Suggestions for Magazine Articles
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I think that Business aviation (which is very much GA) doesn't get enough attention. In the US, 75% of GA is business aviation. UK GA mags give too much attention to cheap and vintage fun flying. How about more articles on business aircraft (light jets, single ening t/props, High perf singles)? There are some people who are not really interested in the 'spirit of flying' but more interested in getting from point A to B and have a lot of money to spend and dont want the hassle of airlines. FLYING magazine (US) seems to be able to accomodate both the 'flyer' and the 'aviator' under on roof.
Also Uk GA mags don't really appeal to th younger genration of pilots. They aren't doing mnuch to bring in new blood into the GA community. while old timers might be facinated by the latest taildragger/microlight/1930s pieces of cr@p, people my age are more interested in high performance machines and gadgets.
Each edition of FLYING magazine has more info on new technogoly than the 3 major Uk mags put together. I'd like to see more on the benefits of new technology (GPS, glass cockpits even mode s).
Contrary to what CB said I don't mind seeing the flight tests of unusual aircraft we GA pilots will never get to fly (I liked John farley's article in the Lavi a while back). I would like to see occasional articles on airline and Helicopter operations. We share the same sky but dont know much about them.
How about a more 'interesting' page 3
Capt. M
Also Uk GA mags don't really appeal to th younger genration of pilots. They aren't doing mnuch to bring in new blood into the GA community. while old timers might be facinated by the latest taildragger/microlight/1930s pieces of cr@p, people my age are more interested in high performance machines and gadgets.
Each edition of FLYING magazine has more info on new technogoly than the 3 major Uk mags put together. I'd like to see more on the benefits of new technology (GPS, glass cockpits even mode s).
Contrary to what CB said I don't mind seeing the flight tests of unusual aircraft we GA pilots will never get to fly (I liked John farley's article in the Lavi a while back). I would like to see occasional articles on airline and Helicopter operations. We share the same sky but dont know much about them.
How about a more 'interesting' page 3
Capt. M
Why do it if it's not fun?
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dp suggested:
ToryBoy agreed:
Capt M, however, obviously doesn't:
The only thing this proves is that you can't possibly keep everyone happy.
So my question is, why do we have three magazine, all of which try to cater for everyone (more or less)? Why not have one magazine that concentrates on classic aircraft, one that's aimed more at owners of modern, affordable aircraft, and a third to cater for the business jet pilots and enthusiasts?
FFF
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What could I buy for less than €100,000 that is new, and I don't have to build?
I would agree entirely with dp on his "can we hear more about affordable planes".
There are some people who are not really interested in the 'spirit of flying' but more interested in getting from point A to B and have a lot of money to spend and dont want the hassle of airlines
So my question is, why do we have three magazine, all of which try to cater for everyone (more or less)? Why not have one magazine that concentrates on classic aircraft, one that's aimed more at owners of modern, affordable aircraft, and a third to cater for the business jet pilots and enthusiasts?
FFF
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Why not have one magazine that concentrates on classic aircraft, one that's aimed more at owners of modern, affordable aircraft, and a third to cater for the business jet pilots and enthusiasts?
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FFF,
I think Toryboy, CaptM & myself might be closer than you think. The common point being we don't want to hear reviews about vintage aircraft, that we can't walk out any buy, because none are for sale. We want to see new modern aircraft, although we might disagree about the price range.
I do think there is room for the mags to please us all, just not with the same article, at the same time. Most of the mags have more than one flight test in the same issue, so we could all get something form each issue to keep us happy.
Flyed, & Formatiofoto,
It was preciesly to give people like you guys some positive feedback that I started this thread. So that you might better pick which articles to publish/write, so thanks for showing your interest, and thoughts.
IO540,
I'm not so sure that the readership of pprune is that different to the mags. I'm presuming your assuming that most people here fly more than those that read the mag. However a lot of people here don't fly that much. I for one only fly about 40/50 hours per year, and consider myself very inexperienced. While there is a higher % of experienced pilots here, I'm sure that the feedback is still good enough to give them useful feedback.
