How do you use your taylorcraft?

[FunkyMonkey]

Hey guys, my family is questioning owning a taylorcraft so I'm attempting to justify it. I can't seem to come up with any convincing applications for the airplane. Its probably hopeless but now im curious, how do you use your taylorcraft productively? It may not help me at all but at least i'll feel like it is possible for a taylorcraft to be viewed as practical by non-pilots.

It would probably be a lot easier to convince them if i lived in Alaska.

[Don]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

Hi Steve, my name is Don and I live way up in North Idaho. I use my
BC12D-85 primarily "TO GET MY FIX". I love and live to fly. I also like to hunt and fish , but my top priorty is flying. I'm 72 and retired. I learned to fly in 1968, got a commercial and instrument rating. I sold my 182 , that I owned for 18 years, and bought a Taylorcraft, and went into light sport aviation......I fly into a lot of state owned airstrips where I can fish for a morning and be back home in the afternoon, but also I can just "go up" and kill bugs........My wife likes it also because it gets me out her hair for a few hours.............The T-Craft is a lot cheaper to own and fly, which is good , being on a fixed income, and allows me more hours in the air, and I don't need to talk to towers, approaches, or centers........Life is great, especially in a T-Craft. Every day you don't fly is gone forever, every day you do is a memory forever..............Don't ever sell your beautiful bird, you'll regret it forever...................

[robbie]

Re: How do you use your Taylorcraft?

Do you like to fly, and air knock around the area.
Fly a t-craft.
Want to take the family out 200 miles for lunch and what ever, go get your self a $50,000 plane.
You can't justify it, you do it for the love of flying.

[Frank DeBartolo]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

Love of flying. There is no other reason to own an airplane like the Taylorcraft--or to spend the time and money on the airplane and the hobby in general. The Taylorcraft gives you back in enjoyment every dollar you spend on it. It also gives back because it is such a great performer. With 65 horses you can get a good rate of climb, respectable cruise speed, and the Taylorcraft can do any maneuver that any other airplane in the normal or utility category can do. It is a joy to fly. Furthermore, if you can fly the Taylorcraft well, you can fly any C-150, Aeronca Champ, J-3 Cub, or any other light trainer well.

Frank D
N43684

[NC95842]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

Tell the wife it will keep you from cheating on her. it is a safe way to fly, and if flying is your dream and money is tight, go flying! You will be able to sell the plane years later for more then you paid for it. Try that with an SUV!

I drive an old Alfa Romeo spider or my raggedy old 71 bug convertible, I pay almost nothing for insurance and gas, every year my house, cars, and airplane are worth just a little more. I live an enchanted life on very little money. My wife feels the same way. You should never half to “justify” your love… whether be her or flying! Passion is flying! If you hold it back here, it just might leak out in “other ways”

Best of luck!

[perryv1]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

I have the opportunity to commute from my camp to work (when the weather cooperates)and I also use it for work. But mostly,I fly for the fun of it.The other benefit I have is the people that fly simular type airplanes.This group of people is the best there is.Owners of more expensive airplanes tend to look at us as the little guys,and dont really see what the attraction is,(at least in my case)But happiness is relitive to your tax bracket I guess.
If you think you need a larger plane,Buy one! It all comes down to cost of ownership,but I have one friend that told me that if he couln't fly his 206 then he wouldnt get caught flying a paper airplane.
Now,he has Nothing.
PV

[jstall]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

Hey guys, my family is questioning owning a taylorcraft so I'm attempting to justify it. I can't seem to come up with any convincing applications for the airplane. Its probably hopeless but now im curious, how do you use your taylorcraft productively? It may not help me at all but at least i'll feel like it is possible for a taylorcraft to be viewed as practical by non-pilots.

It would probably be a lot easier to convince them if i lived in Alaska.

