Flying Magazine - newsletter and website are poor

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DougA

Filing Flight Plan
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Doug
Is anyone else tired of Flying Magazine being not much more than a daily email? And when you click on it, the first thing you see is the ads to "Subscribe to our Newsletter".....well, duh, that is how I got there. Don't they know about tagged links that can track their subscribers? And then you also get the pop-up on the screen to subscribe! And when you try to leave and close the tab, you will get another notice "Before you go" pop-up. It is so annoying. I already get your newsletter. And I went ahead and paid for the first year subscription to your 4 magazines too. I am starting to regret this. They are actually making me not want to read their articles or support their business any longer.
 
DougA said:
And I went ahead and paid for the first year subscription to your 4 magazines too.
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I won't subscribe for four more issues until they send me the remaining eight issues from my last subscription, but I bet they ain't gonna.
 
I was previously reading issues of Flying using my Apple News+ subscription. But the most recent issue there is Dec 2021.

Plane & Pilot is still coming out with new issues, with April 2022 available through News+
 
I lost interest in Flying after the big shift in management and ownership. It feels different now, used to be very pilot centric however now it seems more like a simulacra of what someone 'thinks' flying and GA should be. The current ownership aren't pilots first and foremost, they're film producers and surfers.. too bad. I have a whole stack of them from the 90s way before I ever dreamt of being a pilot some day
 
I still keep my subscription because I think there are a few good tidbits of information in there and I get bored at work sometimes. It does seem they cater quite a bit to business aviation with their constant articles about 3 mil + jets. I think the AOPA magazine is far better if you haven't tried that one.
 
Tantalum said:
I lost interest in Flying after the big shift in management and ownership. It feels different now, used to be very pilot centric however now it seems more like a simulacra of what someone 'thinks' flying and GA should be. The current ownership aren't pilots first and foremost, they're film producers and surfers.. too bad. I have a whole stack of them from the 90s way before I ever dreamt of being a pilot some day
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Interesting you bring up Baudrillard's work. In fairness to these banal advertisement rags, I could make the argument OSH is rank simulacra. I find the solidarity shtick of the event rather hollow and largely unsupported by the socioeconomic facts on the ground (I actually find it disingenuous, but I'm trying to be charitable). I also say that as an aircraft sole-owner, professional and recreational pilot, so I have skin invested in said indictment in the first place.

In the end, that sector of so called journalism has predicted the death of the american recreational aviation middle class' involvement in the skies for a while now. It was also long ago posited that the bifurcation of the sector/industry was an eventuality, and that as such, might as well be embraced as the goal. Cynical indeed, but at least it dispenses with the aforementioned platitudes that OSH clownishly (to me anyways) attempts to obfuscate away/muddy the waters over. Simulacra run amok.

I remember reading articles as early as the late 90s as a highschooler back home, when I used publications such as Flying to practice and reinforce my English (Spanish was my formative language). Point being, I was decades and hundreds of thousands of dollars's net worth away from ever resembling anything near that of a stakeholding participation in American Aviation, and yet I could pick up on that back then. So nowadays this is all rather boring epilogue, which I suppose it's part of why the medium has become so irrelevant. *shrugs*
 
hindsight2020 said:
Interesting you bring up Baudrillard's work. In fairness to these banal advertisement rags, I could make the argument OSH is rank simulacra. I find the solidarity shtick of the event rather hollow and largely unsupported by the socioeconomic facts on the ground (I actually find it disingenuous, but I'm trying to be charitable). I also say that as an aircraft sole-owner, professional and recreational pilot, so I have skin invested in said indictment in the first place.

In the end, that sector of so called journalism has predicted the death of the american recreational aviation middle class' involvement in the skies for a while now. It was also long ago posited that the bifurcation of the sector/industry was an eventuality, and that as such, might as well be embraced as the goal. Cynical indeed, but at least it dispenses with the aforementioned platitudes that OSH clownishly (to me anyways) attempts to obfuscate away/muddy the waters over. Simulacra run amok.

I remember reading articles as early as the late 90s as a highschooler back home, when I used publications such as Flying to practice and reinforce my English (Spanish was my formative language). Point being, I was decades and hundreds of thousands of dollars's net worth away from ever resembling anything near that of a stakeholding participation in American Aviation, and yet I could pick up on that back then. So nowadays this is all rather boring epilogue, which I suppose it's part of why the medium has become so irrelevant. *shrugs*
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I've never googled "xxxx definition" as much as I just did after reading this lol. But yes it seems as if Flying Magazine has been condemning small pistons, outside of training, to death for years now. Doesn't seem like it when I'm stuck on a shade hangar waiting list for over a year.
 