Your post does though give me another idea for an article. How about an article of useful internet resourses for flying? We all know of useful site for weather, notams, customs forms, airfield info etc. As you pointed out lots of pilots don't make much use of the internet. Maybe they would like to be informed about what's actually available to them, and what they are missing out on. Just a thought.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts everyone, and sticking to the request to keep this thread positive rather than negative. Now it's up to the editors to take our thoughts onboard and hopefully we'll all get more articles along the line of what we want to read.
dp
ps. Nick. I'm surprised about the reluctance of ATC's to write. I'm not sure what sort of article you suggested to them, but I would't expect them to write about anything that would get them into trouble. Just explain how we interact with them, what they can do for us, and how we can make better use of their service. I'm thinking something along the lines of John Farrelly's articles, from an ATC point of view. Maybe a recently retired ATC might be more willing?
I think Toryboy, CaptM & myself might be closer than you think. The common point being we don't want to hear reviews about vintage aircraft, that we can't walk out any buy, because none are for sale. We want to see new modern aircraft, although we might disagree about the price range.
I do think there is room for the mags to please us all, just not with the same article, at the same time. Most of the mags have more than one flight test in the same issue, so we could all get something form each issue to keep us happy.
Flyed, & Formatiofoto,
It was preciesly to give people like you guys some positive feedback that I started this thread. So that you might better pick which articles to publish/write, so thanks for showing your interest, and thoughts.
IO540,
I'm not so sure that the readership of pprune is that different to the mags. I'm presuming your assuming that most people here fly more than those that read the mag. However a lot of people here don't fly that much. I for one only fly about 40/50 hours per year, and consider myself very inexperienced. While there is a higher % of experienced pilots here, I'm sure that the feedback is still good enough to give them useful feedback.
Your post does though give me another idea for an article. How about an article of useful internet resourses for flying? We all know of useful site for weather, notams, customs forms, airfield info etc. As you pointed out lots of pilots don't make much use of the internet. Maybe they would like to be informed about what's actually available to them, and what they are missing out on. Just a thought.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts everyone, and sticking to the request to keep this thread positive rather than negative. Now it's up to the editors to take our thoughts onboard and hopefully we'll all get more articles along the line of what we want to read.
dp
ps. Nick. I'm surprised about the reluctance of ATC's to write. I'm not sure what sort of article you suggested to them, but I would't expect them to write about anything that would get them into trouble. Just explain how we interact with them, what they can do for us, and how we can make better use of their service. I'm thinking something along the lines of John Farrelly's articles, from an ATC point of view. Maybe a recently retired ATC might be more willing?
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If I was the editor of a flying mag, I think I'd now be tearing my hair! How to please everyone? Some people want more flight tests, some less. Some don't like ILAFFT and That Worst Day, some of us read those first (I do, for one, anyway). Some like old aircraft, some new ones, some can't afford those, etc etc etc etc.
I think ultimately it comes down to the standard of the writing. If something is well written, even a subject I don't think I'm that interested in can be fascinating. OHOH, if I read a flying touring story, about a place I'd like to go, that spends the first two paragraphs on why they decided to go, plus the fact they checked the weather, and sorted out their pride and joy and loaded her with fuel, di-dum, di-dum...I feel like I'm reading an adult version of a kid's "What I did in my holidays|" school essay. Don't editors edit any more? For instance, there was a recent article in the PFA magazine, about a guy who flew to Italy, had engine failure in the mountains, and managed to land safely on the only cleared bit of ground for miles and miles around, on a steep slope. I will never ever forget reading about that; it was riveting. But why oh why didn't someone edit out some of the rest of his over-long diary account of the trip?
Flight tests...er, right... They all seem to be variations on a theme. It looked nice, it was a bit of a tight squeeze for the 6ft 2ins pilot, but didn't it have wonderful handling, and didn't he enjoy it. Well, I'm sure he had fun, but that didn't really tell me a lot. I dream of the day when someone test flies something and doesn't really like it! Just for a change, you know.
So what do I want? More innovative and really good writing. Stuff from people who can fly AND write. They must exist. I know they do. Every time I've submitted an article (apart from one that got returned since the photos were't good enough) I get told it will be accepted, but not published for ages as the editor has loads of stuff and there's a backlog. So there can't be a dearth of material. Maybe, editors, you should be getting more fussy. Just an idea.
