Another casualty of Firecrown, Russ Niles out at AVweb

Next you can read about the lawsuit how the founder using the name AirBrief stole the name of AVWeb along with proprietary information.
 
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Another employee involved in various Firecrown publications resigned on Friday. Wonder if it was related.

Ron Wanttaja
 
And two editors at Kitplanes, though that was a couple of months ago.
 
Paul Dye, the former editor-in-chief at Kitplanes, had taken over when Marc Cook quit.

Just got an email from Dye:"...as of yesterday, I am no longer involved with Kitplanes Magazine, and I won’t be, so long as it is under the Firecrown brand....To put it bluntly, I can’t stand silent and watch them destroy what we have built without protesting, and the only way I know to do that is to deprive them of my services."

Ron Wanttaja
 
wanttaja said:
Paul Dye, the former editor-in-chief at Kitplanes, had taken over when Marc Cook quit.

Just got an email from Dye:"...as of yesterday, I am no longer involved with Kitplanes Magazine, and I won’t be, so long as it is under the Firecrown brand....To put it bluntly, I can’t stand silent and watch them destroy what we have built without protesting, and the only way I know to do that is to deprive them of my services."

Ron Wanttaja
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Insanely frustrating. SO many good articles there, that i didn't appreciate until I started building. Paul's articles were immensely helpful when I overhauled my engine a well. I was thinking about subscribing simply because he was there and the quality of their back catalog, even though i don't read the magazines i get now. It's going to be a huge loss if/ when kitplanes disappears. I wish EAA would buy it.

In other news, this came across my feed today:

Screenshot_20250807_080144_Facebook.jpg
 
wanttaja said:
Paul Dye, the former editor-in-chief at Kitplanes, had taken over when Marc Cook quit.

Just got an email from Dye:"...as of yesterday, I am no longer involved with Kitplanes Magazine, and I won’t be, so long as it is under the Firecrown brand....To put it bluntly, I can’t stand silent and watch them destroy what we have built without protesting, and the only way I know to do that is to deprive them of my services."

Ron Wanttaja
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Luckily (ahem), I just resubscribed at Oshkosh.
 
The CEO of the new AI "enhanced AvWeb is Craig Fuller. Same Craig Fuller who ran AOPA for 5 years? The same man who brought us the "renowned" AOPA Wine Club?
 
Domenick said:
The CEO of the new AI "enhanced AvWeb is Craig Fuller. Same Craig Fuller who ran AOPA for 5 years? The same man who brought us the "renowned" AOPA Wine Club?
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Different DB
 
More information has come out. I'm not at liberty to share the details, but it sounds like nearly the entire staff of KITPLANES is gone. Firecrown is pushing for more content to be created by the editors vs. freelancers (hence the push for AI), which is problematic when much of your content is "How-To" articles written by the folks who are actually doing it.

Ron Wanttaja
 
wanttaja said:
More information has come out. I'm not at liberty to share the details, but it sounds like nearly the entire staff of KITPLANES is gone. Firecrown is pushing for more content to be created by the editors vs. freelancers (hence the push for AI), which is problematic when much of your content is "How-To" articles written by the folks who are actually doing it.

Ron Wanttaja
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Resubscribing 2 1/2 weeks ago is looking like less and less of a great idea...
 
wanttaja said:
More information has come out. I'm not at liberty to share the details, but it sounds like nearly the entire staff of KITPLANES is gone. Firecrown is pushing for more content to be created by the editors vs. freelancers (hence the push for AI), which is problematic when much of your content is "How-To" articles written by the folks who are actually doing it.

Ron Wanttaja
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The problem with AI in this space. It doesn't think or do. It compiles without experience.
 
wanttaja said:
More information has come out. I'm not at liberty to share the details, but it sounds like nearly the entire staff of KITPLANES is gone. Firecrown is pushing for more content to be created by the editors vs. freelancers (hence the push for AI), which is problematic when much of your content is "How-To" articles written by the folks who are actually doing it.

Ron Wanttaja
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kyleb said:
Resubscribing 2 1/2 weeks ago is looking like less and less of a great idea...
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My renewal won't happen if this is true.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
My renewal won't happen if this is true.
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Write the publisher and them that. Though they may not care; it's clear they are completely out of touch with their readership, as illustrated by some of the advertising in recent issues. The guys buying the magazine for the how-to articles aren't buying the multi million flight park properties or painted airliner models they're selling.

The problem for us contributors is that they are (or were) the only game in town. Sport Aviation is all about big money airplanes now, too.
 
Someone on Facebook re-posted this message from Paul Bertorelli:

"For several days, I've had a document open on what I think about the demise of the publications I used to edit and oversee. Five titles in all, Aviation Consumer, IFR, Aviation Safety, KITPLANES and AVweb. All of the original Belvoir people are now gone and Firecrown says it will use AI to generate news. Russ Niles was let go and is standing up a new service called AVBrief.

