Taylorcraft representation at Airventure

[EXPlanes]

After attending Oshkosh for years I have noticed over the past few years that Taylorcraft has not been represented in the barn with the Aeronca's and Piper's. Is there another area where the Tcrafters gather other than the flight line? There used to be a table with a couple of ladies selling Tcraft stickers and other gifts and often someone talking Tcraft with visitors.

As an EAA Chapter president I realize how difficult it is to get new younger members (ha, someone about 50yrs old now a days) and also see how younger flyers gravitate to glass cockpits in spam cans and bypass the tube and fabric craft not knowing what they are missing. Guess that is for another topic!

[Robert Lees]

Forrest Barber (bless his cotton socks) used to host a table there for years, but essentially due to lack of interest, he gave it up (rightly in my opinion). No-one has really carried the mantle since then.
We are such a smaller type community, with very few attendees at Oshkosh.

Forrest used to also host a Forum Tent (which I hosted one year when he couldn't make it) but as said, it's not worth the EAA bothering for such a small turnout. The Baker family has done sterling work for several years too.

I've flown into OSH with a Taylorcraft three times, and only the first time (2001) was there a "Taylorcraft row" at the event.

[EXPlanes]

It sounds like when our generation of Tcraft owners and flyers are gone our aircraft will end up on history's pile of taildraggers!

[Jim Herpst]

Trying to get mine finished this year or by spring next year. at the latest. I am going to be looking to pick up a banner for this however not until finished with my project at hand. I have been running a large EAA Chapter (i guess 150 members is large) for 10 years. As a Corporate AC broker (and light craft also) and lifetime marketing salesperson and Taylorcraft lover hopeful I can contribute to this cause. I am going to (try) revive the Taylorcraft type club with at least regional get togethers. I am defiantly going to host the deep south with a Taylorcraft Fly in in Columbia SC at KCUB. I think we have the interest and also hopeful the younger mind set is interested. I think they are.... I am not convinced Oshkosh is the best place for a Taylorcraft revival at least present times...past history is a great predictor for the present. Kind of tuff to "sell" the brand at a place where not many Taylorcraft folks go (and perhaps for a good reason(S) Other great opportunities exist in less of a carnival environment is my bet.

[EXPlanes]

Jim, I applaud you making the effort to keep the Taylorcraft brand alive. Two years ago Oshkosh had four Tcraft on the grounds and it was written up in the Sport Pilot magazine.
I also believe a local type event is probably better than the Airventure circus. My initial post was to see if any pilots still gather at the event rather than return to the past approach. When it comes to the Tcraft I sometimes wonder if age of the owner/ pilots is the main issue so few are around at any of the flyins. In the north at the local flyins I have seen only two Tcraft yet I know there are a few others being rebuilt and a few just taking up space in a hanger where the owner will probably never fly it again but does not want to part with it.

[Jim Herpst]

Jim, I applaud you making the effort to keep the Taylorcraft brand alive. Two years ago Oshkosh had four Tcraft on the grounds and it was written up in the Sport Pilot magazine.
I also believe a local type event is probably better than the Airventure circus. My initial post was to see if any pilots still gather at the event rather than return to the past approach. When it comes to the Tcraft I sometimes wonder if age of the owner/ pilots is the main issue so few are around at any of the flyins. In the north at the local flyins I have seen only two Tcraft yet I know there are a few others being rebuilt and a few just taking up space in a hanger where the owner will probably never fly it again but does not want to part with it.

Not sure it is totally an age of owner issue (frankly that is accross the board on many brands) Frankly I do not know. I do see a good many posts on the Facebook page with newbies asking some pretty basic questions (A GOOD thing) I get the feeling many of them are younger but again I do not know. I think if we could get a good type club going and use regional flyins as a concept of proof...perhaps one day with a strong following of ACTIVE FLYERS we could then have a Taylorcrafts to Oshkosh mass arrival. Frankly though as we seem to agree Oshkosh is not the answer for the immediate term . Then there is the fact that Taylorcrafts always lost out to other brands in the popularity contest...although they also seem to attract what I would chacterize as "a pilots pilot " kind of person that recognized the beautiful lines as it must righly so fly that way..which we all know as proven. We definitely have some work cut out for ourselves as a group to achieve more recognition in a sea of other brands..with so many projects out there I do believe it is going to take few proud folks to carry on the banner. Fortunately parts are not a huge issue although the loss of Aero Fabricators (Wag Aero) was a blow as they were supplying parts Forrest Barber had provided a list of
" most needed" years back. That is a real issue but not insurmountable (with money)

[kevinbrooker]

I like the idea of having a way to gather a bunch of airplanes together and would love to meet a few people to kick around some ideas of how to host a gathering of Tcrafts. OSH would be a great place to meet up. The rub for me is flying out from VT its 14 hours flight time each way. 4-6 days of flying which is not the rub. The hassles come from the potential of getting caught by bad weather and other aspects outside of my control. Rather than have one big get together, putting on a few regional shindigs might be the way to go. 500 miles seems a reasonable distance for having an adventure but not being a huge commitment. My interest in seeing other ships is discovering how owners install radios, baggage, intercoms, seats, and make the airplane a bit more user friendly in a very electronic world. My Tcraft has a 65 hp engine and it'd be a blast to fly with a 75, 85, and O200 to see what the differences are. Itd also be nice to see where other Tcraft pilots are based and build a library of places to fly to or be able to stop in for assistance on longer trips. Besides having some food, what would make a gathering attractive and a must attend event?

[Jim Herpst]

I like the idea of having a way to gather a bunch of airplanes together and would love to meet a few people to kick around some ideas of how to host a gathering of Tcrafts. OSH would be a great place to meet up. The rub for me is flying out from VT its 14 hours flight time each way. 4-6 days of flying which is not the rub. The hassles come from the potential of getting caught by bad weather and other aspects outside of my control. Rather than have one big get together, putting on a few regional shindigs might be the way to go. 500 miles seems a reasonable distance for having an adventure but not being a huge commitment. My interest in seeing other ships is discovering how owners install radios, baggage, intercoms, seats, and make the airplane a bit more user friendly in a very electronic world. My Tcraft has a 65 hp engine and it'd be a blast to fly with a 75, 85, and O200 to see what the differences are. Itd also be nice to see where other Tcraft pilots are based and build a library of places to fly to or be able to stop in for assistance on longer trips. Besides having some food, what would make a gathering attractive and a must attend event?

That was my thought. When I get finished with the plane I will be looking for Taylorcraft owner folks by region willing to step up to host a flyin. I will do the deep south region. We will need Mid Atlantic , North east, Midwest, North west, South West and West. This could be fun, educational and great fellowship!