Er... I suppose that means I can't complain if you turn down anything of mine now. Ah, well, I don't write much anyway. Except on PPRuNe
I think ultimately it comes down to the standard of the writing. If something is well written, even a subject I don't think I'm that interested in can be fascinating. OHOH, if I read a flying touring story, about a place I'd like to go, that spends the first two paragraphs on why they decided to go, plus the fact they checked the weather, and sorted out their pride and joy and loaded her with fuel, di-dum, di-dum...I feel like I'm reading an adult version of a kid's "What I did in my holidays|" school essay. Don't editors edit any more? For instance, there was a recent article in the PFA magazine, about a guy who flew to Italy, had engine failure in the mountains, and managed to land safely on the only cleared bit of ground for miles and miles around, on a steep slope. I will never ever forget reading about that; it was riveting. But why oh why didn't someone edit out some of the rest of his over-long diary account of the trip?
Flight tests...er, right... They all seem to be variations on a theme. It looked nice, it was a bit of a tight squeeze for the 6ft 2ins pilot, but didn't it have wonderful handling, and didn't he enjoy it. Well, I'm sure he had fun, but that didn't really tell me a lot. I dream of the day when someone test flies something and doesn't really like it! Just for a change, you know.
So what do I want? More innovative and really good writing. Stuff from people who can fly AND write. They must exist. I know they do. Every time I've submitted an article (apart from one that got returned since the photos were't good enough) I get told it will be accepted, but not published for ages as the editor has loads of stuff and there's a backlog. So there can't be a dearth of material. Maybe, editors, you should be getting more fussy. Just an idea.
Er... I suppose that means I can't complain if you turn down anything of mine now. Ah, well, I don't write much anyway. Except on PPRuNe
COMPARE flying say, on W Coast USA or Canada and in UK
Follow a homebuilt being built, Forget the nuts and bolts, write the human story.
COMPARE onership. Between planes, between places, between types of people, ie, fanatics/casual owners?
SHORT cameos of characters in aviation,, not just the famous ones but also the guy who makes that sarnies at Rochester, or the owner of a (small) helicopter company.
Tell what there is to do when we go there, when we tire of the $100 hamburger. Museum close by, activities? Town? Transport?
Collect a "Tip File" for owning or for building planes. Not the "how to" of nuts and bolts but the human stuff we learn too late to be any good. (I could fill a (small) book.)
Start a "Tip File" for popular makes, publish in batches.
Above all.
Better writing =Good
Poor writing = Bad.
Follow a homebuilt being built, Forget the nuts and bolts, write the human story.
COMPARE onership. Between planes, between places, between types of people, ie, fanatics/casual owners?
SHORT cameos of characters in aviation,, not just the famous ones but also the guy who makes that sarnies at Rochester, or the owner of a (small) helicopter company.
Tell what there is to do when we go there, when we tire of the $100 hamburger. Museum close by, activities? Town? Transport?
Collect a "Tip File" for owning or for building planes. Not the "how to" of nuts and bolts but the human stuff we learn too late to be any good. (I could fill a (small) book.)
Start a "Tip File" for popular makes, publish in batches.
Above all.
Better writing =Good
Poor writing = Bad.
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dublinpilot
If you do 50hrs/year that is way above UK PPL average. Various figures have appeared in the press over recent years. One of them quoted the CAA as saying that 75% of PPLs expire with less than 10hrs flown. Others are in the region of 90-95% of PPLs expiring before the first renewal, or some 95% never make 100hrs before expiring. So if a magazine wants to appeal to the bulk of the UK PPL scene, it needs to go after very low time pilots indeed.
But does it really? Do PPL students buy the magazines? If they do, that part of the circulation must be falling, some 30-50% in the last 5 years. Unless we know the reader profile (experience basically) we can't say. But the mags know it.
