Pilot Magazine
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November Pilot
Hi Stampe,
I agree that the Miles feature is really good. Whilst I can be accused of bias (!) there is no denying that the photography is exceptional. Dave Calderwood, Nick Bloom and the modest unsung genius with the camera Cliff Knox (Old Warden photographer par excellence) have produced some priceless pictures.
How frustrating for the Editor to learn that there has been some problems with the production. Hardly their fault - all subcontracted(?) - and I am sure the subject of separate discussion.
If your copy is defective then it will be replaced surely. If it were me (mine was fine) I would go back to the shop, leaf through the stock, find a brankers copy and get them to swap it.
For you Miles enthusiasts out there - if you want to know more about the Miles Falcon featured in Nov. Pilot you need to get hold of a copy of Feb 03 FlyPast, out January 1st. Where Ken Ellis is involved we can be sure of something really exciting.
Come on guys - give our magazines a break - all make an excellent contribution. 3 magazines? Aren't we lucky! I agree with Stampe - some American magazines are ghastly.
I agree that the Miles feature is really good. Whilst I can be accused of bias (!) there is no denying that the photography is exceptional. Dave Calderwood, Nick Bloom and the modest unsung genius with the camera Cliff Knox (Old Warden photographer par excellence) have produced some priceless pictures.
How frustrating for the Editor to learn that there has been some problems with the production. Hardly their fault - all subcontracted(?) - and I am sure the subject of separate discussion.
If your copy is defective then it will be replaced surely. If it were me (mine was fine) I would go back to the shop, leaf through the stock, find a brankers copy and get them to swap it.
For you Miles enthusiasts out there - if you want to know more about the Miles Falcon featured in Nov. Pilot you need to get hold of a copy of Feb 03 FlyPast, out January 1st. Where Ken Ellis is involved we can be sure of something really exciting.
Come on guys - give our magazines a break - all make an excellent contribution. 3 magazines? Aren't we lucky! I agree with Stampe - some American magazines are ghastly.
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Bottieburp
Why should we give our magazines a break?
By now, it should be totally obvious to the editorial staff at Pilot that they are failing in a big way, yet Pilot contiues to be a very expensive publication for very little worthwhile content.
I accept that the majority of the photography is of an extremely high standard, but that's about all that is going for it at the moment.
The Pilot "team" seem to be oblivious to the fact that they are not producing the quality magazine that it used to be, and utimately, it is they who will lose when revenue drops, advertisers withdraw, and the publication becomes (if not already is) an "also ran".
Pilot has a great history, and would be a travisty if it radical action is not taken to rectify it's current problems and return to the high standards and respect it so recently commanded.
A very basic start would be if the people who produced it, stopped resting on their laurals and recognised their deficiancies.
Why should we give our magazines a break?
By now, it should be totally obvious to the editorial staff at Pilot that they are failing in a big way, yet Pilot contiues to be a very expensive publication for very little worthwhile content.
I accept that the majority of the photography is of an extremely high standard, but that's about all that is going for it at the moment.
The Pilot "team" seem to be oblivious to the fact that they are not producing the quality magazine that it used to be, and utimately, it is they who will lose when revenue drops, advertisers withdraw, and the publication becomes (if not already is) an "also ran".
Pilot has a great history, and would be a travisty if it radical action is not taken to rectify it's current problems and return to the high standards and respect it so recently commanded.
A very basic start would be if the people who produced it, stopped resting on their laurals and recognised their deficiancies.
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Dons flak jacket... There's no doubt about it Pilot has changed, for better or worse really is a matter of taste (certainly you can't lay production problems at the door of the editorial team - One of the first things I learned when I first got into this journo caper was "never EVER underestimate the ability of a printer to cock it up").
The Rimmer view is that both Flyer and Today's Pilot have improved by leaps and bounds - especially the latter. While I'm reserving judgement on Pilot I think the old timer bit is getting a bit big but there you go, matter of opinon
I'd echo earlier comments about the triad compared with US mags although I'd qualify my remarks as has been mentioned above AOPA Pilot and B&C A both are top notch. Flying on the other hand is a little up it's own arse... basically all a bit 'what I did this month' type of copy mind you it'd be dead easy to write....Having said that Lane Wallace can be a good read (not a patch on Bax though) and there is some good stuff in it feature wise.
