Jun 2010 LADIES…..(and any gentlemen out there too)…HELP!!!
Ladies, I’ve been challenged to create a Ladies Love Taildraggers logo and I need your help!!  They tell me we need to do a little promoting, maybe a few t-shirts & some flyers but to get there we need a logo.  I’ve got some ideas but would love to hear yours.  One thing that’s pretty certain is we’ll have a taildraggin’ airplane in it and that means we need to pick ONE taildragger.  Oh, that’s going to be a problem.  How in the world do we pick ONE taildragger that we can all relate to! Geez, is that even possible!?! Please HELP me decide on the right one. It will ultimately be a graphic, not an actual picture of a taildragger, but here are a few I’ve narrowed it down to.
How about this American Champion Scout (owned by Christina Chapman). Â A “newer” taildragger than some might consider but classic in style and who wouldn’t love the tundra tires? Â It’s roots are in the Aeronca Champ.
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What about this Maule M7-235 (owned by MaryMacDonald)?  Wouldn’t we all love to hop in this, give it full power and get the heck out of anywhere or chop the power and get it in anywhere?
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I love this beautiful Cessna 180H owned by Kathy Royer. Â Capable of being a work-horse while morphing into the family sedan at the same time.
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We all know RV’s have been the most popular homebuilt out there for a long time, most of which are taildraggers. Â This RV6 belongs to Stephanie Wells and is so cool!
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An L19 Birddog! Â This one owned by Kim Pardon and I tell you I’d love to take it around the patch more than a few times. Â What else do you get that kind of view out of and have a ball at the same time?
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Now personally, I’m leaning toward a Cessna 195! Â This one belongs to Gwen Vasenden. Â It’s a massive flying machine and has that fabulous radial engine hanging on the front end and it would thrill me to no end to fly it! Â Kinda Art Deco look, don’t you think?
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And finally the classic, nearly perfect taildragger, the Super Cub. Â Lynn Mareth owns this jewel and besides it being an incredible photo, it’s really an incredible airplane that spans the time period “Vintage” to current day. Â A real possibility.
OK, that’s the line up. Â PLEASE leave your comments and help me decide what the PERFECT taildragger really is!!!
Thanks for being a part of this website and for all your support!
Judy
Elaine Huf
Posted at 13:17h, 21 JuneHi Everyone – just got back from Lock Haven SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY with tons of tailwheels. I like the idea of a circle with all kinds of tails – also like the idea of a different airplane each year.
But, I think you should have your own drawing apart from the other organizations – – – maybe a cartoon airplane looking around itself at its tail (maybe wagging it’s tail?), with big eyes and long eyelashes? (not to “girly” if you know what I mean). There must be someone with artistic ability and that way no one airplane gets picked over another. . . . . Champ vs. Cub sort of thing.
Just a thought – my Rudolph’s logo (on the pink Champ L-16A) is a reindeer with flight cap and goggles and everyone loves it, especially the kids.
Judy, you will come up with something spectacular, I know – but have some fun with it!
freya shiller
Posted at 12:35h, 13 Juneif you’re looking for a graphic artist Jeremy Neil did the flyin tiger field logo a few years ago. He is great to work with. neildesigns@earthlink.net
His dad Steve paints wonderful Pan Am clipper logo inspired works in Hawaii
freya shiller
Posted at 12:31h, 13 JuneI love the C195 but have to lean toward the supercub. Generations have learned to fly in the j3, pa18 and now the legend and cub crafters. It’ s the most reconized tailwheel airplane. Unless you want a stearman. I’m biased as a Pitts driver.
Laura
Posted at 21:38h, 11 JuneI would stay away from a specific tailwheel airplane. They are all too special and if you just highlight one, the rest may feel slighted 🙂 This despite my love affair with the 170 and the 180. I suggest going with a sketch that integrates the tail wheel and the feminine mystique. Yeah, more easily said than done! I’ll keep thinking, but I can’t shake the notion of a positive angle of attack with a woman as PIC and the phrase “anything but conventional!”
Judy Birchler
Posted at 21:57h, 10 JuneWOW, long and busy day at the office and how great it is to finally check in and find all these amazing, passionate and thoughtful comments! Thank you so much. This is one of those times where the journey may be just as much fun as getting to the destination. You all are helping me clarify what we need …… and what we need to let go of. Andrea Stang (who you’ll find under ‘Best Friends 1st Solos’) sent me a great graphic she designed and if you’ve got something in mind, please send me yours too. At this point it doesn’t have to be great art, we’re still looking for great ideas!! This is turning into quite an adventure! Judy.
Lorna
Posted at 18:49h, 10 JuneMuch as I loooove the C195 & the L19, I would have to definitely go with the Champ! …..oh, and btw, glad to hear that I’m not the only one to give my plane a hug and a kiss!! 🙂
christina chapman
Posted at 17:57h, 10 JuneThe logo should promote the preservation of taildraggers and its pilots. That we are women is special, very special. Taildraggers are known for their “challenge” of flying since they are more sensitive to pilot error than the nosedragger. The logo shoud reflect our aviation accomplishments and perservering natures. In that vein, no lips. That might , ahem, suggest something entirely different or even dilute our serious aviation focus (even if the seriousness is also about fun). A tail line up is clever but that risks getting too busy with shapes, sizes, and color. I’d love to see a plane in the logo though. Let’s show some pizazz, definitiveness, and pride–the pride about our abillty to own and fly conventional gear airplanes. We are women of talent and passion. Let’s come up with a plucky logo to show that. Any artists out there? You have great vision for this sort of thing.