Flight planning is getting pretty streamlined but there is still some way to go. You can now go to e.g. www.avbrief.com and get most of the weather for today and a bit of tomorrow, and that will do most PPLs. For an idea beyond that, or for supplementing the aforementioned especially for IMC flight, http://www.arl.noaa.gov/ready/cmet.html is one of several good sites which require some interpretation to get the best out of them. Avbrief also have a very good human weather person you can phone up. Then you go to http://www.ais.org.uk/index.html for the Notams and (if you don't have Pooleys or the Aerad touring guide) for aerodrome charts. AIS is a pig-slow website but nothing like the truly awful Eurocontrol website (with about 20MB of Java download) which is a collection of AIPs around Europe; potentially very handy. But not a lot of schools offer internet access to students, and a lot of schools discourage post-PPL flyers. How many airfields have free net access in their public flight planning room? Rather than handing out the silly get-weather booklets full of premium rate numbers, people should be encouraged to make a habit of using the net for their flight planning - it's a lot quicker.
The internet has a long way to go... the charts should be online, perhaps downloadable for an annual fee. That would be a vast improvement. Almost everybody has access to an inkjet printer.
Then there is software. The Jepp stuff and Navbox are probably most popular in the UK, but this stuff is frowned on in flying schools where the ex-WW1 slide rule is the order of the day. The chart needs to be used anyway for terrain/airspace reference but flight planning with Navbox is incredibly quick. Again this needs to be integrated into flight planning.
I think Capt. Manuvar is right on about modernisation. The traditionalists can be easily served by one "vintage types" magazine. But unless new younger pilots are attracted, the whole scene will sink and all that will be left will be people operating off farm strips. And helicopters, of course.
So the mags could do a lot to move things forward. But I think they are hugely hampered by the appallingly backward attitudes throughout the GA business. We still have a PPL syllabus which dates back to WW1, with some concessions to technical developments in WW2, and very few 1960s amendments (VORs). The CAA appear to do nothing, and the training establishment is mostly more than happy with anything just as long as the occassional bunch of people from the local housing estate walk in for a pleasure flight for somebody's birthday. I've spoken to the CAA and apparently the ICAO is looking at updating things, but it's likely to take years and there will be a lot of resistance. Not least because most schools have no money to get new kit never mind new planes.
Inconclusive...
If you do 50hrs/year that is way above UK PPL average. Various figures have appeared in the press over recent years. One of them quoted the CAA as saying that 75% of PPLs expire with less than 10hrs flown. Others are in the region of 90-95% of PPLs expiring before the first renewal, or some 95% never make 100hrs before expiring. So if a magazine wants to appeal to the bulk of the UK PPL scene, it needs to go after very low time pilots indeed.
But does it really? Do PPL students buy the magazines? If they do, that part of the circulation must be falling, some 30-50% in the last 5 years. Unless we know the reader profile (experience basically) we can't say. But the mags know it.
Flight planning is getting pretty streamlined but there is still some way to go. You can now go to e.g. www.avbrief.com and get most of the weather for today and a bit of tomorrow, and that will do most PPLs. For an idea beyond that, or for supplementing the aforementioned especially for IMC flight, http://www.arl.noaa.gov/ready/cmet.html is one of several good sites which require some interpretation to get the best out of them. Avbrief also have a very good human weather person you can phone up. Then you go to http://www.ais.org.uk/index.html for the Notams and (if you don't have Pooleys or the Aerad touring guide) for aerodrome charts. AIS is a pig-slow website but nothing like the truly awful Eurocontrol website (with about 20MB of Java download) which is a collection of AIPs around Europe; potentially very handy. But not a lot of schools offer internet access to students, and a lot of schools discourage post-PPL flyers. How many airfields have free net access in their public flight planning room? Rather than handing out the silly get-weather booklets full of premium rate numbers, people should be encouraged to make a habit of using the net for their flight planning - it's a lot quicker.
The internet has a long way to go... the charts should be online, perhaps downloadable for an annual fee. That would be a vast improvement. Almost everybody has access to an inkjet printer.
Then there is software. The Jepp stuff and Navbox are probably most popular in the UK, but this stuff is frowned on in flying schools where the ex-WW1 slide rule is the order of the day. The chart needs to be used anyway for terrain/airspace reference but flight planning with Navbox is incredibly quick. Again this needs to be integrated into flight planning.
I think Capt. Manuvar is right on about modernisation. The traditionalists can be easily served by one "vintage types" magazine. But unless new younger pilots are attracted, the whole scene will sink and all that will be left will be people operating off farm strips. And helicopters, of course.
