By Garland Pollard

Some headlines from the world of branding:

• Adweek reports that Brink’s home security will change its name to Broadview. Brink’s, the armored truck company, spun off it’s commercial and residential home security business last year, giving it three years to change names. We thought the old one was fine, but no use paying money to lease a name when you can have one all your own. A $120 million ad campaign trumpeting the new moniker: Broadview Security. Ick. Boring. Boring.
• Gillette has moved completely away from its gentle “Best a Man Can Get” to a new extension of the campaign that involves sports stars like Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and Derek Jeter. The campaign is called “The Moment.” Rather sad, as the Jake Holmes written and sung “Best a Man Can Get” campaign is one of the most wonderful jingles ever.
• Some analysts say that Kodak did a good job of handling their discontinuation of Kodachrome. We still wonder about it, but Tom Marin of Converting magazine felt otherwise. “Obviously, it had potential negative undertones because whenever a company drops a product from their line, particularly a well-known product, there can be repercussions.”
• Place branding is a major annoying thing showing up in nasty E.U. rulings, but the good side apparently won this week. The Netherlands brewer Barvaria NV fought to keep its longstanding brand name, as German brewers are saying they own the rights to the name because they are Barvarian. What’s next? No more French fries? Are the Dutch sure that’s the sort of annoying thing they signed up for when the joined the Common Market? Soon Hollywood movie studios will sue, and then Madison Avenue admen will sue, and then everyone will have sued everyone, and nothing of value will ever be created again. If this had stuck, all those Chinese, Thai and Italian restaurants around the world would need to watch out.
• Australia might remove branding from cigarette packs. When that doesn’t work to stop people from smoking, what will be next, unlabeled cigarettes?

By Garland Pollard

NANTUCKET - A great regional brand can become a national brand if it does one thing REALLY well. Such is the case of Murray’s Toggery of Nantucket, profiled in the men’s style blog Maxminimus.

Writes the expert:  I remember my first pair-I got them long before I set foot on Nantucket and even longer before the internet. My friend here in Old Town; N.S. came home with them and I quickly called Murray’s to order mine. Murray’s has been peddling these sailcloth babies, made in Georgia by the way, since the 1940’s. I like the incongruence of their manufacture in an inelegant rural Georgia plant and the final destination being elegant-preppy-casual-salty New England.

Maxminiums also details the rules of Nantucket Reds, thereby also establishing how place is related to brand value. Part of the allure of a brand comes from where it is made and where it is purchased. How it is purchased is important too; there is not a correct way for all, but instead each brand has its own methods created by the founder.

There are so many of these clothing brands; Eljo’s in Charlottesville has the X-factor, so does J. Press, so do Birdwell’s Beach Britches. I could go on and on explaining, but you get the picture.

A great brand is about a great product, sensible pricing, fairness, quality, love, passion, good timing and that X-factor that comes from God.

By Garland Pollard

A bits of brand news of note:

• Did we see Ruth Madoff in Belgian Shoes? The New York Post ran a photo of the wife of the Ponzi schemer in the NY Subway. They made a joke of that “once-stylish Ruth” sported “oversized jacket and unfashionable flats” but the flats are actually Belgian Shoes, which sell for $325 or so. Belgian Shoes is a great old brand and it will certainly survive this association.
• While Vibe magazine has shut down, there is no reason it can’t return, or so says Quincy Jones in a story on EbonyJet.com. The magazine shut down at the end of the month. “I’m trying to buy my magazine back now,” Jones told EbonyJet.com just moments ago during a telephone call to Jones’ London abode. “They just messed my magazine all up, but I’m gonna get it back. You better believe it, I’m’a take it online because print and all that stuff is over.”
• Georgette Klinger, which has disappeared, has hired a p.r. agency, and their website, www.georgetteklinger.com, is back up. The company was one of the top New York brands of facial care.
• Primetime, the ABC newsmagazine, is doing a dumb thing. It is expanding into crime stories with the spinoff show Primetime Crime. If you recall it was Dateline that tried the same thing, and it ruined the show and took demographics downhill.

