Mayor's Plane Will "Rock" Sea-Tac Airport

- Restored 1928 Eaglerock biplane dedicated in the airport arrivals hall -

A 1928 Alexander Eaglerock biplane was dedicated today and is flying high in the Gina Marie Arrivals Hall of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. City of SeaTac Mayor Frank Hansen and his brother, Victor, restored the aircraft and then donated it to The Museum of Flight. The vintage aircraft, still in flyable condition, joins a replica of the high-tech Voyager Aircraft, also on display in the arrivals hall and also on loan from The Museum of Flight.

"This airplane means a great deal to my family and me," said Hansen. "My brother and I restored it in honor of our father, who barnstormed in an Eaglerock in the 1920s."

Mayor Hansen is himself a pilot, flying commercial aircraft out of Sea-Tac until his retirement in 1986.

"I feel a real connection to this airport. It's a joy and an honor to have my family's aircraft on display here."

The plane, which holds Federal Aviation Administration registration number N4648, is just under 25 feet long and has a wingspan of 36 feet. It weighs 2,180 pounds fully loaded, with a range of 395 miles at a cruising speed of 85 mph.

Versions of the Eaglerock were among the first planes to receive a type acceptance from the federal government, at a time when aviation was just beginning to be regulated. One version received type acceptance #7, another received type acceptance #8.

The Alexander Airplane Company produced aircraft in Denver. For aircraft of that era, just taking off from the Mile High City was a challenge. The Eaglerock was among several models of aircraft intended to be replacements for aging World War I aircraft that had been converted to civilian use.

"We are thrilled to have this aircraft on display at Sea-Tac," said Airport Managing Director Mark Reis. "We think travelers will enjoy seeing this aviation pioneer in the same facility with today's very modern, very high-tech, and very large aircraft."