Not that this vote should count but, naturally I like the American Champion Scout (start Aeronca, go Belanca, then American Champion) with a tale in the tail: It’s painted red in honor of the Tuskeegee airmen. After all the prejudice, obstacles, and hard earned eventual honor, those escorts never lost a bomber in WWII. After their reputation grew to reflect their quaility dogfighting, they were requested repeatedly by those B-17 pilots who once harbored prejudice against pilots of color. The Tuskeegee airmen boosted women in aviation much like the “black movement” did for our women’s movement. Our position as women aviators isn’t about color or gender so much as about taildragger pilots facing a time when general aviation is dying. Let’s give it some LIFE. Women give birth so this is entirely within our nature, And while we’re at it, since taildraggers came from the golden era, let’s show the world the passionate bling behind today’s aviation–our aviation world in particular. We have come a long ways, baby.
I also love the C195. Very classic and truely a bird to represent strenght and fun.
Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox. Ha! Fly on!
Susan
Posted at 17:20h, 10 JuneYou know Judy — every year at Brodhead — they have a different T-shirt design — usually incorporating a plane that was at the fly-in the previous year! Your idea of a t-shirt with a different plane each year and and then the idea of some taildraggers tail in the circle with the LLT around it is a great idea! I really like that!!!
Anne — you are too funny giving your plane a kiss… I love it! I sit in the cockpit of the RNF sometimes and put my arms down the outside and give her a hug! After 5 years I still can’t believe she’s mine 🙂
Kathy
Posted at 13:52h, 10 Junethe 195 is a good classic TW
Anne Wright
Posted at 13:41h, 10 JuneI give my plane a kiss on the nose after every flight and before I close the hangar door, so a big “kiss” does it for me.
Jessica
Posted at 13:15h, 10 JunePersonally, I would lean toward the Champ, but that’s the airplane I learned to fly in, so I would lean that way. I think that, trying to get away from my bias, just a simple silhouette of a taildragger airplane, something vague enough that could qualify as many of the simple taildraggers, would be great to use for a logo. I think that it’s best to try to not be too specific so that everyone could relate to it.
Chuck /shannon
Posted at 13:03h, 10 JuneYou could have the drawing at the fly in for the next year
chuck
Chuck /shannon
Posted at 12:59h, 10 JuneJudy
Just had a brain fart why not have a drawing with all the ladies air plains into a hat draw the winner and use that plane on back of t shirt for this fly in and continue this each year and design a logo for front pocket area
chuck
Sheila Mabbitt
Posted at 12:49h, 10 JuneTouch decision! No matter to me- I love them all: from open cockpit bi-wings to large twin engine radials and everything inbetween. If the fear is bruising someone’s ego you could always use a generic drawing or sketch to come up with the logo graphic.
Chuck /shannon
Posted at 12:46h, 10 JuneJudy
As a male making a comment i think you would cause less hassle if you design a logo that does not include an air plane such as the EAA or AOPA does there logos that way you can copy right or trade mark it so it does not get stolen from the organization
Chuck Avon Shannon Gallagher
Bette Bach Fineman
Posted at 11:40h, 10 JuneCurmudgeon here. Something has always bothered me about kisses, hearts, ribbons, and pink paint on airplanes. While I am not a “serious” commercial pilot and have mostly flown for fun, to me, flying is a serious business. Taildragging is a skill which most women pilots do better than men! Since we all have different airplanes, I favor susan’s idea of a photo or drawing of lined-up tails, and a ribbon is the least offensive of the decor, as men kiss and have hearts too.
Anne Wright
Posted at 10:04h, 10 JuneMy favorite (of course) is the Supercub, but I sure love the 195 too. I think it should be kept simple so it’s easy to reproduce in various sizes (ie, shirts or caps). I love Andrea’s idea of the kisses! Maybe one big kiss across a fuselage?
Juliet lindrooth
Posted at 10:02h, 10 JuneThe iconic tail stagger is the cub. Of course I would love the
logo to be a Bird, but a cub is where training
usually started in the day.
Just my humble thoughts.
Rachel Aukes
Posted at 08:48h, 10 JuneOh, it’s so hard to pick one! I’ll go with the 195 because of the round engine and unique look of it.
But they’re all so beautiful!!
Andrea
Posted at 08:43h, 10 JuneI like the older planes because this “love affair” with taildraggers has a long history.
I think it would be cute to have the tail end of a taildragger with kisses on the vertical stabilizer and the words “Ladies Love Taildraggers” in a circle around the image. Just a thought.
Susan
Posted at 08:31h, 10 JuneOR…. get a line up of taildraggers — looking at their tails! 🙂 We have a few shots like this that we took at the 50th Reunion last year — makes a great photo…. darn…don’t have the photo I was thinking of on the website…. what is wrong with that webmaster… oh wait….that’s me… better get busy!
Susan
Posted at 08:28h, 10 JuneGreat idea nic! I like the Champ idea as well! But heck — you could almost envision a circle logo with several taildraggers as the circle and then words inside the circle? Then you don’t have to choose just one plane! However, if you go with just one plane … I think a Champ would be awesome (or a cub!)
Nic Orchard
Posted at 08:21h, 10 JuneWell, if my unscientific assessment is right, there are possibly more Champ pilots here than others……the Champ has been an iconic starter for so many pilots too.
But I would say that, wouldn’t I.
Maybe you could avoid the what-aircraft-is-it-to-be problem by putting the focus somehow just on the tailwheel?