By a Staff Reporter

HOUSTON - Look out for a new Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) Boeing 737-900ER, which is painted with a retro livery to commemorate the airline’s 75th anniversary, which will be celebrated July 15, 2009.

The livery was was originally used on aircraft beginning in 1947 and is called The Blue Skyway, was picked by Continental employees. Continental flew the new aircraft to its three hubs for anniversary celebration events for employees and retirees. The aircraft made an appearance at Houston Bush Intercontinental on Thursday, June 25, and at New York/Newark Liberty and Cleveland Hopkins on Friday, June 26.

“I am proud to celebrate this exciting occasion with the Continental team, including both our current 43,000 co-workers, as well as the many retired co-workers who paved Continental’s history and made the airline what it is today,” said Larry Kellner, Continental’s chairman and chief executive officer, in a press release. “Not many 75-year-olds believe their future will be longer and more vibrant than their history, but that’s exactly what we’re looking forward to at Continental.”

The Early Years

Continental traces its history to Varney Speed Lines, started in 1934 by Walter T. Varney primarily to carry U.S. mail. On July 15, 1934, the airline launched its first flight, carrying 100 letters and no passengers between Pueblo, Colo. and El Paso, Texas. At the time, Franklin Roosevelt was president, the average U.S. annual income was about $1,600, a new car cost $625 and a gallon of gas cost 10 cents.

Walter Varney focused on the new airline’s fleet, called Continental “America’s Fastest” due to its speedier aircraft. A focus on a strong fleet is one thing that hasn’t changed over the last 75 years: Continental today flies the newest, most fuel-efficient jet fleet of all the major U.S. network carriers.

Varney earlier started a different airline, which became United Airlines. Later this year, the two carriers founded by Walter Varney plan to make an historic reunion by joining together as alliance partners in Star Alliance.

Longtime Leader: Bob Six

Varney Speed Lines became Continental Airlines in 1937 under the leadership of the legendary Robert F. Six, who captained the airline into the “jet age” and expanded its reach for more than 40 years.

Bob Six laid the groundwork for Continental’s reputation for top-notch service and a customer focus.

In 1944, passenger revenue exceeded revenue from carrying mail for the first time in the airline’s history. Under Six’s leadership, Continental in the late 1940s became one of the first carriers to experiment with coach fares, and established first-class “Gold Carpet Service” in the late 1950s.

“One thing that’s never changed goes back to Robert Six - we still want to give customers the best experience from the time they board the plane until they get to their destination,” says Houston-based Administrator of Manuals and Publications Jo Strauss, who has been with the company since 1968.

Bob Six also secured a Continental stronghold in the pacific by creating Air Micronesia, which remains a wholly-owned Continental subsidiary today.

Times of Tumult

In the late 1970s, following the Airline Deregulation Act, through the early 1990s, Continental went through some of its darkest days, struggling through years of financial losses, a gaggle of challenging mergers and acquisitions, and two bankruptcies, as well as labor relations that strained to the breaking point. Even through these grim times, several bright spots emerged: in 1987, Continental established its OnePass frequent flyer program, and in 1992, the airline launched its premium product, BusinessFirst, which provides first-class service at business-class fares.

In addition, Continental’s current domestic hubs were formed during this period. In the late 70s and early 80s, following deregulation, Continental’s presence in Houston, which began with the airline’s first flight into the city in 1951, strengthened into a true hub. In February 1987, Continental’s merger with People Express provided the foundation for the carrier to grow and develop a leading presence in the strategic New York market, transforming Newark Liberty into one of the world’s premier international global gateways. Continental remains the largest carrier in the New York area today. In July 1987, Continental’s Cleveland hub opened, tripling the airline’s presence in the city.