Newsflash: Pretty much every mag is a bit formula driven (here at Rimmer news I've just fininshed the 'what are we going to cover next year feature wise' phase... always a bit of a brain ache that one... you can't please everyone and people are always more than ready to tell you what they don't like) Every time somebody joins a mag as editor the first thing he or she does is think about how they can improve it and and preferably make their own mark. This is usually in the form of a re-design which nobody likes until the next time the mag is revamped then the new design is "the classic that shouldn't be tampered with"
You can bet your booties they firmly beleive that the changes will improve the the mag win more subs and advertisers since the opposite is a sure fire way to get a cozy chat with the publisher who it turn will have the phrase your fired somewhere in the his mind.
Returning the wider audience, the trouble with writing, especially on a specialist publication is that most of the readership thinks they can do it while the truth is not many people can... I can't tell you how many technical or policy driven articles we get which while they contain really good info are written in a style so turgid as to render them ineffective since nobody, short of a penitant fully paid up member of Opus Dei, is likely to get to the end. Like any job writing is a craft, unless you've got a natural ability, John Farley springs to mind as do Rufus and Irv, then it's a craft you have to learn.
Bottom line though folks: Every mag since Pontius was a pilot has waxed and waned in the quality of its copy and perhaps popularity as a result. This is always going to be subjective by definition
If you don't like the way a mag is heading editorially, the answer is simple don't buy it...
Takes cover awaiting the usual 'all journos are charlatans' fire away boys and girls just don't tell my mother she thinks I do something respectable like doorman at a brothel...at least that's what I keep telling her
The Rimmer view is that both Flyer and Today's Pilot have improved by leaps and bounds - especially the latter. While I'm reserving judgement on Pilot I think the old timer bit is getting a bit big but there you go, matter of opinon
I'd echo earlier comments about the triad compared with US mags although I'd qualify my remarks as has been mentioned above AOPA Pilot and B&C A both are top notch. Flying on the other hand is a little up it's own arse... basically all a bit 'what I did this month' type of copy mind you it'd be dead easy to write....Having said that Lane Wallace can be a good read (not a patch on Bax though) and there is some good stuff in it feature wise.
Newsflash: Pretty much every mag is a bit formula driven (here at Rimmer news I've just fininshed the 'what are we going to cover next year feature wise' phase... always a bit of a brain ache that one... you can't please everyone and people are always more than ready to tell you what they don't like) Every time somebody joins a mag as editor the first thing he or she does is think about how they can improve it and and preferably make their own mark. This is usually in the form of a re-design which nobody likes until the next time the mag is revamped then the new design is "the classic that shouldn't be tampered with"
You can bet your booties they firmly beleive that the changes will improve the the mag win more subs and advertisers since the opposite is a sure fire way to get a cozy chat with the publisher who it turn will have the phrase your fired somewhere in the his mind.
Returning the wider audience, the trouble with writing, especially on a specialist publication is that most of the readership thinks they can do it while the truth is not many people can... I can't tell you how many technical or policy driven articles we get which while they contain really good info are written in a style so turgid as to render them ineffective since nobody, short of a penitant fully paid up member of Opus Dei, is likely to get to the end. Like any job writing is a craft, unless you've got a natural ability, John Farley springs to mind as do Rufus and Irv, then it's a craft you have to learn.
Bottom line though folks: Every mag since Pontius was a pilot has waxed and waned in the quality of its copy and perhaps popularity as a result. This is always going to be subjective by definition
If you don't like the way a mag is heading editorially, the answer is simple don't buy it...
Takes cover awaiting the usual 'all journos are charlatans' fire away boys and girls just don't tell my mother she thinks I do something respectable like doorman at a brothel...at least that's what I keep telling her
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I have mentioned my relationship to PILOT elsewhere in this thread so won't repeat but I am being open and honest about my link.
This is a mostly well mannered discourse on the relative merits of PILOT magazine.
Having read through the comments there are some I agree with as a reader and some I don't. I do, however, want it to be a magazine which reflects what I want to read at the highest level of quality possible. At least in this I assume we all have the same requirements (even though our own interests will be different).
I am trying to balance being responsive to criticisms and comments with not appearing to try and counter everything that is said and develop an argument ( quite difficult I have found).
