The Flamingo was first flown from
Lunken Airport on 8 April 1928 by Thomas E. Halpin. At one point, the aircraft carried an African-American porter in a red suit named Benny Smith. Following a teaser, marketing for the new airplane began in March 1929 and dealers were being solicited by the following month. One G-2-W, named
El Rio Caroní, is best remembered for its role in the discovery of
Angel Falls by
Jimmy Angel in 1935. Although well known to the local indigenous population, the falls had been glimpsed only by European explorers until Jimmy Angel crash-landed while attempting to land above the falls on
Auyán-tepui during gold exploration. The Metal Aircraft Corporation Flamingo that crashed above the falls was recovered by helicopter in the 1960s by the
Venezuelan government and is on display at the entrance of the
Ciudad Bolívar airport, in Venezuela. A replica was put in its place for visitors of the crash site. Other operators included the Mason & Dixon airline. Another operator of the aircraft was United States Airways which flew a route from Denver to Kansas City in the early 1930s. Stops were made Goodland, Salina, and Topeka, Kansas. ==Variants==