From Worst to First

Then, in 1994, Gordon Bethune became CEO and led the company through one of the most dramatic turnarounds in business history, taking it from “worst to first.”

Much as Six set the tone on customer satisfaction, Bethune brought to the forefront a culture of employees working together. Bethune and Continental’s senior management team also instituted the Go Forward Plan to make sure the whole team had their eyes on the same target. The same working-together culture and Go Forward Plan continue to underlie Continental’s success even today.

Continental Today

Current Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner, who has been with the company since 1995, took the helm when Gordon Bethune departed in late 2004. Larry credits Continental’s co-workers for the airline’s success in recent years. As chairman and CEO, Larry stays focused on open, honest and direct communication with co-workers across the system, taking input from all directions as the company faces today’s opportunities and challenges.

Symbolic of Continental’s focus on the future, the new retro-painted Boeing 737-900ER will be delivered equipped with an advanced technology GPS Landing System (GLS) that will take advantage of a new NextGen satellite-based landing system being installed later this year at Newark Liberty. Continental is partnering with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the FAA, Rockwell Collins and Gables to make this technology a reality. This is just one of many NextGen technologies and capabilities that Continental has pioneered over the years as the airline works to make operations safer and more reliable, fuel efficient, and environmentally friendly.

Other firsts being initiated in Continental’s 75th anniversary year are the introduction of DIRECTV service, installation of flat-bed seats in BusinessFirst, and service to Shanghai.

“I have been here for over 28 years,” said EWR-based 757 Captain Tom Stephens. “I have worked with the best people that I could have wished for. There have been some serious ups and downs. There have been times when the future looked bleak and times when the future looked bright. Through it all we have survived and, for the most part, done it with good humor and the determination to get through the rough spots with confidence that there would be better days. We should look around us now with satisfaction at the Continental we each, in our own way, helped to create.”

For historical photos and more information on Continental’s 75-year history, see continental.com/company/history.

By Garland Pollard

Magazine Publishers Need to Encourage Keep-able Magazines

As a magazine lover, I want to keep magazines. I hate to throw them away, even when reality hits and I realize that I can’t save them any longer. I cringe when I see libraries de-accession precious bound volumes of magazines, though I know that collectors love them, and they always find a home, even if the ads are ripped out and sold individually on eBay.

As a child, I saved all my magazines, but Boys Life, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, American Heritage, Cricket, National Geographic School Bulletin (why did they get rid of it?), National Geographic and TV Guide were the ones I treasured. At other times, I kept other magazines, depending on my stage in life. Particularly good were early 1980s Playboys (lost in a trunk at my boarding school, with interviews with George Gilder and photos of Candy Loving!) as well as late 1980s editions of Harpers & Queen, Spy and Fairchild Publication’s excellent and super-snobby M, starring W. Rushton Chatsworth. Also keep-able was the Dorothy Kalins era at Metropolitan Home and the Phil Moffitt era at Esquire. Right now, I have a large stack of Country Life magazines I can’t part with, as well as the stack of Virginia Living magazines that I edited from 2002 to 2006. Right proud of that.

As the founding editor of Virginia Living, I took the old-school approach when we launched it. My publisher insisted on the best paper. My art director insisted on the best artwork. I demanded interesting stories that would be able to be read for years ahead. We made the magazines with perfect bindings. I can’t speak for all of the readers I talked to while editor, but many told me that they were afraid to throw the magazines out.

I don’t think I am odd. In the kitchen my wife has a stack of a neighbor’s Everyday Food from Martha Stewart. I know other people who keep Practical Fishkeeping, Coastal Living, Smithsonian and the old defunct Horizon. Town & Country is another keeper, as is any magazine that has recipes, like Southern Living.

Magazines as Storehouses

Why do we value a group of magazines? To look back at the early Arabic word that magazine derives from, it is a storehouse. A collection of ideas and pictures and thoughts. At their best, magazines validate our particular world view. I would guess that thousands of Oprah magazines get kept because their readers share her world-view, and they can reference it.