I will therefore constrain comments at this stage to matters of fact and response to specific points.
When James Gilbert decided to sell, whilst not inevitable, it was extremely likely that the magazine would go to a publishing business rather than another enthusiast individual - perhaps sad but real world. James gains financial reward for building the magazine up, the new owner pays a high price which requires further improvement in the magazine to deliver profits to pay the interest bills. Simple economics.
BRL (Mr Moderator sir) your rogue copy is clearly not by design and for anyone who understands publishing it is clear that where some copies are correct and some wrong this is a printer issue rather than a publisher issue and normally the publisher would be having conversations with the printer about the problem!. As I mentioned in a previous post despite this not being a problem caused by PILOT I am sure they would be willing to help you obtain a replacement copy - see later.
Aerohack - indeed credit where it is due - the piece does deserve praise and the author has since been writing for other magazines. I would hope to see him as a contributor to PILOT again shortly - he is one of the top contributors.
Plenty of mention has been given to changes at PILOT around May this year. Less has been said of more recent changes with the introduction of a new publisher. Bob Crawley, who I have been flying with recently, is extremely dedicated to sorting out problems which may have occurred in the past. He is a willing listener to complaints and has shown himself to act quickly to sort out problems. He can be contacted at [email protected].
I took up the questions from Genghis and passed them on to Bob for his response - the following (apologies for length) is his reply - I hope it answers the questions raised (and prompts you to consider offering articles for PILOT to publish) but as always anyone frustrated with failing to get a response from PILOT can contact me and I will take it up with the team ([email protected]):
As Publisher of Pilot for the last three months, perhaps I can set the record straight.
Pilot’s target audience is broad, ranging from private pilots who fly infrequently, stay local and rent or share an aeroplane, to military and commercial pilots, others who make their living in aviation, and aeroplane enthusiasts.
However our core audience is committed aviators who are knowledgeable about aircraft and flying. They usually have strong opinions, which is why any change to the magazine or its staff stimulates debate. Pilot has always published articles from a broad range of contributors. When Alan Cassidy as British Aerobatics Champion flight tests the latest aerobatic machine, he does it for Pilot, even though he is not a regular contributor.
The winners of the Dawn to Dusk contest also chose Pilot to write about how they did it. Contributions from readers like this have always been Pilot’s main strength, but we also have an exceptional team of regulars: Tim Cripps, Bruce Hales-Dutton, Derek Jones, Geoffrey P Jones, Pat Malone, John Templeton Smith, James Allan, Peter R March, Don Peterson and
Nick Bloom and others. Most of these do not write for other GA magazines. What they all have in common is experience and the ability to put it across in a way that is interesting and entertaining. With the exception of Peter R March, who specialises in aviation history, Pilot’s regulars each cover a range of topics. Nick Bloom, for instance, writes about flying technique, interviews aviation personalities and conducts flight tests.
Much of the team that wrote for Pilot when James Gilbert was editor is still on board. We have an excellent editor in Dave Calderwood, who spent 26 years in the profession before joining the magazine and a very talented new designer, Simon Watkins.
Despite what you may have heard or read Pilot’s owners are committed to building on its reputation as the leading GA magazine in the market. Early in 2003 Pilot will significantly increase its pagination, add new editorial sections, and will continue to strengthen its already impressive team of
regular contributors.
I took over as publisher of Pilot in the summer and was somewhat concerned about the way some things had been done in the past. Hopefully I have dealt with all outstanding issues in a courteous and professional manner.
***Note the above is editted to remove one name at the request of the individual***
This is a mostly well mannered discourse on the relative merits of PILOT magazine.
Having read through the comments there are some I agree with as a reader and some I don't. I do, however, want it to be a magazine which reflects what I want to read at the highest level of quality possible. At least in this I assume we all have the same requirements (even though our own interests will be different).
I am trying to balance being responsive to criticisms and comments with not appearing to try and counter everything that is said and develop an argument ( quite difficult I have found).
I will therefore constrain comments at this stage to matters of fact and response to specific points.
When James Gilbert decided to sell, whilst not inevitable, it was extremely likely that the magazine would go to a publishing business rather than another enthusiast individual - perhaps sad but real world. James gains financial reward for building the magazine up, the new owner pays a high price which requires further improvement in the magazine to deliver profits to pay the interest bills. Simple economics.