Derald Madson said:
I've never googled "xxxx definition" as much as I just did after reading this lol. But yes it seems as if Flying Magazine has been condemning small pistons, outside of training, to death for years now. Doesn't seem like it when I'm stuck on a shade hangar waiting list for over a year.
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Oh that has been long time debunked as an irrelevant metric with which to gauge aggregate demand. Too many externalities to list, but the large ones are low rent-ROI for the holders of ever inflating metropolitan CBD-centric airport real estate forcing an artificial supply constriction, and rampant non-aviation storage use being cheaper at the airport than dedicated-use facilities meant for the latter.
 
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You guys are using words I’ve never heard of. I take it you really like FLYING Magazine as such.
 
Tantalum said:
?..The current ownership aren't pilots first and foremost, they're film producers and surfers.. too bad.
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I believe the new owner is a pilot and businessman. Maybe you are referring to the previous owners.
 
Tantalum said:
Ben Younger's bio says as much
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Craig Fuller (not the person affiliated in the past with AOPA, but a different one by same name) is a businessman, and the new owner. Ben Younger is just one of the columnists/writers.
 
I didn’t realize it’s a different Craig Fuller. They seem to have a similar business style.

I unsubscribed from the emails as there was little signal to the advertising noise. I get the print copy free through another membership and I’ll flip through, but I think the quality of articles and writing has dropped IMO.
 
hindsight2020 said:
Interesting you bring up Baudrillard's work. In fairness to these banal advertisement rags, I could make the argument OSH is rank simulacra. I find the solidarity shtick of the event rather hollow and largely unsupported by the socioeconomic facts on the ground (I actually find it disingenuous, but I'm trying to be charitable). I also say that as an aircraft sole-owner, professional and recreational pilot, so I have skin invested in said indictment in the first place.

In the end, that sector of so called journalism has predicted the death of the american recreational aviation middle class' involvement in the skies for a while now. It was also long ago posited that the bifurcation of the sector/industry was an eventuality, and that as such, might as well be embraced as the goal. Cynical indeed, but at least it dispenses with the aforementioned platitudes that OSH clownishly (to me anyways) attempts to obfuscate away/muddy the waters over. Simulacra run amok.

I remember reading articles as early as the late 90s as a highschooler back home, when I used publications such as Flying to practice and reinforce my English (Spanish was my formative language). Point being, I was decades and hundreds of thousands of dollars's net worth away from ever resembling anything near that of a stakeholding participation in American Aviation, and yet I could pick up on that back then. So nowadays this is all rather boring epilogue, which I suppose it's part of why the medium has become so irrelevant. *shrugs*
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What are you, a professor or something? I'm glad I have a PhD, or I'd probably have had to run to the dictionary, too. You sound suspiciously professorish, and I should know.
 
Pontificate. That is a word. I use it when I want to sound edumacated. Not sure what it means though.
 
I know I know, I get that all the time. I've addressed that on here a couple years back already. English is chronologically my second language. It is not my intent to come off as pseudointellectual, apologies if it does. Cheers.
 
Well just to help then... :)

hindsight2020 said:
simulacra
solidarity shtick
disingenuous
posited
bifurcation
platitudes
obfuscate
Simulacra (again)
formative
stakeholding participation
epilogue
metric
aggregate demand
externalities
low rent-ROI
ever inflating metropolitan CBD-centric airport real estate
artificial supply constriction
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These are not words or phrases that are used in normal conversational English. ;)
 
DougA said:
Is anyone else tired of Flying Magazine being not much more than a daily email? And when you click on it, the first thing you see is the ads to "Subscribe to our Newsletter".....well, duh, that is how I got there. Don't they know about tagged links that can track their subscribers? And then you also get the pop-up on the screen to subscribe! And when you try to leave and close the tab, you will get another notice "Before you go" pop-up. It is so annoying. I already get your newsletter. And I went ahead and paid for the first year subscription to your 4 magazines too. I am starting to regret this. They are actually making me not want to read their articles or support their business any longer.
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The new owner is going after the younger-than-geriatric market, it seems. At least they've kept old Garrison around.
 