Just for the hell of it, I dove into the belly of the beast and asked ChatGPT why it's a bad idea to have AI take over AVweb. Here's the generation. It is surprisingly perceptive. And no, the irony doesn't escape me.

From ChatGTP:
"Aviation journalism is a field where accuracy, nuance, and credibility aren’t optional—they are the core of the product. AVweb’s reputation has been built over decades by writers and editors who know the industry, understand its culture, and can separate meaningful developments from background noise. Turning over news production to AI risks eroding the trust that audience has placed in the publication.​

Artificial intelligence can be useful for processing data or suggesting ideas, but it is not a reporter. It cannot interview sources, sense when someone is hedging, or understand why a minor-looking regulatory change might have major safety implications. Aviation reporting requires judgment grounded in both technical knowledge and lived experience, something AI models—trained on vast but generic internet text—cannot replicate.​
Accuracy is paramount. AI systems are prone to “hallucinations,” generating plausible-sounding but false information. In aviation news, such errors can mislead pilots, distort regulatory understanding, or fuel dangerous misconceptions. Even small factual slips can damage a publication’s credibility and, in aviation, credibility is hard-won and easily lost.​
​
There’s also the human voice. AVweb’s readership expects personality, wit, and an editorial sense shaped by years in cockpits, hangars, and press rooms. AI tends toward the bland, the formulaic, or the inappropriately confident. That’s not the AVweb style.​
Finally, outsourcing newswriting to AI risks alienating the core audience. Aviation readers value authenticity—knowing that what they read comes from someone who has strapped into an airplane or worked directly in the industry. Replacing that with a machine dilutes the brand and undermines the community connection AVweb has cultivated.​
​
AI can be a tool for research or workflow support. But the actual telling of aviation’s stories should remain in the hands of journalists who know the sky first-hand. That’s what keeps AVweb trustworthy, relevant, and respected."​

I guess it'll have to change that present tense ("That's what keeps AVweb trustworthy...") to past tense.

Ron Wanttaja
 
wanttaja said:
Someone on Facebook re-posted this message from Paul Bertorelli:

"For several days, I've had a document open on what I think about the demise of the publications I used to edit and oversee. Five titles in all, Aviation Consumer, IFR, Aviation Safety, KITPLANES and AVweb. All of the original Belvoir people are now gone and Firecrown says it will use AI to generate news. Russ Niles was let go and is standing up a new service called AVBrief.

Just for the hell of it, I dove into the belly of the beast and asked ChatGPT why it's a bad idea to have AI take over AVweb. Here's the generation. It is surprisingly perceptive. And no, the irony doesn't escape me.

From ChatGTP:
"Aviation journalism is a field where accuracy, nuance, and credibility aren’t optional—they are the core of the product. AVweb’s reputation has been built over decades by writers and editors who know the industry, understand its culture, and can separate meaningful developments from background noise. Turning over news production to AI risks eroding the trust that audience has placed in the publication.​

Artificial intelligence can be useful for processing data or suggesting ideas, but it is not a reporter. It cannot interview sources, sense when someone is hedging, or understand why a minor-looking regulatory change might have major safety implications. Aviation reporting requires judgment grounded in both technical knowledge and lived experience, something AI models—trained on vast but generic internet text—cannot replicate.​
Accuracy is paramount. AI systems are prone to “hallucinations,” generating plausible-sounding but false information. In aviation news, such errors can mislead pilots, distort regulatory understanding, or fuel dangerous misconceptions. Even small factual slips can damage a publication’s credibility and, in aviation, credibility is hard-won and easily lost.​
​
There’s also the human voice. AVweb’s readership expects personality, wit, and an editorial sense shaped by years in cockpits, hangars, and press rooms. AI tends toward the bland, the formulaic, or the inappropriately confident. That’s not the AVweb style.​
Finally, outsourcing newswriting to AI risks alienating the core audience. Aviation readers value authenticity—knowing that what they read comes from someone who has strapped into an airplane or worked directly in the industry. Replacing that with a machine dilutes the brand and undermines the community connection AVweb has cultivated.​
​
AI can be a tool for research or workflow support. But the actual telling of aviation’s stories should remain in the hands of journalists who know the sky first-hand. That’s what keeps AVweb trustworthy, relevant, and respected."​

I guess it'll have to change that present tense ("That's what keeps AVweb trustworthy...") to past tense.

Ron Wanttaja
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Does that mean Larry A is out at Av Consumer too???
 
I am reminded of about 30 years ago, when Belvoir bought KITPLANES. There was a bidding war, with the magazine going for several million dollars. Suspect that value isn't there, anymore.....

