. “It was an early aircraft, so the aviation joy hadn’t been engineered out of it.”

This was Charles Lindbergh’s view when he piloted the “City of Wichita/City of Port Clinton” Ford Tri-Motor. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

In addition to taking passengers for rides on Aug. 27, Leahy also flew RILP Postmaster General, Dave Gill, and other dignitaries on a commemorative ride prior to the ceremony to replicate the trips the planes once made to the island.

Ford Tri-Motor pilot Tom Leahy sits in the elegant cabin of the 1928 “City of Wichita/City of Port Clinton” Ford Tri-Motor. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

The City of Wichita/City of Port Clinton has a long, storied history. In addition to serving the Lake Erie islands, it was once part of an airline’s fleet in Mexico. But before any of that, it was part of the Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) airline that was formed with the assistance of famed pilot Charles Lindbergh.

“This airplane was part of TAT,” Leahy said. “We don’t have official records, but we believe Charles Lindbergh flew this plane.”