Another loss for heli pilots
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Another loss for heli pilots
Letter from the publisher,
I am disappointed to have to tell you that the August issue of autorotate will be the final one and on September 1 we will be closing down the website.
We’ve always tried to maintain a personal relationship with our subscribers both through the tone of the magazine and in our other communications. You have responded in kind and in that spirit, I’d like to explain the situation to you.
On the one hand, Autorotate has been performing very well. We now have over 1600 subscribers in over 40 different countries. We are beginning to make significant in-roads with advertisers and renewals are coming in at very respectable rates with most subscribers requesting a two-year renewal. On the other hand, the costs of launching a magazine and growing it to profitability are very high and we simply do not have the necessary funding to sustain our growth.
Subscription fees represent only a fraction of the costs we incur monthly for printing, postage, marketing, and staffing and all the other costs associated with operating this business. By our measures and industry standards it takes about four to five years for a magazine to reach profitability. Though we were headed down the road, it was a long road and required more funds than we could commit.
All paid subscribers will receive a refund of the unused portion of their subscription fees. If you are a paid subscriber, your check, in U.S. dollars will be sent out within the next 60 days. If your payment was received after Friday, July 13th (wouldn’t you know it), by either check or credit card, we did not process your payment and you can count on the funds as if you never sent in your payment. Checks will be returned uncashed.
I know many of you are disappointed and may have difficulty understanding why we didn’t see this coming and take measures sooner. In fact, I’ve seen it coming for quite a while and have been seeking viable alternatives. I’ve contacted potential investors and buyers in an effort to keep the magazine going. AOPA was kind enough and interested enough to give some serious thought to acquiring the publication in order to create an out-reach effort to helicopter pilots, but, in the end, decided this wasn’t something they could do at this time.
I also contacted H.A.I. with the concept that while they do an excellent job of lobbying on behalf of the helicopter industry, there was much they could do to reach out to and improve their communications with pilots and private helicopter owners and autorotate may be an inexpensive, quickly profitable vehicle for doing so. So far no luck. But, the responsibility for autorotate is mine—no one else’s, and I certainly understand and accept that. With all cards played out—no remedies have been found.
All new ventures come with a measure of risk and reward and I don’t regret (most of the time) our attempt to provide helicopter pilots with a magazine just for us. Our guideline from the beginning was to provide stories and information that we would want to read. We sought to create content that reached out to all levels of pilot and I know we still had a way to go in this regard. But, our intentions were good and I believe we were headed down the right path. The rewards of autorotate have been great. We’ve met some incredible people and appreciated the time to learn and report on many interesting subjects. Autorotate has afforded me an opportunity to get to know many in our community of helicopter pilots and I’m much the richer for the experience.
My special thanks to all our writers and staff. They have done an outstanding job.
I want to thank you—our subscribers. Everything we’ve been able to accomplish is because of you. I appreciate each of you immensely. And, I wish you all, the courage and appetite to pursue your dreams—wherever they may lead.
Tony Fonze
Publisher, autorotate
------
For Anthony (and anyone else who has subscribed)
You did a terrific job, and I will miss getting the magazine in my mail.
I am disappointed to have to tell you that the August issue of autorotate will be the final one and on September 1 we will be closing down the website.
We’ve always tried to maintain a personal relationship with our subscribers both through the tone of the magazine and in our other communications. You have responded in kind and in that spirit, I’d like to explain the situation to you.
On the one hand, Autorotate has been performing very well. We now have over 1600 subscribers in over 40 different countries. We are beginning to make significant in-roads with advertisers and renewals are coming in at very respectable rates with most subscribers requesting a two-year renewal. On the other hand, the costs of launching a magazine and growing it to profitability are very high and we simply do not have the necessary funding to sustain our growth.
Subscription fees represent only a fraction of the costs we incur monthly for printing, postage, marketing, and staffing and all the other costs associated with operating this business. By our measures and industry standards it takes about four to five years for a magazine to reach profitability. Though we were headed down the road, it was a long road and required more funds than we could commit.
