I love airplanes. Always have. I spent 6 years of my life working on A-4 Skyhawks in a Marine Reserve outfit in Alameda. Then I went on to spend a year and a half working toward getting my A & P license. I eventually realized there was no money in it so I moved on but I never lost my love of them.

Your photos are great. Nice color and composition. At first I thought the yellow tail dragger was an Airknocker but then I saw the Piper logo on the side. Great stuff. If I wasn't so old I'd go get that pilot's license I couldn't afford back then. Heh.

Nice variety and nice images.

That little bright yellow one (Cub Yellow) is a Piper Cub and made from 1938-1947, 19,888 in the US and 150 in Canada. Mostly in military variations for WW II. They also built 253 glider variations with no engine.

It was built as two seat trainer so while the instruments are all in front both seats have controls in the civilian models. Some of the early ones had a balance quirk - made for an instructor and student pilot in the two seats and the plane was balance for someone in both the front and back seats. So someone flying it alone sat in the back seat to properly balance the aircraft unless they put something in the back seat for weight. It could only carry from about 600 to less than 900 lbs dependent on the model and engine. A couple of new models were produced from 1947 to 1981 then Piper sold the rights to someone else. Piper's "Super Cub" was rated for 830 lbs load had a 150 hp engine and did a horrendus 130 mph. Thousands have been rebuilt, custom built or built under license in at least 4 countries since then and they even had "kits" to build your own. Those first ones in 1938 cost $995 according to one source I read.

I am not a pilot, just a retired history teacher with a lot of curiosity and fair research skills. Years ago I had a friend with his license and he lusted after owning one of his own.