Taylorcraft Anniversary?

[clear_prop1961]

What is considered the founding date/year of Taylorcraft? Is it 1936? Would 2016 be the 80th Anniversary of our Taylorcrafts?
Jerry

[M Towsley]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

Wouldn't matter. You will never see a mass fly-in to Oshkosh like you saw for Cubs, Ercoupes, Cessnas, Seabees, Mooneys, Bonanzas, etc. ad nauseum.

Sorry to hijack your thread, I'm sure someone will pop-up with the answer. I would have to go grab the Taylorcraft bible, Chet Peek's book, and look.

[Robert Lees]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

There were ten Taylorcraft (at least) at Blakesburg this year (and only 4 at Oshkosh).

I'd suggest the founding date for the Taylorcraft was 1932

[M Towsley]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

And only a seventy five or so Cubs at OSH for their 75th?

Ten Taylorcrafts anywhere is a reunion.

While having over eleven years of Taylorcraft ownership I have only two times been at an airport in Illinois where there were two Taylorcrafts on it at the same time. One time it was my current Taylorcraft and one that I had sold a couple of years before and the other was when Mike Jones and I were at Olney, IL for a fly-in several years back. Sad.....

[clear_prop1961]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

Robert- If one is referring to the creation of the Taylor Cub (model E-2) as the start of "Taylorcraft" then a date of 1930 per Chet's book would make sense. The Taylor Chummy goes back earlier... 1927. However I'm thinking Taylorcraft really started in 1936 with the construction and first flight of the Model A, s/n 25. At least most of today's Taylorcraft has it's heritage back to that Model A but I'll let others more knowledge then me decide.

Marty- I think you are looking at any future Taylorcraft Reunion the wrong way. We all know that although we appreciate and enjoy flying our Taylorcrafts it really is the people we meet and the friends we make as result of owning a Taylorcraft and keep it flying that is lasting. There are a lot of interesting people that own or who have flown Taylorcrafts and each has a story to tell and a Reunion enables them to tell that story and renew old friendships. A perfect example of this is Robert telling us (on this forum) the story of his flying through the north west. Of course hearing it in person is the best. I don't believe you need 25 aircraft or even 10 aircraft to have a successful reunion... I think its quality and not quantity. Another thing I have learned over the years is that we can do a lot to create the future, to make things happen if we choose to. The people who started the EAA and AAA started with just a dream. Don't let poor Taylorcraft attendance in past fly-ins discourage you from dreaming big or small. Remember it's the people.
Jerry

[M Towsley]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

Jerry,

It is the people I would like to meet in-person that I am interested in. (Plus I would like to see what other owner's planes look like). I have been on this forum for over ten years and have literally met a handful of the people on here. For example, at Oshkosh I have tried to find people at the table that is manned by the aircraft type clubs. Every table was manned but ours. The person who has much of the knowledge and paperwork has apparently taken a permanent leave-of-absence from this Forum and from most of the people on this forum.

As I have said before, the Taylorcraft seems to be the bastard step-child of the aviation world. Almost every Cub you see looks like it just came out of the factory while many T-Crafts look like they are on their last leg. Cubs have a very active type club, we don't. I am not sure why this is. If this forum disappeared so would almost all of our knowledge base. The people that I call the movers and shakers of our airplane type and have the knowledge and contacts to make something happen, don't. Usually only a handful of owners can meet, usually at Oshkosh. I count maybe three or four airplanes at OSH when I have been able to make it.

I have always been a big believer in our little airplane, which I am sure many can attest to. However, I haven't the knowledge of the type that many on here do nor do I know the people that say, for example, Forrest knows. I think you missed my point. You say you don't need airplanes to have a reunion but airplanes at a fly-in equals people who fly those airplanes. I doubt a 'reunion' will ever occur anywhere unless you believe a reunion at a Holiday Inn Express in some town without airplanes is a 'reunion'.

The fly-in at Alliance sometimes musters four or five Taylorcrafts, maybe. I have made that fly-in twice, which is a very long way for me to fly to, and I was extremely disappointed by the lack of airplanes even though the fly-in is touted as the Taylorcraft Reunion. Alliance is the home of Taylorcraft and still you cannot get more than five planes and their owners together. I just don't understand how the other aircraft types can have a highly advertised and attended anniversary fly-in at OSH and nothing was ever done for Taylorcraft.