So the mags could do a lot to move things forward. But I think they are hugely hampered by the appallingly backward attitudes throughout the GA business. We still have a PPL syllabus which dates back to WW1, with some concessions to technical developments in WW2, and very few 1960s amendments (VORs). The CAA appear to do nothing, and the training establishment is mostly more than happy with anything just as long as the occassional bunch of people from the local housing estate walk in for a pleasure flight for somebody's birthday. I've spoken to the CAA and apparently the ICAO is looking at updating things, but it's likely to take years and there will be a lot of resistance. Not least because most schools have no money to get new kit never mind new planes.
Inconclusive...
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Good thread so far. Very little slagging off. Mag editors / publishers seem to be listening. And I know many of the ideas mentioned are ideas already being looked at.
Keep it coming.
Keep it coming.
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ATC authors
Nick
I don't know the chap..
But pprunes Heathrow director is retired. Everything i have read on pprune by him has shone with knowledge and experence.
Its just an Idea.
Flying lawer might be another good catch but i suspect he has more than enough work to do.
MJ
I don't know the chap..
But pprunes Heathrow director is retired. Everything i have read on pprune by him has shone with knowledge and experence.
Its just an Idea.
Flying lawer might be another good catch but i suspect he has more than enough work to do.
MJ
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Why has no-one mentioned that fact that Angelina Jolie is apparently doing a PPL (H) at Denham. Where is the article and most importantly, the pictures?
As already stated, you can't please all of the people all of the time. But, the important thing is not the subject matter so much as the quality of the writing. The reason a lot of people have singled out John Farley is because he can. (Personally I've got no real interest in military jets, mainly because no-one will let me fly them! But John's consistently interesting, even if that's his subject).
I have to say the best article I've read in a long while was by Dave Byers(?) - a Concorde pilot describing his last flight on her. Although the subject matter would interest most of us here, the eloquence with which he described his experience was truely excellent.
I also think that while the writing in Flyer has improved over the last couple of years, the writing in Pilot has gone downhill slightly. (I have to be careful what I say, as Sam the man has berated me for making Nick Bloom cry with some hurtful comments I made in another thread. Don't worry Sam, my parents have grounded me and I'm not allowed to hang around with the big boys from the estate any more).
Where was I? Oh yes, quality of writing first, subject matter second.
BTW, what do people think of the issue of 'Flyer' out today? (I'll ask the same question next week about 'Pilot').
As already stated, you can't please all of the people all of the time. But, the important thing is not the subject matter so much as the quality of the writing. The reason a lot of people have singled out John Farley is because he can. (Personally I've got no real interest in military jets, mainly because no-one will let me fly them! But John's consistently interesting, even if that's his subject).
I have to say the best article I've read in a long while was by Dave Byers(?) - a Concorde pilot describing his last flight on her. Although the subject matter would interest most of us here, the eloquence with which he described his experience was truely excellent.
I also think that while the writing in Flyer has improved over the last couple of years, the writing in Pilot has gone downhill slightly. (I have to be careful what I say, as Sam the man has berated me for making Nick Bloom cry with some hurtful comments I made in another thread. Don't worry Sam, my parents have grounded me and I'm not allowed to hang around with the big boys from the estate any more).
Where was I? Oh yes, quality of writing first, subject matter second.
BTW, what do people think of the issue of 'Flyer' out today? (I'll ask the same question next week about 'Pilot').
Thread Starter
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No no, no.
If you want to be critical on the current issues of the mags, then start another thread on that. Please don't hi-jack this one. As I said in my initial post, I wanted this one to be kept as one of positive suggestions for future articles.
Please don't hi-jack it, as I think it's working well, and that we are all likely to see the benefits in future issues.
dp
If you want to be critical on the current issues of the mags, then start another thread on that. Please don't hi-jack this one. As I said in my initial post, I wanted this one to be kept as one of positive suggestions for future articles.
Please don't hi-jack it, as I think it's working well, and that we are all likely to see the benefits in future issues.
dp
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Come on Shaggy! La Jolie is a buxom actress who played Lara Croft in the recent Hollywood films based on the Tomb Raider game. (Don't ask what a PlayStation is!)
Old farts like me will make an aviation connection: Jolie is John Voight's daughter, and Voight played Milo Mindbenderer in Catch 22. Now there's a real film...