BRL (Mr Moderator sir) your rogue copy is clearly not by design and for anyone who understands publishing it is clear that where some copies are correct and some wrong this is a printer issue rather than a publisher issue and normally the publisher would be having conversations with the printer about the problem!. As I mentioned in a previous post despite this not being a problem caused by PILOT I am sure they would be willing to help you obtain a replacement copy - see later.
Aerohack - indeed credit where it is due - the piece does deserve praise and the author has since been writing for other magazines. I would hope to see him as a contributor to PILOT again shortly - he is one of the top contributors.
Plenty of mention has been given to changes at PILOT around May this year. Less has been said of more recent changes with the introduction of a new publisher. Bob Crawley, who I have been flying with recently, is extremely dedicated to sorting out problems which may have occurred in the past. He is a willing listener to complaints and has shown himself to act quickly to sort out problems. He can be contacted at [email protected].
I took up the questions from Genghis and passed them on to Bob for his response - the following (apologies for length) is his reply - I hope it answers the questions raised (and prompts you to consider offering articles for PILOT to publish) but as always anyone frustrated with failing to get a response from PILOT can contact me and I will take it up with the team ([email protected]):
As Publisher of Pilot for the last three months, perhaps I can set the record straight.
Pilot’s target audience is broad, ranging from private pilots who fly infrequently, stay local and rent or share an aeroplane, to military and commercial pilots, others who make their living in aviation, and aeroplane enthusiasts.
However our core audience is committed aviators who are knowledgeable about aircraft and flying. They usually have strong opinions, which is why any change to the magazine or its staff stimulates debate. Pilot has always published articles from a broad range of contributors. When Alan Cassidy as British Aerobatics Champion flight tests the latest aerobatic machine, he does it for Pilot, even though he is not a regular contributor.
The winners of the Dawn to Dusk contest also chose Pilot to write about how they did it. Contributions from readers like this have always been Pilot’s main strength, but we also have an exceptional team of regulars: Tim Cripps, Bruce Hales-Dutton, Derek Jones, Geoffrey P Jones, Pat Malone, John Templeton Smith, James Allan, Peter R March, Don Peterson and
Nick Bloom and others. Most of these do not write for other GA magazines. What they all have in common is experience and the ability to put it across in a way that is interesting and entertaining. With the exception of Peter R March, who specialises in aviation history, Pilot’s regulars each cover a range of topics. Nick Bloom, for instance, writes about flying technique, interviews aviation personalities and conducts flight tests.
Much of the team that wrote for Pilot when James Gilbert was editor is still on board. We have an excellent editor in Dave Calderwood, who spent 26 years in the profession before joining the magazine and a very talented new designer, Simon Watkins.
Despite what you may have heard or read Pilot’s owners are committed to building on its reputation as the leading GA magazine in the market. Early in 2003 Pilot will significantly increase its pagination, add new editorial sections, and will continue to strengthen its already impressive team of
regular contributors.
I took over as publisher of Pilot in the summer and was somewhat concerned about the way some things had been done in the past. Hopefully I have dealt with all outstanding issues in a courteous and professional manner.
***Note the above is editted to remove one name at the request of the individual***
Last edited by formationfoto; 25th Oct 2002 at 15:49.
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Formationfoto / Ian,
It's encouraging to see that you and your colleagues don't dismiss the points raised. Thanks for that. Also, as you point out, printing issues are difficult to control, and I think everyone understands that.
For me the main issue is a slightly indefinable feeling of unease about the future. There have been management changes, and some of the regular writers have left and now write for the competition. This has happened in the past, and in itself doesn't necessarily cause a problem. When Alan Bramson left Pilot and wrote for Flyer for a few months, Pilot carried on. And Flyer still printed a lot of "flight tests" which were horrendous.... written by the contributor that Shaggy Sheep Driver didn't need to name.
But to lose Philip Whiteman, Mike Jerram, Bob Grimstead (who contrary to Bob Crawley's assertion is published in several GA magazines) and others..... well, that worries people. They were some of the key people who made the magazine what it was, and - some of them at least - have clearly parted company from Pilot on fairly acrimonious terms.