[clear_prop1961]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

Marty- If you are disappointed in the turn out of Taylorcrafts at Alliance or OSH then why don't you do something about it. Become a spark plug for the cause.... be a leader and not a follower. Make a list of all the Taylorcraft owners within 250 miles of your place and call them and invite them to a BBQ at your field. Make it fun and people will come back the next time and will pass the word around. How about sitting at the table at the type club building at OSH and get peoples contact information and then invite them to your fly-in/BBQ. Get to know the people that come and before you know it you'll have many Taylorcrafts and owners attending and a memorable experience. If you have the event at your place the weekend before or the weekend after OSH you may be surprised at how many will come from longer distances.

Don't take my comments wrong but you can talk about the problem or you can do something about it.
Jerry

[Ryan]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

1936 is considered to be the 1st year of Taylorcraft. I would love to see a group of tcrafts at Oshkosh. While I know that we would never achieve the numbers that other types may, I think we could achieve a row or twos worth. My dad and I have two (BC12D and the 15A) and could probably get another 2 more who have expressed interest in the idea.

As far as competing with Cubs, it will never happen. Marty used the best word to describe Cubs, cult. I also believe the amount of cub copies have allowed the J3 legend to grow. Maybe a by product of companies like Taylorcraft and American champion trying to produce aircraft into the 1990s and 2000s where Piper has not built j3s since the 40s which has provided cheap replaceable parts? I dunno. Cubs seem to attract a younger crowd. I know many younger Cub pilots. Most of the tcraft pilots I know are older and now unwilling to travel x country. I for one would be interested in meeting up a weekend before Oshkosh for example in a place in Illinois Wisconsin and would be willing to help put that together if there is a willing host airport.

[Ryan]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

1936 is considered to be the 1st year of Taylorcraft. I would love to see a group of tcrafts at Oshkosh. While I know that we would never achieve the numbers that other types may, I think we could achieve a row or twos worth. My dad and I have two (BC12D and the 15A) and could probably get another 2 more who have expressed interest in the idea.

As far as competing with Cubs, it will never happen. Marty used the best word to describe Cubs, cult. I also believe the amount of cub copies have allowed the J3 legend to grow. Maybe a by product of companies like Taylorcraft and American champion trying to produce aircraft into the 1990s and 2000s where Piper has not built j3s since the 40s which has provided cheap replaceable parts? I dunno. Cubs seem to attract a younger crowd. I know many younger Cub pilots. Most of the tcraft pilots I know are older and now unwilling to travel x country. I for one would be interested in meeting up a weekend before Oshkosh for example in a place in Illinois Wisconsin and would be willing to help put that together if there is a willing host airport.

[M Towsley]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

Jerry,

My home base is Class C airspace. That alone would kill any kind of fly-in plus there is no where to park. But then again, there will probably be plenty of parking since no one would show.

I am not a fan of OSH. I think it has gotten too big and forgotten where they came from. Every year I go I wonder why I did and have to remind myself to NOT go the next year. OSH has turned into a party for the warbird guys, (I love warbirds, am involved in a local museum full of them for over twenty years, give tours all the time and do plenty of 'volunteering'). You would not believe how well EAA caters, and I mean literally caters, to the warbird owners.

And again, there are people much more qualified to sit at a type-club table than myself. I believe there is a reason why no one was at the table on the many occasions I dropped by. There just wasn't anyone there to do it.

I tire of the "Don't be the problem, be the answer" type of thinking when you don't know me. I specifically flew out to Alliance, Ohio for the reunion several years ago as I had been informed I had been chosen as the Midwest Rep for the Taylorcraft Foundation due to my enthusiasm for the Taylorcraft airplane. I hadn't a clue what that entailed, still don't, but I still work at my local airport to further the cause for general aviation and the legacy airplanes that are based there. There are other people who have been involved with these large organizations, EAA and Sun N Fun, and the turnout of our planes is horrible. I don't think I will succeed much when others who are experienced in this sort of thing, fail.

[mikerice]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

Part of the reunion problem is distance, and a slow moving aircraft, as has been mentioned already.

Flying to Oshkosh is a daunting trip from Texas, and I suspect most east and west coast Tcraft owners feel the same. I can do the trip skill wise, but I had better have 2 weeks to make it to Oshkosh and back.

Reading Rob Lees account of his trip out west and then down to Texas was awe inspiring. He did what I have only dreamed about. He is truly the winner of the Iron Butt award.

Terry Bowden has set up the Central Texas Fly-in for several years, and that has been a great success in my eyes. Maybe 10-15 aircraft some years and 4-5 other years, but the trip is doable for anyone in Texas and the facilities can not be beat at Ft Parker. We have invited Cessna 120-140s too, and that has been fun, with excellent competition in the spot landing contest.

