An interesting topic.
Let's face it, finding enough new and interesting things to write about GA and the hardware involved is not an easy task. Just look at the lists of previously tested aircraft in the longer standing publications and see how often they have had to duplicate an aircraft.
There's hardly alot of current affairs in the GA industry that can be covered in the front few pages. Apart from the odd bankruptcy or new personal jet test flight results these seem to read the same month after month.
A good writer can make a flight test in a diesel Cessna sound a lot more exciting than a poor writer giving their views on low level circuits in a Citation. This will always be the case. I question the readability of most of the articles mainly from the point of view of their lack of entertainment. We buy these magazines to enjoy and relax, not to get tied up in the benefits of different spark plugs and how they perform at different altitudes... If I laugh out loud at an article I know it has been good. The recent series by a well known aerobatics pilot has been (and continues to be) excellent.
Where do these writers come from? I have not had the pleasure of reading Whirlybird's work as I turn the pages when I see a helicopter article in the same way that I do when I see PCWorld's adverts in the Sunday papers.
Take Cloud69's writing for example. The guy had an enjoyable flight in his 152 recently and he sat down and wrote about it for 30 minutes and posted it here. The response was incredible and that's not just because it was well written; it was written by a chap who loves to fly for what it is.
Can it be that some of the writers are bored of it after all these years and have lost the passion to put something down on paper that will keep the reader glued?
If I was asked to summarise the main three it would be as follows:
PILOT - The grandad of them all. Aimed more at the "budding ATPL" pilot. Steely and cold, not to be written to with suggestions for fear of the almighty!
FLYER - GA magazine with a "club" feel. Personal touches and friendly staff from what I can gather.
TODAYS PILOT - Has the benefit of being the relative newcomer so seems to get away with printing articles that are very similar to ones that others have done in the past.
I cannot help but admire the way that these chaps think up new and interesting topics to write about. My beef is that they need to find people who can do so in an entertaining way. When did you last photocopy and article from one of these magazines and give it to someone because it was so good?
I am expecting a barrage of criticism for my comments. Please don't hold back, give me both barrels if I have offended you. We may as well be honest!!
