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Brand loyalty

O

oldbaldguy

Registered User
For reasons I cannot explain, I was listening to NPR the other day. The show was about brand loyalty and how people will unfailingly buy a certain brand even when they know another product is better. They focused mostly on cars and soft drinks (How many times have you heard: "Can I have a coke, please?" "Now what kind of coke you want, honey? A Pepsi, Mr Pibb or Seven Up?"), but it got me to thinking about us and our airplanes. The expert on the show said that we are loyal to certain big ticket brands like Ford, GM or Toyota because we see the product as a reflection of ourselves and how we want others to perceive us. There are all kinds of airplanes out there, newer and older, for more or less money that will do just about any job better than a Cub will, but we still seek out this one particular antiquated brand whose geneology goes back more than 70 years and refuse to choose anything else. We act like our airplanes are absolutely beyond compare and look on most anything else and those who fly them with great disdain in our hearts. We think nothing of spending great sums on our brand just to say we have one in much the same way as a rapper will buy a Bentley. I, for example, really need an airplane easier to get into than my 12 and could use something faster but, after only 300 hours in the thing, the thought of not owning a long-wing Piper leaves me cold. People on the airport who don't already know me always say, "Oh! You're the guy with the red Piper Cub." Damn straight, I am. And always will be. So keep your crappy Cessna to yourself and don't drool on my fabric, boy.
 
And some of us were spoiled right from the beginning--first solo--30 some years ago ---PA-18-150 - :D Lotsa good airplanes out there and I can appreciate their use (last count 60 different ones) but the real fun is long wing PIPERS. But then I've also been loyal to Harley-Davidson for more than 50 years---many--many GOOD memories and fine people along the way. Gotta admit some of those other two wheelers are pretty neat too. :eek:
 
After the Cub was invented they should have stopped production of every other airplane. It didn’t get any better…

L.
:stupid
 
Well.....

Well,
We have both. A Supercub Clone, a Cessna 182, (and a Champ).
They have different uses. The Cessna is a really good traveling plane, and carries a large load, and is comparitively fast for the fuel burn.
The Cub and Champ are for puttering around the patch, having fun, and landing on shorter, more rugged, runways. Give Cessna credit: they build simple and very durable aircraft, and are very pilot friendly (comfortable). Its not an apple to apple comparison, and each has a place for its own merits.

Mike
 
And 12Geezer2, I offer up my sinCERE apologies for the drool I left on yer nice '12 at Johnson Crick. Can I send you some MEK and brillo pads to help clean it up? :angel: And I hope you believe the snoring next door was just another Autocar Logging truck comin' down the hill on the JakeBrake....
Thanks. cubscout
 
As much as I dearly love Super Cubs and hope to not spend a day of my life without owning one, I can't say that there are any airplanes I have had the opportunity to fly that I did not like. I really like my C-180. I loved the T206 a friend would let me fly, the C-170, 182, 172, twin Comanche, seminole, and duchess, I even liked the old Sundowner I learned to fly in - although I would not personally own one. Arrows, Apaches, Warriors and all the other piper Indians are OK by me too. Right now, I'd love to own a nice Bonanza or a Mooney to enable me to do a little long distance commuting. I flew in Eric Danners 07' Maule the other day, what a machine with a great engine! Bill G's citabria that I got my taildragger endorsement in, the little J3 I owned for a while, the 210, the Stinson, the Husky, you name it, I think they are all pretty darn cool.

I have probably flown over 70 different super cubs, both certified and experimental (I'm counting 12's and PA-11's in this) and it is always like putting on your favorite pair of pants.

sj
 
steve said:
Right now, I'd love to own a nice Bonanza or a Mooney to enable me to do a little long distance commuting.
sj
Click to expand...

Steve, don't forget about the Saratoga.
Way more room and speed to boot!
I sure love flying ours!

Brad
 
True! Saratoga, Lance, even the single commanche is under rated as a cross country machine - although I'm a big guy to be spending 6 hours in the front of a cherokee fuselage. I hit my head too much.

A 200kt 185 with 31" bushwheels that burned 12gph would be about perfect.

sj
 
cubscout: Thanks for the compliment---sure do like my 12 :D As for the drool---not near the problem as the hail holes I picked up in Wyoming :lol: You snore ???I thought maybe I kept all my neighbors awake....When it comes to airplanes, I guess I'm a little like Wiley Post's friend--" Never met one I didn't like" :lol: :lol:
 
What's with all this Brand Loyalty smoyalty stuff? We just know what the best airplane in the world is, period!

Better be more careful what you watch on TV. :roll:
 
As high and fast as you can afford - As low and slow as you dare.

My J-3 with the window open is the most fun I have ever had in an airplane. A friend of mine said that it was better than sex with his wife. Not having had sex with his wife I could not make a fair comparison.
 
TulsaDave said:
A friend of mine said that it was better than sex with his wife. Not having had sex with his wife I could not make a fair comparison.
Click to expand...

Now that is funny, I dont care who you are. :lol: :lol:
 
steve said:
I can't say that there are any airplanes I have had the opportunity to fly that I did not like.
Click to expand...