Like many others, if I am finished with a magazine, and cannot keep it, I leave it at a doctor’s office or car repair shop or barber shop. Or I give it to neighbors or friends. Many offices have tables where employees leave magazines for others to take home; some library Friends bookstores give away back issues. Only reluctantly do I “recycle” a magazine in a true recycling bin, except if it is a stapled newsweekly that won’t keep.

I always thought, however, that the magazine industry ought to do a better job at encouraging readers to keep magazines around for years. For instance, advertisers know instinctively that an ad in National Geographic gets more readers per copy than, say, a supermarket aisle magazine, and so they pay more. Smart publishers and reps push the idea of pass-along readership. Indeed with National Geographic, that “pass-along readership” might continue giving an advertiser exposure for the next 75 years.

Recycling page on MPA Site

Thinking on this idea, I was wondering if the Magazine Publishers Association was doing anything to promote the idea of keeping magazines around. So I went to the website of the Magazine Publishers Association, to see if they had any system or organized method to help re-circulate old magazines. What I found was a shock. The MPA, instead of having any sort of re-circulation program, instead encourages magazines to be dumped into the recycling bin! They have a whole page on recycling, with free PSAs for publishers to insert. That’s a great message. This magazine sucks after you read it, so throw it out quick! Oh and by the way, you readers are so stupid and ignorant as to not know that you can recycle a magazine. Brilliant!

Here’s how it’s worded:

MPA’s industry-wide public education campaign lets readers know that magazines can and should be recycled.  The initiative includes a pair of Please Reycle (sic) This Magazine logos for members to prominently display in every issue of their magazines and a series of PSAs for publishers to run whenever space is available to reinforce the message that magazines are recylable. 

The idea that the Magazine Publishers Association would be advocating tearing them up into shreds is inconceivable, and with lame-ass grammar to boot!

So what should MPA do?

1. Take down the recycling web page and drop the ad campaign on recycling. Immediately. Today. It sends the wrong message. And never a cut-out ad in a quality magazine, either.
2. Talk to the American Library Association about a true “recycling” program where Americans can leave their old magazines at public libraries for other people to pick up. Give out stickers to libraries so that patrons can place the something over the address label, eliminating the worry about identity theft. The sticker should read: “The Magazine Publishers Association and the American Library Association encourage you recirculate your magazines. Please pass it on after you are finished, so another American can enjoy the great American tradition of magazines.
3. Work with the AMA to encourage a new policy on physician office magazines. Magazine publishers depend upon waiting room readership, and doctors depend upon the cheap magazines to keep patients happy; use that as a launching pad for a take one/leave one policy at physician offices. Or even better, work to encourage subscriptions from waiting room copies.
4. Encourage magazine publishers to use perfect bindings. They are easier to keep.
5. Think about including perforated 3-up subscription card pages instead of blow ins, in order to sell subscriptions through multiple pass-through readers.
6. Work with publishers to think of their content more carefully. If there are fewer pages and paper is more precious, then the magazines that are put out should be created with an eye to becoming classics.
7. Work with advertisers to stress the new message, namely that pass-along readership and long shelf-life is a critical advantage of magazines. Each time a magazine is recirculated, its advertising gets seen again.

Magazines need to be read until they can’t be read anymore.

By Garland Pollard

Consumers need a story.

I am reading about neuromarketing, the science of looking at brains and connecting it with consumer behavior, after seeing that 60 Minutes clip on computers reading brains (thanks to Jon Vanhala for sending it out). I wanted to find out more about neuromarketing to get a sense of how prevalent it is. I ended up stumbling onto Roger Dooley’s Neuromarketing Blog.

His thesis is this. We think differently about things when we hear stories about them. He says that if someone hands you an old brick, it’s an old brick. But if they tell you its from Mount Vernon then WHOA! Your brain does something different. It begins to think of more things, and the brick becomes special. That’s why brands work. You connect a word to a commodity, and it becomes special. That’s why I like brands with good stories, and why I believe that brands need to tell stories.