To use an analogy, it's as if your local country pub has been taken over, and all the regular staff either sacked or resigned..... the beer and food may stay the same, but there'll be a nagging doubt that the new managers will turn it into "The Slug and Lettuce", and employ a bunch of 18 year old bar staff! And if the old staff are all working in a pub in the next village, it'll be tempting to go there instead.
As I mentioned above, I do hope that things work out well. I doubt whether anything can be done to mend the bridges that have been broken with the former contributors - but I hope I'm wrong.
Best of luck!
(P.S. to Bob Crawley, if you read this - please banish to the wastebin that cartoon aeroplane which taught us all how to sideslip last month...
)
It's encouraging to see that you and your colleagues don't dismiss the points raised. Thanks for that. Also, as you point out, printing issues are difficult to control, and I think everyone understands that.
For me the main issue is a slightly indefinable feeling of unease about the future. There have been management changes, and some of the regular writers have left and now write for the competition. This has happened in the past, and in itself doesn't necessarily cause a problem. When Alan Bramson left Pilot and wrote for Flyer for a few months, Pilot carried on. And Flyer still printed a lot of "flight tests" which were horrendous.... written by the contributor that Shaggy Sheep Driver didn't need to name.
But to lose Philip Whiteman, Mike Jerram, Bob Grimstead (who contrary to Bob Crawley's assertion is published in several GA magazines) and others..... well, that worries people. They were some of the key people who made the magazine what it was, and - some of them at least - have clearly parted company from Pilot on fairly acrimonious terms.
To use an analogy, it's as if your local country pub has been taken over, and all the regular staff either sacked or resigned..... the beer and food may stay the same, but there'll be a nagging doubt that the new managers will turn it into "The Slug and Lettuce", and employ a bunch of 18 year old bar staff! And if the old staff are all working in a pub in the next village, it'll be tempting to go there instead.
As I mentioned above, I do hope that things work out well. I doubt whether anything can be done to mend the bridges that have been broken with the former contributors - but I hope I'm wrong.
Best of luck!
(P.S. to Bob Crawley, if you read this - please banish to the wastebin that cartoon aeroplane which taught us all how to sideslip last month...
)
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I read this thread with some interest as I have read every isue of pilot since October 1977. Over the years, when the various competitors came out I read one or two copies but remained loyal to Pilot and felt that they were pale imitations.
Over the past few months I have have reached the opinion that Pilot is going downhill and that the changes are a downmarket attempt to emulate its rivals. Pilot is in danger of doing a new labour and losing its traditional readership in an attempt to attract a few readers from its rivals. However, unlike a political party, hitherto loyal readers may well desert to a rival magazine if they are getting the same product.
I liked Pilot as it was, that is why I have read it avidly for some 25 years and around the middle of every month would start getting twitchy for the next months fix. That twitch is now diminishing.
I had come to the above conclusions before seeing this thread and am glad to see that I am not the only one to feel this way. All I can add is come back James Gilbert, there is nothing to be forgiven for.
Over the past few months I have have reached the opinion that Pilot is going downhill and that the changes are a downmarket attempt to emulate its rivals. Pilot is in danger of doing a new labour and losing its traditional readership in an attempt to attract a few readers from its rivals. However, unlike a political party, hitherto loyal readers may well desert to a rival magazine if they are getting the same product.
I liked Pilot as it was, that is why I have read it avidly for some 25 years and around the middle of every month would start getting twitchy for the next months fix. That twitch is now diminishing.
I had come to the above conclusions before seeing this thread and am glad to see that I am not the only one to feel this way. All I can add is come back James Gilbert, there is nothing to be forgiven for.
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I don't know why so many people have got in a twist about the 'cartoon aeroplane'. I read the Pilot article on sideslipping, and although a little cautious in its approach to the subject, I thought the cartoon drawings explained clearly and well the control surface deflections for each of the described techniques.
I remember thinking as I read it that this way of illustrating helped the reader visualise how to fly this useful approach technique. Well done for being innovative!
I remember thinking as I read it that this way of illustrating helped the reader visualise how to fly this useful approach technique. Well done for being innovative!
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It might help if they pulled their finger out and updated the crap website.
Its still advertising octobers magazine. The poll has been on for months. The classified adds are still off line and as for the forum,well.................?