I don't know that I'd go quite that far, but I'd say 95% of the planes I've flown have been enjoyable. Don't get me wrong though. Any airplane is better than no airplane, so I always enjoy flying. But there are some airplanes that I've flown that I really don't ever need to get back into again.

As for brand loyalty, I do have loyalty to certain airplanes but I can't say it's "brand loyalty" in the same way that I'll take a Ford over a Chevy anytime. With airplanes it may be better to say "mission loyalty" although that's not totally descriptive either.

For example, for the "Cub mission" I wouldn't even consider a Taylorcraft, Champ, or Luscombe. While these are all fine airplanes I wouldn't consider having any of them in place of my 90 hp Super Cub. About the only plane I'd consider in place of the Super Cub would be PA-12. I guess you could call that "Brand loyalty"!!

But for a traveling airplane I'll take my Cessna 180. Hauls a good load, goes fairly fast while still being able to land anywhere I would care to, and is about as reliable as any airplane can be. I just can't see anything in the fleet that appeals to me more than the 180.

For aerobatic fun it's a Pitts Special for me. Sure, on paper there are lots of planes that will out-perform the Pitts these days, but none of them have the history, panache and ramp appeal that a Pitts has. I guess I'm just a biplane guy!

I could go on, but I think you get the picture. I guess you could all all of this "brand loyalty", but it's for different brands depending on the mission.

Just don't try to sell me a Chevy! :D
 
jnorris said:
Just don't try to sell me a Chevy! :D
Click to expand...

Ahh Joe, ya had me up til there.....

I'll fly anything any time (except a Pawnee Brave or a ScareBus) but any Idiot that would drive a FORD! :roll: :D
 
jnorris said:
steve said:
I can't say that there are any airplanes I have had the opportunity to fly that I did not like.
Click to expand...

I don't know that I'd go quite that far, but I'd say 95% of the planes I've flown have been enjoyable. Don't get me wrong though. Any airplane is better than no airplane, so I always enjoy flying. But there are some airplanes that I've flown that I really don't ever need to get back into again.

As for brand loyalty, I do have loyalty to certain airplanes but I can't say it's "brand loyalty" in the same way that I'll take a Ford over a Chevy anytime. With airplanes it may be better to say "mission loyalty" although that's not totally descriptive either.

For example, for the "Cub mission" I wouldn't even consider a Taylorcraft, Champ, or Luscombe. While these are all fine airplanes I wouldn't consider having any of them in place of my 90 hp Super Cub. About the only plane I'd consider in place of the Super Cub would be PA-12. I guess you could call that "Brand loyalty"!!

But for a traveling airplane I'll take my Cessna 180. Hauls a good load, goes fairly fast while still being able to land anywhere I would care to, and is about as reliable as any airplane can be. I just can't see anything in the fleet that appeals to me more than the 180.

For aerobatic fun it's a Pitts Special for me. Sure, on paper there are lots of planes that will out-perform the Pitts these days, but none of them have the history, panache and ramp appeal that a Pitts has. I guess I'm just a biplane guy!

I could go on, but I think you get the picture. I guess you could all all of this "brand loyalty", but it's for different brands depending on the mission.

Just don't try to sell me a Chevy! :D
Click to expand...

Brand Loyalty??? hmmm

from a guy who has a PA-18, Waco, Cessna, and a Pitts

Joe just has great taste!!!

Tim
 
TulsaDave said:
... A friend of mine said that it was better than sex with his wife. Not having had sex with his wife I could not make a fair comparison.
Click to expand...

You should have smiled, winked, and agreed with him.
That's like the newly shaven-headed guy who rubbed his dome, and told his buddy "smooth as my wife's butt". His buddy took a rub, smiled, and said "nope". :wink:

Eric
 
behindpropellers said:
from a guy who has a PA-18, Waco, Cessna, and a Pitts

Joe just has great taste!!!
Click to expand...

Tim,

In the interest of full disclosure I have to report that I no longer own the Pitts. But if you like my choices you must be a man of impeccable taste yourself!!

Cheers!
 
oldbaldguy said:
There are all kinds of airplanes out there, newer and older, for more or less money that will do just about any job better than a Cub will,
Click to expand...

Excuse my impertinence....

Recycled Hay From A Cow!!!!!!

There are planes that will do A job better than a cub, but not all...

How many planes have we seen advertised as: new improved Super Cub?

And how many of these planes are in the working fleets in any numbers?

Look at the work/$ Steve Pierce, (I hope I have the right people), did to the Husky to put SC gear under it, WHY? Take a $150,000 plane, add more weight and $12,000 to it to make it slow down to 180 cub speed????

Now try and pick up the tail...

Again Why spend the $ and time? It's overall weight will not allow it to land where a lighter cub lands. (think about energy dissapation guys, two planes land at the same speed on the same surface, the ligher plane will stop sooner, all other factors being equal).

Mission loyalty is correct. And due to it's ability to succeed, it has self perpetuated into an industry of modifications, parts manufacturing, web hosting, and alcohol distribution to supply everyone.

Like John Deere, (a closer comparison than the big three), the cubs ability to be dependable in low and slow, parts availability, aircraft availability and having people that know how to work on them make them the choice in the low/slow environment.
 
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