All paid subscribers will receive a refund of the unused portion of their subscription fees. If you are a paid subscriber, your check, in U.S. dollars will be sent out within the next 60 days. If your payment was received after Friday, July 13th (wouldn’t you know it), by either check or credit card, we did not process your payment and you can count on the funds as if you never sent in your payment. Checks will be returned uncashed.
I know many of you are disappointed and may have difficulty understanding why we didn’t see this coming and take measures sooner. In fact, I’ve seen it coming for quite a while and have been seeking viable alternatives. I’ve contacted potential investors and buyers in an effort to keep the magazine going. AOPA was kind enough and interested enough to give some serious thought to acquiring the publication in order to create an out-reach effort to helicopter pilots, but, in the end, decided this wasn’t something they could do at this time.
I also contacted H.A.I. with the concept that while they do an excellent job of lobbying on behalf of the helicopter industry, there was much they could do to reach out to and improve their communications with pilots and private helicopter owners and autorotate may be an inexpensive, quickly profitable vehicle for doing so. So far no luck. But, the responsibility for autorotate is mine—no one else’s, and I certainly understand and accept that. With all cards played out—no remedies have been found.
All new ventures come with a measure of risk and reward and I don’t regret (most of the time) our attempt to provide helicopter pilots with a magazine just for us. Our guideline from the beginning was to provide stories and information that we would want to read. We sought to create content that reached out to all levels of pilot and I know we still had a way to go in this regard. But, our intentions were good and I believe we were headed down the right path. The rewards of autorotate have been great. We’ve met some incredible people and appreciated the time to learn and report on many interesting subjects. Autorotate has afforded me an opportunity to get to know many in our community of helicopter pilots and I’m much the richer for the experience.
My special thanks to all our writers and staff. They have done an outstanding job.
I want to thank you—our subscribers. Everything we’ve been able to accomplish is because of you. I appreciate each of you immensely. And, I wish you all, the courage and appetite to pursue your dreams—wherever they may lead.
Tony Fonze
Publisher, autorotate
------
For Anthony (and anyone else who has subscribed)
You did a terrific job, and I will miss getting the magazine in my mail.
Join Date: Jan 2001
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Dont count on it being dead just yet. I spoke to Tony Fonze this morning and am giving him some options to allow him to keep publishing Autorotate.
Are going to try and streamline his operation to cut costs and if he thinks he can do it then I think you will see Autorotate around for a while. Like the old saying goes "Watch This Space"
Pac Rotors
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Rw and Pac, Hi good morning,
Bit of bummer if something for the Heli jocks disappears, I have just read through the most recent issue of the UK AOPA mag, dated Spring 2001, 27 pages , I might have missed it but the word "Helicopter" is not printed, seem's strange that AOPA will take your fee and yet cannot help to keep the total flying world involved in their printing activity, sad to see any business think of shutting. I never read a copy of Autorotate, but Ive done it a few times.
My Regards
Bit of bummer if something for the Heli jocks disappears, I have just read through the most recent issue of the UK AOPA mag, dated Spring 2001, 27 pages , I might have missed it but the word "Helicopter" is not printed, seem's strange that AOPA will take your fee and yet cannot help to keep the total flying world involved in their printing activity, sad to see any business think of shutting. I never read a copy of Autorotate, but Ive done it a few times.
My Regards
Join Date: May 2001
Location: London
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vfrpilotb:
AOPA UK and AOPA US are two different organisations connected by only the most tenuous thread. One is rich, has many members and significant political clout. The other is poor, has few members and couldn't get itself noticed if it farted in church. AOPA UK is not the AOPA to which the gentleman above is referring.
AOPA UK and AOPA US are two different organisations connected by only the most tenuous thread. One is rich, has many members and significant political clout. The other is poor, has few members and couldn't get itself noticed if it farted in church. AOPA UK is not the AOPA to which the gentleman above is referring.
