WAPAKONETA, Ohio (WLIO) - The Armstrong Air and Space Museum is offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for one lucky kid out there.
The museum has announced it's First Flight contest, offering a free ride in a historic Ford Tri-Motor airplane for one child and one accompanying parent or guardian. The contest is aimed at giving a lucky kid the same experience that Neil Armstrong had for his first-ever flight, back in July of 1936, when his father took him on a flight in a Ford Tri-Motor airplane in Warren, Ohio.
That inaugural flight would be the spark for Armstrong to pursue his life-long passion of aviation that would ultimately make him the famous for the being the first person to walk on the moon. For the Air and Space Museum, this contest is about honoring that legacy of the Wapakoneta native and inspiring the next generation of aviators.
"It'll be at Neil Armstrong Airport in New Knoxville, and it's going to be on Friday, July 18, and then from that, they'll lift off, and I believe it's going to be about 30 to 45 minutes," said Logan Rex, curator and communications director for the museum. "They'll go in a predetermined pattern, and then they'll land right back at the airport. It's a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor, so it's going to be a it's going to be a very interesting flight for their first time. It's going to be an amazing experience, and hopefully that could spark their curiosity, just like it did for Neil."
The first flight contest is currently accepting applications. The deadline to apply is by Thursday, July 10th at 6 PM. Applicants are for children ages 5 through 12 and must not have flown in an aircraft prior to the contest.
You can apply online at armstrongmuseum.org. The winner will be announced on Friday, July 11th.
The Ford Tri-Motor plane will also be offering flights at the Wapakoneta Summer Moon Festival; tickets can be purchased from July 15th to July 20th and more information can be found at summermoonfestival.com.