Strafer: I am sure you did make Nick Bloom cry. However, all of us magazine editors have to learn that it is for our our readership to judge how well we are doing the job!
James Gilbert - best editorial teacher of the lot - always used to say: "the editor's decision may not always be right - but it is final!" The rest of his wisdom I will artfully keep to myself.
Old farts like me will make an aviation connection: Jolie is John Voight's daughter, and Voight played Milo Mindbenderer in Catch 22. Now there's a real film...
Strafer: I am sure you did make Nick Bloom cry. However, all of us magazine editors have to learn that it is for our our readership to judge how well we are doing the job!
James Gilbert - best editorial teacher of the lot - always used to say: "the editor's decision may not always be right - but it is final!" The rest of his wisdom I will artfully keep to myself.
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Philip - thanks for that; I'd really no idea who she was. Think I know what a play station is, though
If we ever get together for a scoop or two, I'll be bending you ear for some more of that Gilbert editorial wisdom
SSD
If we ever get together for a scoop or two, I'll be bending you ear for some more of that Gilbert editorial wisdom
SSD
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I'd like to see articles on instrument flight as revision for IMC holders and students (e.g. ADF tracking, NDB/DME approaches, holds, etc). All three magazines tend to stick to VFR flying and techniques.
I'd also like to see honest appraisals of aircraft for flight tests. If an aircraft is cr@p, please say so! (TP mag is particularly bad at this and seems to give wonderful reviews of everything). Some Clarkson'esque wit and sarcasm from the authors would be great too!
140
I'd also like to see honest appraisals of aircraft for flight tests. If an aircraft is cr@p, please say so! (TP mag is particularly bad at this and seems to give wonderful reviews of everything). Some Clarkson'esque wit and sarcasm from the authors would be great too!
140
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Dear all, this thread was recently brought to our attention and everyone at Today’s Pilot would like to thank you all for the many and varied suggestions. There’s been some excellent ideas floated already. As Nick Wall has already pointed out, all the UK’s GA mags are delighted to receive contributions from their readers, so please feel free to email any articles or suggestions to me at [email protected] if you want to see them in Today’s Pilot.
I note that some of you have indicated a preference about articles that look at owning and operating specific aircraft types. May I introduce any PPRuNers who have not already seen it to our regular feature “Owning & Operating a ……” - it does exactly what it says on the tin! The current issue looks at the Jet Provost while next month’s deals with the Ikarus C-42.
As for the post claiming that we always say nice things about everything, I’d beg to differ. For example, see my report on the Liberty XL-2 in the current issue, in which I am less than enamoured with its finger brakes. Indeed, I think you’ll find that I invariably find something unsatisfactory about almost all the aircraft that I test. After all, nothing’s perfect! However, to be fair, most of the aircraft I fly have achieved at least some level of certification before I get my hands on them, and in order to be certificated they must reach a certain standard.
Cheers, Dave
Dave Unwin, Editor, Today’s Pilot
I note that some of you have indicated a preference about articles that look at owning and operating specific aircraft types. May I introduce any PPRuNers who have not already seen it to our regular feature “Owning & Operating a ……” - it does exactly what it says on the tin! The current issue looks at the Jet Provost while next month’s deals with the Ikarus C-42.
As for the post claiming that we always say nice things about everything, I’d beg to differ. For example, see my report on the Liberty XL-2 in the current issue, in which I am less than enamoured with its finger brakes. Indeed, I think you’ll find that I invariably find something unsatisfactory about almost all the aircraft that I test. After all, nothing’s perfect! However, to be fair, most of the aircraft I fly have achieved at least some level of certification before I get my hands on them, and in order to be certificated they must reach a certain standard.
Cheers, Dave
Dave Unwin, Editor, Today’s Pilot
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On the subject of flight tests, again, it's probably hard to organise but it would be nice to see reports of the aircraft being tested in the environment it's designed for, written by someone who knows their subject.
For example, a report on an aerobatic aeroplane should be written by someone who is able to fly aerobatics properly and give a reasoned opinion. Nick Bloom does this very well (even if I stand by my criticism in the other thread of the short-field landings article he edited!), as do a few others - but often the writer just flies (or is flown) through a couple of loops and a spin, and says that they couldn't do any more because of time constraints, low fuel, lack of parachutes, etc. That's just poor planning.
