In 1928, Consolidated Aircraft of Buffalo, New York, was interested in producing a civilian trainer similar to the company's PT and "Husky" military trainers. After designing the Fleet Model 1 biplane, named after Major Ruben Fleet from Consolidated Aircraft, Consolidated opened the new Fleet Aircraft facility in Long Island, New York. The Fleet 1 had a 110 hp Warner Scarab engine, while the Model 2, which was also began production in 1928, was powered by a 100 hp Kinner engine. These Fleet planes were very popular for beginner students learning to fly. Speeds were very slow rarely exceeding 95 mph. The Navy used them as dirigible trainers to teach pilots how to hook onto the huge airships. In 1929 a Fleet 2, new from the factory, would have cost $5,500. Two years later, during the depression, they were only $3,985. Today they are valuable collectors items.

This particular Fleet 2 biplane, serial #229, was built in 1929 by the Fleet Aircraft Company, on Long Island, New York. There have been several owners and even more pilots of this semi-historic airplane. Early reports were that Charles Lindbergh was presented the aircraft by The Fleet Aircraft Company to promote the Fleet 2 to potential buyers. Paul Mantz, the film producer and Hollywood stunt pilot, was actually a one time owner of this same plane. He used it to charter celebrities in Southern California and provide occasional lessons. The Fleet even appeared in the early version of the movie "Wings," where it was designated as a World War One biplane fighter. It was near this time that Mantz accompanied Amelia Earhart on her first unsuccessful circumnavigation of the world. After her aircraft was damaged in a take off accident in Hawaii with Mantz on board, they both returned to Los Angeles by ship to await the repair of her aircraft. It was at this time that she was reported to have a romantic affair with Paul Mantz and that she made occasional flights in this Fleet airplane. Afterwards, she proceeded on her second around the world flight, this time with Fred Noonan as her navigator, rather than Paul Mantz. This second flight ended in tragedy with their disappearance in the South Pacific.

Paul Mantz set a new world record of outside loops in a Fleet 2, which might well have been this same aircraft. Years later Mantz would become even more famous for his contribution to numerous other aviation films, until his death in a failed stunt for his last film, "The Flight of the Phoenix."

In 1956 the Fleet 2 was sold to Charles Pheifer of Northern California. Pheifer was best known for building replica World War One biplane fighters and he went about to modify the Fleet by removing the 100hp Kinner engine, strengthened the wings and fuselage, and installing a 190hp Lycoming engine with a Hartzell hydro-selective propeller. The airplane was sold in 1959 to Leroy Cox, the owner of the company that was the largest producer of aviation engines in all of history. Cox, owner and president of L.M. Cox Manufacturing, a model toy maker, flew the Fleet for 11 years for his own recreational use.

There were several more owners who enjoyed flying the Fleet 2 in California and Hawaii, before the plane was purchased by the Fighter Factory in 1996 and shipped to Virginia. The true value of this aircraft is by being able to again find the original log books. During the plane's early years of existence, pilots were required to list each individual flight in these records. Several former owners and related persons that had seen these original logs remarked about having witnesses the signatures and notations from Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Unfortunately, much of this past history cannot be validated until the log books are again recovered. Although unsuccessful at locating the original log books, there are still many other letters and testimonies of this plane once holding the World Outside Loop record as well as attesting to the flights by celebrities and historic figures. A more recent addition to its history, this Fleet 2 has also made an appearance in the show "Magnum PI" with Tom Selleck, when it was used in a dream sequence. This valuable aircraft is for sale or trade.