James B. Taylor III

TAYLOR Corporate Aviation's "Mr. Biz Jet. James B. Taylor III, who pioneered the way corporate aircraft is marketed internationally, died Jan. 17, 2003 at Bridgeport Hospital. He was 81 years old. Industry leaders credit Mr. Taylor for revolutionizing the art of selling expensive business aircraft in a career spanning 55 years. His creative merchandising concepts contributed much to the current expansion of corporate flying, today the fastest growing component of air transportation and a multi-billion-dollar business. In the 1960's, Mr. Taylor set sales standards that focused on customer requirements, believing that a marketing department's role in developing a new aircraft was to ensure that the product met customer needs. That philosophy, coupled with his introduction of "factory-direct" sales and service, forever changed the methods by which manufacturers market and support business jets. Born December 14, 1921, in New York City, Mr. Taylor literally grew up in aviation. Son of a pioneer naval aviator, he became the first high school graduate without any college to be accepted by the U.S. Navy for naval cadet flight training in World War II. Mr. Taylor's father, killed testing a Navy fighter in 1942, never saw his son follow in his footsteps as a naval test pilot, flight instructor, and carrier-based fighter pilot. In 1946, after a brief stint flying a DC-3 for a non-scheduled airline, Mr. Taylor became vice president of sales for Mallard Air Service, the northeast distributor of the new all-metal single engine Navion built by North American Aviation. His next job took him away from aviation temporarily, but it confirmed his belief in the future of business aircraft. Between 1948 and 1962, first as the Upressit Metal Cap Corporation's sales manager, then as its president, he tripled sales and profits and customer contacts by marketing factory-direct and through the use of a company Beechcraft Bonanza. Then he sold Upressit to its largest competitor. Returning to aircraft sales full-time, Mr. Taylor joined Pan American World Airways in 1963 as vice president of its new Business Jets Division. Pan American was the first airline to express interest in business aviation, then an unprecedented side venture for a commercial air carrier. After in-depth evaluation of the North American Saberliner, the Lockheed Jetstar and the DeHaviland 125, the airline chose to market the French-built Dassault Mystere 20 in the western hemisphere - another aviation first. Mr. Taylor's first action was to solicit input from potential customers that resulted in extensive improvements to the Mystere, making it more marketable. He also changed its name to the Falcon and developed a series of innovative marketing techniques that greatly enhanced public awareness of Pan American's unique position in corporate aviation. In 1969, Mr. Taylor's remarkable success at Pan American led to an even more challenging post as vice president and general manager of Cessna's Aircraft's Commercial Jet Marketing Division. Charged with helping develop and sell the companyEs Cessana Fanjet 500 against a higher performing competitor, he promptly renamed the all-new plane Citation after horse racingEs last Triple Crown winner in 1946. But his most difficult task at Cessna was to persuade Chairman Dwayne Wallace that the factory should sell the Citation direct to the buyer instead of through the companyEs well-established network of dealers. He argued that large capital investments such as a jet airplane must be sold to upper management, as well as to pilots. Taylor also transferred customers service from manufacturing to marketing. When the first Citation was delivered, Cessna operated three factory-owned service centers (one in Wichita and one on each coast). Cessna now has 10 service centers (9 in the US and one in Europe). All service on, Citations. This type of service alone converted into an important arm of the citation sales force. Another factor in the success of CessnaEs first business jet was Mr. TylorEs decision to sell the Citation as an all-inclusive, complete package-an industry first. Each purchase included a fully-equipped Citation, training for two pilots and two mechanics and one year of maintenance scheduling; a new marketing feature in corporate aviation.In 1976, Mr. Taylor found a new marketing opportunity in the Canadair Challenger, an advanced version of the LearStar 600, which the Canadian manufacturer had acquired. He was given six months to sell 50 Challengers or the program would be cancelled. He formed a sales team of former associates and they not only met the deadline, they sold 110 Challengers before the prototype ever flew-another first. Mr. Taylor's attention-getting promotional ideas and his novel direct-mail campaigns were quickly emulated by competitors. Also, the factory-direct sales and service policies he had originated in business aviation's formative years were ultimately adopted by most of the other manufacturers. Having successfully launched three new business jets, Pan Am Falcon, Cessna Citation, and the Canadair Challenger, Mr. Taylor in 1985 became president and CEO of financially-troubled Gates Learjet. He was given the task of turning the company around within two years to make it attractive for a possible acquisition. Rolling up his sleeves, he fulfilled his mandate in 21 months. Mr. Taylor initiated drastic cost reductions, eliminating the company's $270 million debt, and retired several money-losing projects. An example was the US Air Force leasing program involving 80 Learjets, which he converted into a profitable sale. His efforts achieved Learjet's all near-term objectives, leading to the company's disposition of majority interest ownership. Today, it is known as Learjet Inc., a division of Bombardier Aerospace based in Montreal, Canada, with plants in Wichita, Kan., and Tucson, Ariz. In 1988, Mr. Taylor left the company and established James B. Taylor Associates, an aviation management and marketing advisory service with main offices in Southport, section of Fairfield. He remained active in the aviation industry as a consultant. He also served on the boards of several aircraft manufacturing companies and associations until his death. Mr. Taylor was recognized worldwide for his many accomplishments in aviation, including selection for the Aviation Week & Space Technology Laureates Hall of Fame, which is now housed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. His other honors include the NBAA (National Business Aviation Association) "Meritorious Service to Aviation" award, the National Aeronautic Association's "Elder Statesman of Aviation" award for work of enduring value to aviation, and the Gathering of Eagles Man of the Year award. He has also been nominated for the National Aviation Hall of Fame, as was his father, James B. Taylor, Jr. Mr. Taylor leaves his wife of 55 years, Margaret Krout Taylor; sons, James B. Taylor, IV and wife Debra Gilbert Taylor of Stratford, Ray K. Taylor and wife, Ann of West Redding, and W. Thorne Taylor of Westport,; daughter, Jayne A. Taylor of Steamboat Springs, Colo.; grandchildren, Thatcher, Jared, Gavin and David Taylor; sisters, Aileen Butler of Putney, Vt. and Lydia Elliott of San Diego, Calif. In lieu of flowers, donations to the James B. Taylor, Jr. "Carrier Test Pilot Hall of Honor" would be appreciated. Send to: USS YORKTOWN (CV-10) Association, PO Box 1021, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 (For: Test Pilot Hall of Honor). Jim Taylor sponsored the creation of the "Carrier Test Pilot Hall of Honor" in memory of his father. Funeral services will be held at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Southport, CT on Saturday January 25th at 11am.The Spear Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824 is in charge of arrangements.