Its still advertising octobers magazine. The poll has been on for months. The classified adds are still off line and as for the forum,well.................?
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I have been buying PILOT here in Canada for many years.
The Good News. It is still better than any North American aviation magazine
The Bad News. I agree with the general tone of this thread, the quality is definitely slipping. At $10(Cdn) per issue I am not sure I am getting my moneys worth
IMHO the best aviation jounalism ever was in the Flying magazine of the early to mid 1970's. I especially appreciated the three great G's ( Gilbert, Gann, and Garrison )
The Good News. It is still better than any North American aviation magazine
The Bad News. I agree with the general tone of this thread, the quality is definitely slipping. At $10(Cdn) per issue I am not sure I am getting my moneys worth
IMHO the best aviation jounalism ever was in the Flying magazine of the early to mid 1970's. I especially appreciated the three great G's ( Gilbert, Gann, and Garrison )
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Two quick points.
1. I am passionate about publishing and Pilot. In my experience I know that any bridges worth rebuilding can be. Some things, however, have to change - I believe those changes will benefit Pilot. Watch this space!
3. The cartoon planes have been ditched - while they illustrated the issue quite well, I agree they should not appear again...they are already banished!
1. I am passionate about publishing and Pilot. In my experience I know that any bridges worth rebuilding can be. Some things, however, have to change - I believe those changes will benefit Pilot. Watch this space!
3. The cartoon planes have been ditched - while they illustrated the issue quite well, I agree they should not appear again...they are already banished!
pilotpublisher
Two quick points
1.
3.
Whoops
Seriously though, it's good to see a quick response from the person who is responsible for the mag. There are a lot of people who love Pilot and would hate to see it going down the tubes and/or becoming a. n. other flying mag.
Although I have been buying it since Pontious was a pilot I've never taken out a subscription but I will be for next month. I do feel however that the atmosphere of Pilot has changed and not really for the better so I'm hoping that the comments made so far will be absorbed by the new management and incorporated in future editions of Pilot. I'm also not keen on the shiny paper which can make it hard to read. This is something all the flying comics seem to suffer from though.
I do think that both Flyer and Today's Pilot have improved especially the latter and in a much shorter timespan and this improvement has highlighted the changes in Pilot.
Two quick points
1.
3.
Whoops
Seriously though, it's good to see a quick response from the person who is responsible for the mag. There are a lot of people who love Pilot and would hate to see it going down the tubes and/or becoming a. n. other flying mag.
Although I have been buying it since Pontious was a pilot I've never taken out a subscription but I will be for next month. I do feel however that the atmosphere of Pilot has changed and not really for the better so I'm hoping that the comments made so far will be absorbed by the new management and incorporated in future editions of Pilot. I'm also not keen on the shiny paper which can make it hard to read. This is something all the flying comics seem to suffer from though.
I do think that both Flyer and Today's Pilot have improved especially the latter and in a much shorter timespan and this improvement has highlighted the changes in Pilot.
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LowNSlow, You might get your Pilot copies quicker by not being a subscriber. I have subscribed for many years and I'm still waiting for the November issue, which others seem to have had since last week. As I live in the Midlands and not in outer Mongolia I find this unacceptable.
Sure, things can go wrong in any organisation. What sorts out the professionals is how things are put right. I have telephoned the Pilot Subscriptions department twice (quite an effort in itself since I had to listen (at my expense) to seemingly endless repetitions of "your call is EXTREMELY important to us" each time. If calls are that important, I would have thought it would be a good idea to have the staff to answer the phone !
I was told a replacement would be sent. When that didn't arrive, I telephoned again (see procedure above) and was told that it took from seven to ten days to send a replacement !
You might find it quicker to use W H Smith.
In contrast to many, I find the magazine good and I particularly like the recently introduced free landing vouchers.
Sure, things can go wrong in any organisation. What sorts out the professionals is how things are put right. I have telephoned the Pilot Subscriptions department twice (quite an effort in itself since I had to listen (at my expense) to seemingly endless repetitions of "your call is EXTREMELY important to us" each time. If calls are that important, I would have thought it would be a good idea to have the staff to answer the phone !
I was told a replacement would be sent. When that didn't arrive, I telephoned again (see procedure above) and was told that it took from seven to ten days to send a replacement !
