KALAMAZOO, Mich.--   Now is your chance to fly in a historic 84-year-old airliner.

Starting July 18, visitors to the Air Zoo can take a ride in a restored 1929 Ford Tri-Motor.  The Ford Tri-Motor was the world’s first mass-produced airliner.  Between 1925 and 1933, Ford Motor Co. built 199 Tri Motors.  However, only 12 remain today.

Visitors can reserve a seat aboard the Ford Tri-Motor through July 21.  Tickets are $70 per person in advance, $75 at the gate and $50 for children 17 and younger.  The flight will last about 15 minutes.  To purchase tickets, visit www.flytheford.org or call 1-877-952-5395.

Join us in celebrating Michigan products with the Made in Michigan Bracket Challenge. Click HERE to download the bracket.

Each day we'll have four matchups, one from each bracket, as we go through some of our great Made in Michigan products.

First winner of the Pothole Pocketbook Contest receives $500 for pothole-related repairs

LANSING, Mich. – Nicole VanPutten of Kalamazoo is the first winner of the Pothole Pocketbook Contest and will receive $500 for pothole-related repairs to her vehicle, the Michigan Transportation Team (MTT) announced today. VanPutten submitted her $700 repair bill after her husband hit an unavoidable pothole on his way to work.

“My husband drives from Kalamazoo to East Lansing every day because he works at Michigan State University,” VanPutten said in her entry. “He [had] been avoiding the same hole, but it [had] been getting larger and larger. Finally, it was just too big and he hit it. It caused $700 in damage to our VW. The entire wheel had to be replaced ... and they had to keep our car for four days.”