Antique Airplane Association
The Antique Airplane Association, the oldest group devoted to antique airplanes, started in August 1953. It was formed when Robert L. Taylor placed a classified ad in Flying magazine and gathered people who loved old aircraft. The goal was to fly, preserve, share, and promote the early flying machines.
The association operates from Antique Airfield in Blakesburg, Iowa, and serves as the headquarters for about 50 chapters and around 7,000 members in the United States and 20 other countries.
Taylor explained that at the time there was no other group focused on antique and classic airplanes. The AAA aimed to “Keep the Antiques Flying” and also offer aviation history and memories of members’ roles in the field.
In the late 1950s, Ken Cook helped incorporate the organization as a nonprofit and served as vice president. He published a new version of the club news, which was later renamed American Airman. Cook left the AAA in 1961.
In the 1960s, the association acquired the remaining stock of LeBlond aircraft engine parts, mostly engine drawings, with only a few parts left today.
In 1970, the board approved changes to formalize the AAA as a nonprofit corporation in Iowa, and it has operated as such since.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:32 (CET).