And that’s why stories and history about places help to sell a destination. History, frankly, is the only thing that can sell a destination. And it is the only thing that can sell a product. It doesn’t have to be a long history, as even a short good history will sell something. But the history has to be there.

Growing up in Virginia, that history is always around, in furniture, buildings, even the landscape. And as a Virginian (indeed any old school culture though), you are sort of trained to think of everything with a narrative.

But back to Roger Dooley:

When we choose a place for our business or to live, a sense of place and history is often neglected despite the considerable impact they can have on us emotionally. Whether it is as simple as a historic home or as elaborate as Chicago’s Tribune Tower, being in a location with a sense of history can profoundly affect our mood and that of the people with whom we interact.

Does your place of business have a story to tell? What about an object in it? And what about your customers - do they perceive your business as a manufactured environment, or one that comes with historic substance?

Coke, Brooks Brothers and the like are powerful brands because they have history behind them. London is a powerful city because of its history. That doesn’t mean that just because a brand or a place has history, it can’t screw itself up. But when Coke screwed up its marketing, it wasn’t the fault of the history. Ditto with New York; when the city was broke, it wasn’t the history’s fault. But to succeed, it needed the history to cement its place in the world.

When brands and cities pretend there is no history, they soon will get forgotten by it.

By Garland Pollard

Sometimes “branding” can go too far. Do you need a brand for your local strip shopping center?

You bet. Here, a photo of S&S Plaza on Anna Maria Island in Florida. It’s one of hundreds of thousands of local strip centers. Of course, we love the classic sign, and that’s why we posted it. A sign gives identity, but so do other things that you do. In a time when rents are falling, the brand of a local shopping center is more important than ever. Yet you cannot afford to do expensive makeovers; the cash is just not there and borrowing seems a challenge.

Here are some quick ideas to perk up your “brand.”

