Classic Aircraft

Enthusiast organization plans to salute classic aircraft year-round in 2026, with special programming planned for Oshkosh.

The 51st annual International Cessna 195 Convention was held in Joliet, Illinois (KJOT), September 7-11. It was a people-focused weekend for the 195 families celebrating 75 years of the Cessna Businessliner, with 32 Cessna 195s in attendance.

Study aircraft types long enough and you begin to realize that for each mission there are typically a handful of suitable options from which to choose. Each offer sits own individual blend of strengths and weaknesses. Narrowing the field becomes a matter of choosing the blend that seems most appealing to you. When it comes […]

In the early 1960s, general aviation was experiencing tremendous growth, and Beechcraft wanted a bigger slice of the pie. The competition’s ever-expanding product offerings were not going unnoticed, and Beechcraft decided to expand into new market segments. It developed a new, lower-cost training-and-touring airplane that provided stable comfort for long trips, the sturdiness necessary for […]

On the spectrum of popularity, various aircraft types ebb and flow from decade to decade, and the most sought-after models become easy to spot. Cessna 170s and Carbon Cubs are currently among the most desirable types, and while their popularity and reputation are not necessarily undeserved, the resulting prices often stretch out of reach for […]

Yes, it feels like a great match—the National Aviation Heritage Invitational’s 20th year will be celebrated at the STIHL National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, on September 15 to 19, 2021. The vintage aircraft competition, founded in 1998, pits restored aircraft from five categories against each other for the Neil A. Armstrong Aviation Heritage […]

A few years ago, I strolled a back alley in Volterra, Italy, and stumbled upon a cluttered workshop where craftsmen were sculpting large chunks of alabaster into gorgeous works of art. Every surface wore a light coating of fine alabaster dust probably dating back to the 16th century. The worn hand tools and the techniques […]

The green fields of south-central Iowa create a smooth tapestry over which to fly—and Robert L. Taylor found his home a great place to restore and celebrate the classic aircraft he loved. Taylor, of Ottumwa, Iowa, founded the Antique Airplane Association in the Summer of 1953, taking out a classified advertisement in the September 1953 […]