Australian Aviation Magazine - New Format
 

Noticed the latest edition of AA at the local newso today and it has gone through a make over.
The format reminds me of the way the US Science magazines are presented (How it Works etc). Looks like they are after Aero Australia with large photographs etc.

Have not received my copy yet to give a more thorough review.

ah AA...all you ever wanted to know about Qantas and the RAAF

I just have a quick squiz at the 'Warbirds' section in 'F18s and QANTAS Monthly', then put it back on the newsagent's shelf. I remember AA's shrill, one-sided reporting and editorials of events of 'that year', and I've never bought the magazine since.

I remember they had a survey about 17 years ago about what the readers wanted changed. My comments were that there was too much on QFA and the RAAF - I did not renew my subscription when nothing changed. Seems it is still the same.

Saw a copy at work the other day and GT is a contributor - even more reason not to buy it.

I bought my once-a-year copy at the airport the other day. Chief story appeared to be a holiday guide to Apollo Bay. Seriously!

Served it purpose of reminding me why I don't buy it more often...

UTR

Australian Aviation Magazine - New Format
 

That thing is still around? Who buys it?

The next generation of dreamers

Who remembers the old 'Aust Aviation' mag from the 1980s. It took me a week to plough through all the articles. Now I borrow it from the library and it keeps me entertained for about 27 minutes.

So, did any of you actually provide any constructive feedback to the publishers recently, or are you just having a winge?
Note, I said C O N S T R U C T I V E!

Funny that it should feature Qantas and the RAAF a lot...it is called AUSTRALIAN Aviation after all... :rolleyes:

For me, the jury's still out on the cover, but I find the new format and content excellent.

I would suggest that's probably more a reflection on you than on the magazine...:hmm:

Hi all,

I am happy to take criticism of Australian Aviation - if you have seen it. (A holiday guide to Apollo Bay - even though it is one of my favourite places on earth - is definitely not in Australian Aviation.)

If you have posted on this thread PM or email me ([email protected]) your address details and I will send you a copy of the new format magazine, and then I'd welcome your further constructive criticism (either on this thread again or directly).

Regards,

Gerard Frawley
Managing Editor & Publisher
Australian Aviation

Gerard
As you are here, may I give you some feedback?
I bought the new edition.
The original Australian Aviation was a good read, as the articles were in depth.
The last few years, and in the current edition, it is very light weight, if you will excuse me being frank.
I read a few bits, but just lost interest and haven't gone back to it.
It is a pity, because I miss the Australian Aviation of old.
I hope you will take this as it is offered, as an attempt at constructive comment.
John

I used to be an avid reader during the 90 s even had a subscription.
The magazine became more and more a QF magazine even though there were 2 airlines plying the sky's.
When the Concorde crashed in Paris there was extensive and professional coverage. Not long after QF1 overran in Bangkok a very close call and it received scant coverage.
It was then that I realised like the famous WA aviation reporter, upgrades free travel and lounge passes are more important than professional journalism.
I wrote to the editor and withdrew my subscription. They published my letter but it seems over a decade later nothing has changed.

The radio stations in Sydney were crucified over the cash-for-comments affair!

How does that fit with in with the man from WA?

The Apollo Bay story was in Australian Flying

(Jan-Feb 2013 edition - it has a PC12NG on the cover)

I always enjoyed Jim Thorn's articles, I believe his regular used to be called "Reece" when he was the managing editor. Gerard, still love the magazine and have been reading it for over 20 years.

As for the new format, your not likely to get useful, balanced feedback from Pprune, however I think it looks great! :ok:

Doh - my bad!

UTR

@rjtjrt/John - fair enough. The idea for Jan/Feb issue is to have some lighter stories given it is on sale during the summer break (and there were one or two meatier stories that fell through for various reasons). But if we haven't kept your interest with it, I'm sorry about that, but thanks for the feedback. But do let me know what in-depth articles style of articles you would like to see? My email is in my earlier post.

@RU/16 - For my own benefit I have looked back through a few random issues from the 1990s (when I would say there was very little QF content). AA has changed - less historical articles, less GA, no Carlo Kopp. On the flipside we are more focused on contemporary Australian aviation issues and events - I guess hence others' criticisms of too much Qantas and RAAF coverage. I think that's an exaggeration, but noted. Our QF1 coverage - C'mon, that was in 1999! Judge us on our QF32 coverage instead. But this: "It was then that I realised like the famous WA aviation reporter, upgrades free travel and lounge passes are more important than professional journalism." - if we are being frank, that's BS.

@Aye Ess - the "old" AA of the 1980s was a quarterly and then a bi-monthly. Some were around 150 pages, most about 116. Jan/Feb 13 AA is 116 pages, and our standard size going forward will be 100.

@Capt Fathom - I don't mind if you say "I don't like AA because I don't like GT". That's legitimate. But smearing us with baseless "cash for comment" innuendo while hiding behind a pseudonym is gutless. You're wrong too.

@Dash 42 - thanks for the kudos.

I am really happy to have a conversation, whether on Pprune, or via Facebook, Twitter the AA website, email or face-to-face (we'll be at Avalon, come by) about what people do and don't like about AA. I really appreciate the kudos, and I will also take onboard and consider criticism, but I won't take the crap.

I've been at Australian Aviation more than 20 years now, and I have never been more engaged in and passionate about what we are doing than I am now. I hope that shows in the product.

Gerard Frawley

Gerard,

I've been buying 'Australian Aviation' since the Jan/Feb 1988 edition. That was the one with ARDU Mirage A3-2 flying inverted at low level on the cover, as displayed within the current magazine. I've just had a quick look at that copy from 25 years ago. Jim Thorn's editorial was known as RECCE. One thing I always admired was that he quite often had very strong views. And he wrote many articles himself. That would be difficult to do today. I'd guess that anyone writing an article critical of say, A.J. would never be granted an interview again with anyone at QF. I must say that some articles about QF written by G.T. over the last couple of years could only be described as very soft. But I still maintain a subscription to 'AA' and find the magazine a good informative read. And as an ex RAAFie, I do enjoy the RAAF articles. One contributor I really miss from those days is Carlo Kopp who wrote a lot of very well researched defence material.

G.

Guess i must be the 'the next generation of dreamers' .... I like it, its a decent read. Would be good if their was a few pages of more in-depth world airline news as well but i guess it defeats the purpose of its title


Anyhow thats my few cents

I had a subscription for over 15 years, but after the very one sided reporting over events in that year, I cancelled it and have refused to by a copy ever sense.