1. Start with the basics. Have someone not connected with the shopping center do a little secret shopping. Pay them $50 for a hour’s work to go and make a list of EVERYTHING they see wrong or unattractive about the strip. Have that give that list to you. Add this new punch list to your old punch list. Or better yet, PAY an architect for a one-hour consultation at the property. Tell the architect you can’t afford a big redo, but do want to see if there are any cheap ideas that he can tell you RIGHT NOW to perk things up.
2. Keep the old sign, even if it is ugly. Of course if it is really awful, you need to do something. But often, sign regulations do not allow a replacement of sufficient size, so you are stuck. But even if the sign is merely outdated, you will want to stay with it. Perhaps it might attain local “classic” status like S&S? Whether or not it is as cool as the one here, the sign is your identity and it is OK to stick with it. Change isn’t always good. That being said, if you lose a tenant, get the sign down quickly.
3. Pay attention to landscaping. This is totally obvious but needs to be said. Namely, a small investment in plants can make a difference. And consider native plants. Find a local expert at one of the native plant societies or LOCAL nurseries who can help you find native plants to re-landscape dead spots. The reason? Native plants require less water, and less maintenance. They also give your shopping center a pleasing feeling. On top of that, you can turn it into a p.r. opportunity. When the plants are put in, ask the nursery to list the varieties, and post the list on your website, with links to the nursery and your local garden club. Tell your tenants about the list, and send the list to the local garden columnist at the paper as way to educate the community.
4. Approach county economic development folks and planners. The people who do this sort of work for a living don’t have as many new projects to attract or new projects to plan. So call and tell them that you are the owner or broker, and you are working on new landscaping, and trying to bring in new sorts of tenants. Ask the county planning staff if there are any nearby investments in new highway medians or sidewalks, and thank them if something new is happening. You want to call these folks FIRST and have them on your side. Then when the time comes that you need something, even if county rules conflict, they can help you figure a fair way around them. They can always make exceptions but will only do it if you are friendly.
5. Have someone around. Do make sure there is a maintenance guy who comes by frequently to check on things. Even if they can’t afford to do those big things that tenants need, just making sure that light bulbs are changed quickly and gum is removed will be enough to keep tenants feeling like someone cares.
6. Preserve old tenants. We came across a retail center here who evicted some long-term tenants because they wanted to jack up the rents to keep margins up. One was a 40-year-old barber shop. Big mistake; the shop moved around the corner and the shopping center now has an empty tenant. What you want is long-term consistency. This is obvious but it often gets forgotten.
7. Find itinerant tenants (or vendors) to fill out empty leases. We are not fans of too many nail shops and such, and can’t stand those trucks that come and sell carpets. But are there other temporary businesses that will help drive traffic? Is there a frozen drink pull-cart that can lease out a corner of the parking lot? Can you hold a Saturday craft fair or artist show? Be creative. And remember, its not just about driving traffic that day, its about creating an image for your shopping center, so think about what sort of events will help your “brand”. So don’t just have a radio station there giving out hot dogs. Make sure when they come, there is something useful to promote, like an artist festival.
8. Watch the temporary signs. Tenants will want to put all sorts of ugly temporary signs out. Make sure they are out just for a day. That being said, I often pass a shopping center that has tenants switch out small 2X3 plastic signs that say things like “$1 cupcake special” and the like. As long as there aren’t too many, it is fine. If there is a disagreement with a tenant about ugliness, allow them to stick it out there, and see how it works for a few days.
9. Create a content-rich website. Don’t spend a lot on the design, but instead pay attention to the words you are going to put on it. Words attract search engines. Do not use fancy Flash graphics or anything extreme. It adds to cost and Google can’t find it. Instead, give the basics to the public. Make sure each tenant gets a page, with a few paragraphs about each. Then tell the history of the shopping center. Something like this: “Built in 1983 by Joe Smith & Co builders, it was later sold to Fred Jones, Jim Smith and Joe McCoy, who now operate it as JMS Associates. These days, a website can be done quickly and cheaply. For instance, this website is done on Word Press, and the software to run it is free and open source. I am continually amazed that many shopping centers don’t have websites.
10. Take those leasing signs down. So you need one tenant for 1,000 square feet and you still have a giant FOR LEASE sign in the parking lot. You fool! Yes, it is great advertising for the broker, but the broker gets benefits for ALL the properties. If you are the broker, you still need to take it down. Unlike a house “for sale” sign, a “for rent” sign that is up tells the customer that your shopping center is lacking something, namely tenants. A horrible message from the road, and it detracts from your main signage. Of course, a banner/sign in the window of an empty storefront is fine, and expected. And if you are opening a new center, or completely rebuilding an old one, you will want the sign out for a time. But only when there is major leasing activity.

So these are the ideas. Be optimistic, and when you are finished with your plan, do drop in on your tenants and tell them what you are up to.

By Garland Pollard

PHILADELPHIA - The edgy  ad agency Gyro Worldwide is now Quaker City Mercantile. They have a bold goal, namely to “recapture Philadelphia’s mighty industrial past and weave a new version of this greatness into its future.” The company will still do advertising, but will also begin making products, hence the”Mercantile” name.

In a press release, the agency said that the change from Gyro to QCM reflects changes in American popular culture. Says Gyro’s founder, Steve Grasse. “The go-go excesses of the millennium is over,” Grasse said.

Now that the limitless appetite of the American consumer has ruined the global economy, there is nothing left for Gyro to do. It is time to move forwards (and also backwards) to a new epoch, one of where America creates real wealth through simple living and hard work. The party was a blast, but now the party is over. The work, meanwhile, goes on.

They’ve launched Sailor Jerry, a rum brand, and acquired a major stake in Narragansett Brewery. Grasse has also purchased a 72-acre farm in the White Mountains of New Hampshire that he plans to use it as a lab for a “new culture of agrarian traditionalism.”

