Hi-Way Ford

"Hi-Way" was the name of NC5492, the 21st Ford 4-AT built. Larkin's encyclopedic book on Trimotors lists the initial owner as Air Cruises Inc. of Detriot, as shown in our photo, with NC5492 being delivered on June 22, 1928. From May 1931 until June 1932, it was operated by Belle Fourche Air Lines, of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, before going back to Air Cruises for a short time.

One internet reference suggests that the plane was operated by Detroit's Kohler Aviation (who showed up on this blog a few weeks ago, in our Loeing article), but other than being in the same city, I can find no direct connection between Air Cruises and Kohnler.

NC5492's time in the US was relatively short, sinc in June 1933, the plane was purchased by the Government of Peru and shipped to South America, where it disappears from history after 1940.

The University of South Florida also has a photo of this Trimotor in their collection, and the notes from their photo indicate that four names, Perry, Hutton, Edward, Hamilton were also painted on the front of the plane, although they don't appear in our image.