You might find it quicker to use W H Smith.
In contrast to many, I find the magazine good and I particularly like the recently introduced free landing vouchers.
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Pilot
Looks like this has been done to death now.
Some of the posts have been fairly venomous. One can therefore only admire the Pilot team for providing such a full and frank explanation in this 'hang you out to dry' forum.
Lets continue to enjoy all 3 publications - all have their strengths and weaknesses, only one can be best seller.
I have no intention of cancelling my subscription to Pilot and will look forward to each issue as always.
Chill out and look forward to the improvements promised.
BottieBuuuuurp
Some of the posts have been fairly venomous. One can therefore only admire the Pilot team for providing such a full and frank explanation in this 'hang you out to dry' forum.
Lets continue to enjoy all 3 publications - all have their strengths and weaknesses, only one can be best seller.
I have no intention of cancelling my subscription to Pilot and will look forward to each issue as always.
Chill out and look forward to the improvements promised.
BottieBuuuuurp
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Have to agree with BB in general. I have just read the latest flyer and it is there best yet. Lots of interesting articles, very good photography and design. No personal axe to grind, I would just like to see Pilot get better
All the best
Wide
All the best
Wide
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I don't suppose there are many others who suiffer my problem - too many magazines to read. I get about a dozen a month, covering a variety of topics, and rarely find time to read them all as thoroughly as I would like.
Pilot was a "must" until recently. (I've always followed the advice given above, and I ordered it via my newsagent: rarely missed a copy, and didn't get charged for it when it didn't arrive).
Last Monday I told the newsagent to cancel my copy. It dropped to number ten on the "must have" list, mainly due to the fall-off in quality of content. I'm sad, but Flyer, Sky and Telescope, RadCom, Management Today, Theology, and some others now beat it for my time. Maybe if I read reports of how good it's got at some future date...
Pilot was a "must" until recently. (I've always followed the advice given above, and I ordered it via my newsagent: rarely missed a copy, and didn't get charged for it when it didn't arrive).
Last Monday I told the newsagent to cancel my copy. It dropped to number ten on the "must have" list, mainly due to the fall-off in quality of content. I'm sad, but Flyer, Sky and Telescope, RadCom, Management Today, Theology, and some others now beat it for my time. Maybe if I read reports of how good it's got at some future date...
Join Date: Oct 1999
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I think it's worth re-iterating simething i said in an earlier post: 'Pilot' isn't waht it was - bit it's still the best of the bunch IMHO. 'Flyer' is snapping at its heels now. And I didn't bother to renew my subscription to 'Today's Pilot'.
SSD
SSD
Join Date: Apr 2002
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Having just returned to power flying via the NPPL (no thanks to CAA but that's another story) I was considering which magazine to subscribe to. At one point I used to get Pilot,Flyer, Popular Flying,EAA magazine(?) etc each month but used found that many articles would be duplicated more or less. I really used to get hacked off with seeing Pilot in the shops before I got mine through the post don't know if this is still the case?
I've actually finally decided on subscribing to Today's Pilot as currently you can get 12 issues for still £29.40 (the full yearly price would now be be £39 it's just gone up to £3.25 a copy) and that includes a £10 Transair gift voucher. Which I think is good value and I like the style and content which seems to be orientated around the GA pilot more than some of the others these days.
I've actually finally decided on subscribing to Today's Pilot as currently you can get 12 issues for still £29.40 (the full yearly price would now be be £39 it's just gone up to £3.25 a copy) and that includes a £10 Transair gift voucher. Which I think is good value and I like the style and content which seems to be orientated around the GA pilot more than some of the others these days.
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chichester, UK
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I've found the two issues since I last posted to be better, although it still isn't as good as it has been. Hopefully the drop in quality (IMHO) is just a blip and it is getting back to normal
I resubbed earlier this year after a number of year of not (cheap internet offer I could not pass up). Nothing p155e5 me off more than walking past Smiths, only to find the next edition there before mine arrived on my door step.
I binned subbing many years ago for just this reason, and will almost certainly do the same at renewal time if I don't see a BIG improvement all round.
S
I binned subbing many years ago for just this reason, and will almost certainly do the same at renewal time if I don't see a BIG improvement all round.
S