I am thinking about getting our Tcraft to Oshkosh 2016, and tag teaming the trip with another pilot- one flying to Oshkosh and another bringing the aircraft home. We have been talking about doing it for years, maybe it is time to pull trigger.

[clear_prop1961]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

Last week I talked to Bob Taylor of the AAA and suggested that some year they should have the Taylorcraft as one of their "Featured" aircraft. He said that he would pass this on to Brent Taylor (who is now the President of AAA). At the time I did not know that 2016 would be the 80th anniversary, so we'll see if anything comes of this but I wanted to give everyone a heads up on this. Blakesburg, IA is centrally located in the Midwest and could draw more then a few Taylorcrafts. Myself I would much rather attend Blakesburg then OSH... more of a family type get together. For most of you Midwesterners it should be less then a day's trip and not to far to go.

Anyway if you are a AAA member why don't you call Brent and suggest they do that next year. If you are not a member then I suggest you join.
Jerry

[Mark Bowden]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

An 80th anniversary would be fun. What is an attendance success number, what would people like to see, 20, 40, more airplanes? Additionally what would make it work, I would offer some thoughts:

To get a high turnout, it likely needs to be at an existing air show or fly in so there is multiple reasons to go. Make the reunion an event that would add to the air show hosts promotion efforts and help increase their overall success, which means they might also help us in some way. A place where they would be happy to have us and let us park together.

Enough advance notice from now so it gets reserved on every one's calendars and people commit to it and plan for it. What is that, at least 6 months from now?

Location, central enough that attendance can be maximized. This means the Midwest if you put a rule of thumb that 2 days it the max most would-could fly to something and back which makes it a 5 day commitment with no weather issues. So most likely it's a location that has a radius of 10 hours flying and one day event. 900 mile radius to be flown in 1 or 2 days.

Enough city infrastructure to handle a place for everyone to stay, camping is only for a few and if you bring a passenger, that is no option, can't carry gear.

Is there place we can have a forum or series of forums where we can learn things from other members, like: how to, services providers, making parts, flying techniques, awesome trips we took..? How to get the next generation of owners into the club?

So what might qualify of the above? The only thing I can think of is Blakesburg or Lee Bottom Migration (had a Champ v. Cub attendance contest) but that has an east location bias. A 900 mile radius from Blakesburg covers everything from the continental divide to the east coast except for south Florida. They have done a type anniversary "event" in the past. Otherwise it may have to be a series of regional events like KOSH, Sun-n-fun, or Ladies Love Taildraggers which doesn't have the same appeal as a big occasion. The big events are located where it excludes a lot of the group due to distance and weather risk.
Mark

[mikerice]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

Excellent post Mark with good ideas-

I like the idea of the Antique Airplane Association fly-in in Blakesburg, IA. 2015 event was Sept 2-7. Its closer than Oshkosh with a definite antique focus. We would fit right in, invited or not.

I have flown to Kansas City from Austin in my Taylorcraft in one day, Blakesburg, IA would be easy in two days, possibly one long day.

I think an argument could be made for the 70 year anniversary of the 1946 Taylorcraft BC12D, it seems like more exist of this model than any others...

I am going to pencil in Blakesburg as a must do in 2016, and try to talk it up in Texas with the Central Texas Taylorcrafters. Hopefully we can get a few Tcraft to go. That would be fun.

[VanDy]

Re: Taylorcraft Anniversary?

Brodhead, cough, cough.. I cant speak for anyone there or anything, but the Pietenpol reunion is the weekend before brodhead, and open to all.

1936 is considered to be the 1st year of Taylorcraft. I would love to see a group of tcrafts at Oshkosh. While I know that we would never achieve the numbers that other types may, I think we could achieve a row or twos worth. My dad and I have two (BC12D and the 15A) and could probably get another 2 more who have expressed interest in the idea.

As far as competing with Cubs, it will never happen. Marty used the best word to describe Cubs, cult. I also believe the amount of cub copies have allowed the J3 legend to grow. Maybe a by product of companies like Taylorcraft and American champion trying to produce aircraft into the 1990s and 2000s where Piper has not built j3s since the 40s which has provided cheap replaceable parts? I dunno. Cubs seem to attract a younger crowd. I know many younger Cub pilots. Most of the tcraft pilots I know are older and now unwilling to travel x country. I for one would be interested in meeting up a weekend before Oshkosh for example in a place in Illinois Wisconsin and would be willing to help put that together if there is a willing host airport.