Another example would be a test of a fast tourer. Fill it with people, go somewhere in it, and use an instrument-rated reviewer who is used to touring - but unless he (or she? Has anyone seen a flight test written by a woman?) is truly multi-talented, don't get him then to review the VFR-only farm-strip special with tundra tyres and a 70kt cruise 'cos he probably won't make much of a job of it.
A small personal gripe is that the best reviewers are freelance and their writing turns up in both British and French magazines. Bob Grimstead's reviews all get translated and published in Aviasport, and Jacques Callies sometimes gets translated into English and published in Flyer.... my fault for buying too many magazines, I suppose.
What else do I like? Accuracy, and good writing. I'd like more personal articles about anything that takes the author's fancy. The kind of article that Bernard Chabbert still writes for the French magazines (and used to for Pilot), or the ones found in the back pages of Flying. There must be people out there who have something to say and who can write. The magazines should be proactive about going and finding them, and be less reliant on contributions from enthusiastic readers (money permitting, of course).
For example, a report on an aerobatic aeroplane should be written by someone who is able to fly aerobatics properly and give a reasoned opinion. Nick Bloom does this very well (even if I stand by my criticism in the other thread of the short-field landings article he edited!), as do a few others - but often the writer just flies (or is flown) through a couple of loops and a spin, and says that they couldn't do any more because of time constraints, low fuel, lack of parachutes, etc. That's just poor planning.
Another example would be a test of a fast tourer. Fill it with people, go somewhere in it, and use an instrument-rated reviewer who is used to touring - but unless he (or she? Has anyone seen a flight test written by a woman?) is truly multi-talented, don't get him then to review the VFR-only farm-strip special with tundra tyres and a 70kt cruise 'cos he probably won't make much of a job of it.
A small personal gripe is that the best reviewers are freelance and their writing turns up in both British and French magazines. Bob Grimstead's reviews all get translated and published in Aviasport, and Jacques Callies sometimes gets translated into English and published in Flyer.... my fault for buying too many magazines, I suppose.
What else do I like? Accuracy, and good writing. I'd like more personal articles about anything that takes the author's fancy. The kind of article that Bernard Chabbert still writes for the French magazines (and used to for Pilot), or the ones found in the back pages of Flying. There must be people out there who have something to say and who can write. The magazines should be proactive about going and finding them, and be less reliant on contributions from enthusiastic readers (money permitting, of course).
Join Date: Oct 2003
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I reckon the key here as has been mentioned several times in balance.
I reckon it's great to read about Bob and his PA28 but it is like a car mag. We all know what we want to own. So you can read about the new Ford but an article about the Ferrari 360 grabs you as well.
In GA terms it is nice to read about the really cool kit such as Citations etc but in balance.
I would love to see an article where they get some average PPL's and try them out in airliner sims. Would be nice to know how they fare and what they take away from it.
As mentioned before. Please move off the airfield on articles about airfields.
Perhaps a bit more on training and refreshing as well.
I reckon it's great to read about Bob and his PA28 but it is like a car mag. We all know what we want to own. So you can read about the new Ford but an article about the Ferrari 360 grabs you as well.
In GA terms it is nice to read about the really cool kit such as Citations etc but in balance.
I would love to see an article where they get some average PPL's and try them out in airliner sims. Would be nice to know how they fare and what they take away from it.
As mentioned before. Please move off the airfield on articles about airfields.
Perhaps a bit more on training and refreshing as well.
IF, as the figures suggest, so many PPLs drop out before they make 100 hours ( It took me 39 years to make my first 100 almost to the day) then surely a most beneficial thing a magazine could do is work on a strategy to get those people to stay in the game. Good for GA and good for the circulation too.
Why do they drop out?
Cost?
Lack of Purpose?
lack of adventure?
Lack of social inclusion?
Many other industries are going through the same thing, for instance the ski industry in N America, figures stagnant for ten years, declining the last couple. They have recognised they need to come up with a strategy as a whole as well as fighting over the punters between themselves. GA must do the same or in the long run they are doomed. The associations are loose and have little power so it is up to other areas of the business to get it rolling and the magazines are by far the best placed to encourage, co-erce and generally influence.
