Amon G. Carter’s Travel Air 5000 Aircraft, 400 W. 7th Street
Amon G. Carter was the leading figure in Fort Worth’s aviation history and tirelessly promoted the city as a major hub for early commercial air mail and airline operations as well as aviation manufacturing in Texas. This Travel Air 5000 aircraft was the first of 8 acquired by National Air Transport in 1927 to fly the Chicago to Fort Worth/Dallas air mail route and offer passenger service. These early four-passenger airliners were later replaced with larger aircraft and, in honor of Amon Carter’s early support, National Air Transport presented their first Travel Air 5000 to him during a ceremony at Meacham Field in 1931. The airplane was flown to Carter’s Shady Oak Farm where it remained for the next 30 years and was forgotten to history.
In 1961, the deteriorated aircraft was acquired by Harry Hansen, a Continental Air Lines pilot, who began restoring the plane with the idea of returning it to flying status. Fort Worth Aviation Museum staff located the plane in 2010 and, in June 2011, began planning to acquire the plane for eventual restoration and display in the restored Historic Star-Telegram Building in Fort Worth. The museum supported Cowtown Aerocrafters in Justin during the year-long restoration of the aircraft and its original engine, and documented their restoration work. The restoration was completed in August 2014 and the Travel Air 5000 was moved to the Historic Star-Telegram Building where it is now on display.