Ironically, as part of the process, the magazine clamped down on the term "Kitplane," claiming it as a trademark term. That's why my book, "Kitplane Construction" was re-named as "Kit Airplane Construction" for the third edition. The then-editor, Dave Martin was apologetic, but with that much money at stake the new buyer wanted to stake its ownership of the term.

Ron Wanttaja
 
Paul Bertorelli's new post on 8/12 confirms that KITPLANES is left with no editorial staff, and Aviation Consumer lost Larry Anglisano.

Paul Bertorelli

As journalism itself continues its depressing decline, I am dismayed at how the publications I worked for and oversaw have all but dissolved in just two years. Recall that Belvoir’s aviation...
www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
 
Racerx said:
The problem with AI in this space. It doesn't think or do. It compiles without experience.
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It also eliminates an individuals voice and nuance of language. It is these characteristics that make writing interesting. I was using AI for my writing for a while but stopped as it changed what was "me".
 
Just received my official notice of discontinuation of Aviation Consumer. So Firecrown has succeeded in destroying all of the specialized Belvoir publications which were ad-free resources where you actually learned things from people who were experts in the field. We will now be left with a pablum coffee table magazine (Flying) that will have random (token?) contributions that may resemble articles from those canceled publications, but without the experts that provided their value.

This is really a shame for GA. Almost everything in my plane, from maintenance to avionics, has been heavily influenced by Aviation Consumer. It has probably saved me from some costly choices, and was good reading. Flying won't be able to replace its loss. They are pretending to cram a half dozen different publications into an all-in-one rag? When you try to do everything you are generally not very good at anything.

The worst part is when they cancel my Belvoir publications they keep extending my Flying subscription which I'm trying to let expire. It's like a bad penny that keeps coming back.
 
Domenick said:
The CEO of the new AI "enhanced AvWeb is Craig Fuller. Same Craig Fuller who ran AOPA for 5 years? The same man who brought us the "renowned" AOPA Wine Club?
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I can’t believe people are still whining about the wine club? The AOPA Wine Club features, among others, wines from the “flying vintners,” a group of top wine makers who are also pilots and AOPA members.

It is hard to fly and bottle wine at the same time.
 
Aviation Consumer notice sent out to subscribers
 

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Why the hell did they buy all these magazines to kill them off? They surely can't be so stupid as to believe that they can roll all the subscribers of all these specialty magazines into Flying, can they?
 
What if you had a sub to av consumer and not flying and don't want flying?

They killed a product you signed up for and are trying to substitute a different product. That don't jive with me.
 
Racerx said:
What if you had a sub to av consumer and not flying and don't want flying?

They killed a product you signed up for and are trying to substitute a different product. That don't jive with me.
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It may be way down in the jargon on the back of whatever subscription form you submitted. OR they may just be hoping you'll shut your mouth and take FLYING until your subscription runs out. If that's the case, a demand letter for a refund might get you your (pro-rated) money back. I assume they are counting on people to be lazy and not request a refund. So they keep your money and get to count you as a subscriber to Flying which boosts their ad revenue/rates.
 
Racerx said:
What if you had a sub to av consumer and not flying and don't want flying?

They killed a product you signed up for and are trying to substitute a different product. That don't jive with me.
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I wonder. I have a lot of people in my life that give me gifts at holidays and struggle to select pilot-themed dreck to give me while intending me good tidings. Perhaps a gift subscription to the online firecrown wingstravaganza is the very exact thing that they'll spring for. And I bet we all have people like this in our circles. It's like the Hickory Farms sampler, but for pilots. Aunt Doris can send me Flying(tm) (formerly great) online magazine instead of a summer sausage.

If the cost to publish is near zero, and with AI writing, it certainly must be, then... sure, why not buy an "old" well-regarded name to veneer your AI slop and sell gift cards, raking in the jack?

It's all I got. Hard to imagine buying a brand and taking a backhoe to its goodwill unless there was "a plan".
 
schmookeeg said:
…writing, it certainly must be, then... sure, why not buy an "old" well-regarded name to veneer your AI slop and sell gift cards, raking in the jack?

It's all I got. Hard to imagine buying a brand and taking a backhoe to its goodwill unless there was "a plan".
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Depressingly, I realized if you’re buying a plane featured in Flying, you’re likely an operator, not the pilot, and your logic makes horrific business sense.

The SEP/piston twin/E-AB flyer demographic is all out of Schlitz unless you count AOPA or EAAs rags. The magazine industry is simply lagging the trend of pilot as a job, not a hobby and consolidating/reorg’ing.

One of my first DOs nearly 30 years ago now used to tell me I was born a decade or two too late to really enjoy the job. He was right then and is still right now.
 
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