RussR said:
Well just to help then... :)



These are not words or phrases that are used in normal conversational English. ;)
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thanks! Me work hard, mo...no...see---la---bic? may bee picture better?
trying-try.gif


:D
 
Once I get a chance to fly with @hindsight2020 , I'll let everyone know if he speaks like he writes. :D
 
hindsight2020 said:
The only words you'll ever hear me throw your way, are "gear up...cApTain." *slam click* lol :D
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You won't have to worry about lowering yourself to fly with me - my plan is to park my butt in the right seat of a widebody for a long, long time. ;)
 
hindsight2020 used the phrase:
hindsight2020 said:
I actually find it disingenuous, but I'm trying to be charitable
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He used it in reference to OSH, but it applies to all of general aviation, especially writers of glossy magazines. (except Martha ;) )
Flying is a rich person's hobby. Shuck and jive all you want, but you either have a lot of disposable income, your flying is a business\tax write-off, or mommy and daddy are funding your flying.
There is no cheap path to a pilot's license. Light Sport comes the closest, but it's really hard to find anyone teaching light sport. Keeping and maintaining an airplane if flat out expensive.
All the glossy aviation magazines pander to that moneyed crowd. If they didn't, every magazine would be full of "Save money by doing this maintenance yourself, and here's how." articles.
Seen any lately? Seen any in your lifetime?

hindsight202, Disingenuous was a pretty good choice of words.

SixPapaCharlie, Thanks for the "Cheapest Headset I Could Find" video.
 
Getting a pilot's license isn't so hard. A year or two of hard savings, and you've got yourself a big enough cash buffer to put yourself through the lessons part. The part that requires a lot of disposable income is the flying afterwards, because you ideally want to be flying consistently, and if you have to be saving up to afford to fly, that doesn't work so well.

I noticed you qualified the "moneyed crowd" magazines as the "glossy magazines". I think a magazine that covers some of the "less-gentrified" parts of aviation would be super cool. Is there currently something like that (minus the glossy cover? ;) )?
 
SkyChaser said:
.

I noticed you qualified the "moneyed crowd" magazines as the "glossy magazines". I think a magazine that covers some of the "less-gentrified" parts of aviation would be super cool. Is there currently something like that (minus the glossy cover? ;) )?
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General Aviation News comes pretty close.
 
Shepherd said:
hindsight2020 used the phrase:

He used it in reference to OSH, but it applies to all of general aviation, especially writers of glossy magazines. (except Martha ;) )
Flying is a rich person's hobby. Shuck and jive all you want, but you either have a lot of disposable income, your flying is a business\tax write-off, or mommy and daddy are funding your flying.
There is no cheap path to a pilot's license. Light Sport comes the closest, but it's really hard to find anyone teaching light sport. Keeping and maintaining an airplane if flat out expensive.
All the glossy aviation magazines pander to that moneyed crowd. If they didn't, every magazine would be full of "Save money by doing this maintenance yourself, and here's how." articles.
Seen any lately? Seen any in your lifetime?

hindsight202, Disingenuous was a pretty good choice of words.

SixPapaCharlie, Thanks for the "Cheapest Headset I Could Find" video.
Click to expand...


I dunno, there sure seem to be a lot of folks having fun with cheap old Pipers, Ercoupes, and Luscombes. Heck, my Beech cost less than our truck by quite a bit.
 
Half Fast said:
I dunno, there sure seem to be a lot of folks having fun with cheap old Pipers, Ercoupes, and Luscombes. Heck, my Beech cost less than our truck by quite a bit.
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My cheap old Piper Vagabond has cost me $5K in the last 3 weeks. Mags, plugs, harnesses. Who knew Champion plugs could cause so much damage?
In the spring it will need some minor fabric work, but will still run @ $1K in parts and fees. $445.00 a month hanger fees, Three hours flying costs me over $71.00 in fuel.
There is nothing cheap about this hobby.
Sure, there are lot's of "cheap" flying stories. Typically guys who get a decent airplane, then run it into the ground and sell it to someone who doesn't know any better.
 
Tantalum said:
I lost interest in Flying after the big shift in management and ownership. It feels different now, used to be very pilot centric however now it seems more like a simulacra of what someone 'thinks' flying and GA should be. The current ownership aren't pilots first and foremost, they're film producers and surfers.. too bad. I have a whole stack of them from the 90s way before I ever dreamt of being a pilot some day
Click to expand...

Simulacra, had to look that one up.
 
Shepherd said:
My cheap old Piper Vagabond has cost me $5K in the last 3 weeks. Mags, plugs, harnesses. Who knew Champion plugs could cause so much damage?
In the spring it will need some minor fabric work, but will still run @ $1K in parts and fees. $445.00 a month hanger fees, Three hours flying costs me over $71.00 in fuel.
There is nothing cheap about this hobby.
Sure, there are lot's of "cheap" flying stories. Typically guys who get a decent airplane, then run it into the ground and sell it to someone who doesn't know any better.
Click to expand...


Yeah, but...

My two Ford F-150s cost me $5k within a month. Wheels or wings, you still throw money at it.

And even with all the expenses, an hour of flying is still cheaper than an hour of scuba diving bottom time, figuring the dive boat cost, air fills, etc. And I don’t even want to think about what it costs to shoot a pound of dove meat.

And flying is waaay cheaper than a wife or girlfriend. And if the wife has horses, well....
 
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