QCM will operate out of the old offices of Gyro Worldwide. It will offer clients the same array of branding, identity, promotion, and new product development services. But in addition to creating work for other companies, QCM will be developing its own line of artisanal products, many developed on Grasse’s farm. “I aspire to be a true Renaissance man,” Grasse says, “a pre-robber baron capitalist in the tradition of Franklin, Jefferson and Washington.”

See http://www.quakercitymercantile.com

By Garland Pollard

BROOKLYN - It’s the perfect moment for the craft-selling site Etsy.com, though calling it a “craft” site is kind of an understatement, as it has very little to do with the junk you might find at a typical non-juried craft fair.

There is much fascinating stuff on there; what is most fascinating is that there are individuals developing their own brands there. We can’t wait to see five years from now when the site develops even more. When America turns around again, it will be places like this website, and the craft entrepreneurs who sell on it, that help to pull us out of the muck.

Here, a wooden toy from Happy Squash Toys, a dad in Hilliard, Ohio who likes to make wooden stuff for the kids. Nothing edgy about it, just good looking workmanship.

Happy Squash Bio: I started making toys a number of years ago when my wife and I wanted to find a safe alternative to plastic toys. I do all the design, woodworking and detail painting. My wife does all the sewing and paints as well. It has been a wonderful creative outlet for us and our daughter loves the toys we create, hopefully you will too.

Etsy, Inc.
325 Gold St., 6th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
U.S.A.

By Garland Pollard

A plane is a plane, and if it flies, it looks like an airplane because it is an airplane.

Unfortunately, that is not always true with commercial and private planes. Some airplanes, for instance have a nose too long, or a body too thin and narrow, giving the plane a pointy appearance. This is the case with Piper Aircraft, where nifty looking planes like the Cub have evolved into a lineup of very long tubes. Planes need to carry things, and anything too narrow is suspect; a good looking plane is the Hawker Siddley 748. We are not in favor of pointy planes.

Many “plane-looking” airplanes are still in production; large airliners from Boeing and Airbus all look like airplanes. However, the naming of a plane adds to the branding of a plane; for instance we found it sad when McDonnell Douglas stopped its “DC” series of planes and called them “MD.” While there were many reasons for the demise of McDonnell-Douglas as an independent entity, the loss of their major brand, “DC” certainly had to figure in their sales problems.

Regional jets are also a big problem. Somehow, when they get smaller, they stop looking cool. They provide no excitement when you see them.

Let’s look at the top five lineup of the coolest retro small airplanes. They are not in a particular order.

1. Pilatus PC-6: This plane (seen above in use in Nepal) is made as the PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter. It is a “highly robust multipurpose aircraft that is extremely economical to fly and maintain. Its excellent short take-off and landing capabilities allow it to operate in environments which are inaccessible to many other aircraft.” First used in the late 1950s, it was used by Air America in Southeast Asia. The PC-6 is used for paradropping, ambulance transport and cargo/passenger flights.
2. Viking Air Turbo Beaver: In 1947, the de Havilland Aircraft Company of Canada introduced the DHC-2 Beaver aircraft. They produced approximately 1600 before ceasing production in 1967. Today, the plane is made by a company called Viking, and they make not only the DHC-2 but have rights to all the de Havilland planes. They are not refurbished but new.
3. Cessna Skycatcher. OK, so this isn’t an old plane. But it has a solid look, and feels like a plane, and looks, well, cute. It is sensible, and practical, and the lines are clean. So we are including it on the list, and making it a new classic.
4. The Britten-Norman Islander is a popular plane in the islands of the United Kingdom, and has a delightfully British feel. It does have a bit of a narrow body, but that is fine because it is so nifty in flight. It’s nice to see photos of it doing commercial airline work.
5. EADS CASA is better known as the CASA Aviocar, and is used around the world and made under license in Indonesia. It is used both commercially and for troop and medical transport, holding 25 soldiers.