Cost? What about flight sharing, offering spare seats, discounts for groups organised through magazines, discount group training
Lack of purpose? Well some of you are showing the way with group outings. Expand on them, take them abroad, stratify them so beginners have places to go and can expand their horizons with their experience. How about flotilla flying like flotilla sailing holidays? Lack of adventure, likewise.
Lack of social inclusion. Why not have a campaign. Let no one walk out of a flying centre/ club anywhere without a personal invitation to return for an event, barbecue, informal drink, group including seminar or refresher.
Three years ago some people over the hills started a flight school at my local airfield. The instructor was awfully good and within a month had eight students. Apparently breakeven was five. Unfortunately he did not work on the social thing. Each of us would go up there, do our bit of training and flying, shake hands and leave. At the end of the season I was the only one with a Permit and that because Dept of Transport said I only needed a refresher. By the next season the impetus was lost, the school did not come back and there are seven ( out of eight) people around here who are part of the "90% don't do more than....." statistic. None of us ever met each other.
Contrast that with the gliding club at the airfiled. They have a hut, 12 ft by 12 ft. There is always coffee going, even for non gliders. Rudi always takes a few seconds to say hello even when he is busy, and he is busy, the place is known internationally. There are always a few pilots hanging round chewing over the weather, competitions, different kinds of aircraft. The set up is good so needs little of that usual manhnadling but everyone offers to do it anyway.
Get the message? Getting people to help and to socialise may not be necessary to the business of gliding but it includes people, myself included and I don't even fly gliders.
Do a deal with the flight schools. Every training pilot get a mail copy of the magazine, Pennies to the flight school but just maybe you'll engage a PPL for life. What a return.
There was, in the sixties a whole flying/social/ status/ adventure/excitement thing, if you want to get people to stay in flying I think you should recreate that excitement and engagement and I know just the people to do it: The Aviation magazines. Now get on with it.
Why do they drop out?
Cost?
Lack of Purpose?
lack of adventure?
Lack of social inclusion?
Many other industries are going through the same thing, for instance the ski industry in N America, figures stagnant for ten years, declining the last couple. They have recognised they need to come up with a strategy as a whole as well as fighting over the punters between themselves. GA must do the same or in the long run they are doomed. The associations are loose and have little power so it is up to other areas of the business to get it rolling and the magazines are by far the best placed to encourage, co-erce and generally influence.
Cost? What about flight sharing, offering spare seats, discounts for groups organised through magazines, discount group training
Lack of purpose? Well some of you are showing the way with group outings. Expand on them, take them abroad, stratify them so beginners have places to go and can expand their horizons with their experience. How about flotilla flying like flotilla sailing holidays? Lack of adventure, likewise.
Lack of social inclusion. Why not have a campaign. Let no one walk out of a flying centre/ club anywhere without a personal invitation to return for an event, barbecue, informal drink, group including seminar or refresher.
Three years ago some people over the hills started a flight school at my local airfield. The instructor was awfully good and within a month had eight students. Apparently breakeven was five. Unfortunately he did not work on the social thing. Each of us would go up there, do our bit of training and flying, shake hands and leave. At the end of the season I was the only one with a Permit and that because Dept of Transport said I only needed a refresher. By the next season the impetus was lost, the school did not come back and there are seven ( out of eight) people around here who are part of the "90% don't do more than....." statistic. None of us ever met each other.
Contrast that with the gliding club at the airfiled. They have a hut, 12 ft by 12 ft. There is always coffee going, even for non gliders. Rudi always takes a few seconds to say hello even when he is busy, and he is busy, the place is known internationally. There are always a few pilots hanging round chewing over the weather, competitions, different kinds of aircraft. The set up is good so needs little of that usual manhnadling but everyone offers to do it anyway.
Get the message? Getting people to help and to socialise may not be necessary to the business of gliding but it includes people, myself included and I don't even fly gliders.
Do a deal with the flight schools. Every training pilot get a mail copy of the magazine, Pennies to the flight school but just maybe you'll engage a PPL for life. What a return.
There was, in the sixties a whole flying/social/ status/ adventure/excitement thing, if you want to get people to stay in flying I think you should recreate that excitement and engagement and I know just the people to do it: The Aviation magazines. Now get on with it.