Most of the other responses summed it up pretty well. "There is very little to any "justification for owning a small aircraft such as the cub, t craft, champ, ercoupe, Luscomb, etc."""". They are hobby aircraft, they are fun, and relatively cheap to operate. If you are anything like myself, I don't hunt any longer, don't golf, fish, or really travel alot. I love to fly arround and just look at the ground, and play. For about the same money as it takes to buy a Harley, you can have the cart. If you like the cart better, then thats it in a nutshell. All folks that work or have worked enjoyed productive lives owe it to themselves to enjoy something for that effort. Simply its a fun clean hobby. They are not business A/C. few are until you get into twins and up.
These aircraft will hold your capital together, operate at about 20 miles/gal
and supply hrs of fun. right now we are going thru some adjustment in the
"catch up in maintenance" so the strut deal is expensive or can be, but once thru this it should settle down. I feel that the last of general aviation for the enthusiasts will be in the form of experimental, and light sport, and particularly something that will operate on lower octane fuels/car gas and such. High performance fuel guslers are going to be hard pressed to survive in the coming years. 100 LL is going away, regulation of aircraft, security
and fuel availablity is going to choke it out. The little A/C will survive, just as the case in Europe, which this happened decades ago. So just tell em
don't justify, just fly.

Keep the Blue side Up

J Stallings
Alva, Ok

[tawadc95]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

any way I want that day,
seeing the sunset or rise,practice crop dusting
anywhere that is short and narrow
going fishing or shooting somewhere
taking my wife to breakfast
teaching my kids to fly and poising my grand daughter with the love of flight
flight skills honing
stuff

[lfries]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

I landed at an airport once to get some breakfast. A Cheynne came in
after me. While I was tying her down the Cheynne door opens a boy
around 4 comes down the stairs. Sees the Taylorcraft, turns around to his Dad and says " Dad a real Airplane".

[Buell Powell]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

My favorite time to take my ole T/craft up is when I wake up and it's just to nice to work and I take off as soon as the sun comes up. It's really nice on a trip to NE Texas. It cost about the same as by car, usually about 1/2 the time,is a lot more fun, no traffic signals or speed limit signs, instead of tired and stressed when we get there I'm ready to go let my Dad take her for a spin. My wife packs everthing she can get in the car-it's great when we get home to only have what we can carry in the T/craft. It's just a great little plane to fly-it's honest and will do what it is supposed to as long as I hold my end of the bargain.I don't think there's any plane any better for what it is designed for-it's fast-easy on fuel-and fun to fly.

[Frank DeBartolo]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

I had the same experience last summer at Prairie Du Chien Wisconsin. There were newer and more expensive airplanes on the ramp including a Cessna 210 and some other great airplanes that were sitting on the ramp along with my airplane, but it was my modest BC12-D that that the FBO took a picture of to add to the collection of airplane pictures on the wall in the FBO's office.

Made my day.

Frank D
N43684

[Larry Lyons]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

Now, there is a kid that should be enshrined in our own personal (Taylorcraft) hall of fame!



LL

[flyguy]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

They are probably right you know.

I mean, really, what is the practicality of being free to turn around at 1200 feet to survey the Buddhist shrine below in all it's strange beauty shining in the late afternoon sun where it sits on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean beach, surrounded by streamers of glaring white coastal fog drifting up the gray green slopes.

What is the usefulness of swooping up the grassy golden slope of a coastal hill, one wing pointing down at the row of hikers below who all turn and wave as you swoosh by the crest, vaulting away from the ridge into the open sky.

What real good is it to be able to look over at your best friend's beautiful silver craft all aglow in the light of the setting sun as you swing along side of him in a turn over the field at the end of the day. Then to slide quietly down final, touch down softly, and as you roll out, consider that just maybe today might have been the finest day of your life.

No, there obviously is no possible practical use for such a machine and one should face up to cold reality and rid himself of such a useless device as soon as possible.

[DanBrown]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

Not to mention that we live longer and stay healthier when we are passionatly involved.

[whake]

Re: How do you use your taylorcraft?

Give your family the gift of flying lessons. Let them have the feel of being free of this good old Earth, Free of the poitical nightmare, Free to look down at the green forest, Free to navigate the rivers from the air. See the rows of corn fields from the air, in my case rows of orange trees that go on and on. I have been enjoying flying for 64 years and 24 days and every flight is a new adventure. Waiting patiently to mount those new struts and get back in the air.