Bob Erbe is a well-known veteran pilot in Southern California. He flies his Cessna 120 at least once a week to maintain proficiency.

The general aviation industry as we know it—at least as far as large numbers of aircraft are concerned—traces its beginning to the period immediately after World War II. Piper was churning out Cubs and eventually Cruisers and Pacers and during these halcyon days, Cessna also came into view as a major manufacturer. (But the company had actually been in business since 1911.)

Like virtually every other manufacturer of the day, with the exception of Beechcraft, Cessna produced taildraggers and the first of these to be built in volume was the diminutive Cessna 120, which was followed in short order by a fancier model call the 140. …