In 1931, 42 of this type aircraft were manufactured at Glendale, L.I., New York.  Two Bird CK aircraft were flown to 6^th and 7^th place finishes in the 1931 National Air Tour by William Lancaster and Lee Gehlbach, averaging more than 100 MPH for the duration of the race.  The Bird was a most popular barnstorming plane of the period and was capable of carrying up to three passengers at a time.  It barnstormed here at Old Rhinebeck for many years taking hundreds of passengers for thrilling open-cockpit biplane rides.

Mr. Nick Kucki of Chicago started the restoration of the Bird in the 1960s.  The project was sold to Mr. H.N. "Dusty" Rhodes 80% completed.  Mr. Rhodes finished the restoration and flew the Bird to re-enact the first night airmail flight on February 22, 1967 starting at North Platte, Nebraska and finishing in Omaha.  The flight took Mr. Rhodes through 12-degree temperatures and moderate snow as he neared Omaha.  The last hour of the flight was made on four cylinders.  The re-enactment of this historic flight was the opening act in Nebraska’s centennial celebration.  Both before and after the flight the Bird was used to hop passengers at air shows in Western Nebraska, Northeast Colorado and Eastern Wyoming and Mr. Rhodes logged several hundred hours in the aircraft before selling it to Cole Palen.