A Discussion of the magazine "Sport Pilot"

[old man emu]

First of all, I think it's a bit of bad form to be discussing the RAA magazine, Sports Pilot, on someone else's forum - a bit like A Current Affair doing a number on This Day Tonight. However, since the RAA site does not have a forum, where else can this conversation take place?

 

What struck me about Sports Pilot was the lack of meaty reading in it. There are 72 printed pages in the magazine, and of these 26 (36%) are full pages of advertising. If you were to include the half page ads, the total space allocated to advertising would approach 40% of total pages. This suggests that the magazine is pretty much a financially viable entity.What is all this advertising supporting in the rest of the magazine?

 

The reading matter in the rest of the magazine is somewhat light on. Most articles occupy only one page or less. In my tally of pages of advertising, I didn't count "App of the Month" nor "What our schools are up to". I consider both of these to be infomercials, but worth the reading. In the "News" section, I thought that "CEOs who fly" was totally irrelevant,and that the photo of Richard Branson was a sneeky "come-on". In "Pilot Notes" there was nothing specifically for pilots, and definately nothing to inspire confidence in recreational flying in an interested browser.

 

"Tech Talk" was poorly done. Either one writes about the aftermath of prop strikes, or maintaining cables, but not both in the one article. As it stands, what was written about cables left more unsaid than said. The article "Dipstick"wasn't the greatest piece of copy ever delivered to an editor, but at least it has started a discussion elsewhere on this forum. I love/hate Members' Market. I love to see what's out there for sale. I hate that I can't buy anything.

 

OK, OME! Put up or shut up. Where's your articles?

 

Well, I'll write them if I get paid for them. The point is, why should I spend my time writing articles for magazines without any reward for doing so? This post has probably taken me a couple of hours to research and write, but I've done it to get something off my chest. But what if I was to write a tech article on control cables? Such an article would take a few hours to research and write. It would have to be technically sound and everything in it would have to be defensible.

 

Should I give this effort away for nothing? Do you expect your L2 to service your plane for nix? Does your instructor teach you for the love of it? We all have specialist skillls that we have developed through years of study and experience. Is it unreasonable to ask for a reward when these skills are the basis of material that makes a magazine worth reading?

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Unfortunately, with the current budget you can have only afford a limited amount content and paper. If you want the board to increase the budget to cover the cost of writing more articles AND the cost of publishing more paper, I think you will have to kick start something.

 

I have suggested that the magazine goes online as being the best way to improve the content in the magazine but no one wants that, so good luck. I only suggested the online option because a lot of struggling "for profit" magazines have been successful online. The problem is that no one knows how much money is wasted on the magazine. I am pretty sure if we knew how much it was costing us and how much more content we could have online only, you would get your content.

 

 

[Spin]

Fair comment OME, but I have a different take on it, it's not perfect, but as the communication medium for amateur, recreational aviators or wannabes, I think it comes pretty close to hitting the mark. Control cables and props for example; I thought the article was about alerting us to things to look out for, not to be the last word on it. As I said elsewhere, if it was in depth info I wanted, a magazine isn't where I would go looking.

 

Although I am coming around to the idea of online magazines, I only have to look around at my local airfield to see that RA pilots there are of all sorts, a large number of whom are not IT savvy and use a computer reluctantly if at all. Most there look blank or have various disparaging comments to offer if the subject of this site comes up, so in general I don't think that an online is the way to go, or at least not yet.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Our subscriptions are paying at least three of our employees to sit and scratch their heads for a subject every month.

 

It needs to be properly costed, the cost to include the component of our subscriptions spent on it and then measured against the income from copies sold.

 

I wouldn't question it if the result was a profit, and I would accept a small loss each month in return for the promotional value, access to ads for parts etc and the members market.

 

Professor Avius I would lynch

 

 

[fly_tornado]

God forbid that anyone from the RAA saying they want to reduce the cost of flying...

 

 

[facthunter]

What standard or level of tech and other info does RAAus aspire to? Some of us here might have expectations that are in excess of what is generally wanted. I honestly don't know. I think Steve Bell must have around the correct level of complexity as he tries to keep it fairly simple, and should have his finger on the pulse, and he should know what is wanted because he is the boss waller there. 9(Well in the field of airworthiness etc).

 

Member contributions wouldn't/ shouldn't be a vain hope. As far as being paid for things like that. If I got paid for the info I get asked about on the phone etc, I wouldn't have a problem paying the bills. Nev

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

OME I hear what your saying but I just cant seem to go past the value in belonging to the EAA. You would be hard pressed to find such a comprehensive and historical collection of notes on every subject to do with our kind of aircraft. For a small sum of around $60 a year you get a magazine that cant be beaten and access to all the historical information as well. Why waste money reinventing the wheel? The information is out there and easily accessible via the web as well as a hard copy. I would love to see the RAA as a satellite organisation, with the Aussie touch, of the EAA. It makes sense. Why pay you or any one else to write articles that are already out there?

 

Scotty

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

Bb....EAA servetheir pupose in USA....RAA do it here...if u want to find articles...google it!

Hiya CFI...yes I couldnt agree more with you. EAA certainly serve their purpose very well in the USA. RAA could do well to take a leaf from their book. By paying my piddly amount to belong to the EAA, there is no need for one to google anything......its all on their website for the pickings.

Scotty

 

 

[winsor68]

...maybe the mag should be seeking out people like yourself OME ...and conducting a 'interview' on the phone about a topic of interest??...just a thought...i have no doubt that u and many others can contribute greatly to RAA.

Without it costing anything more than 30 minutes of your time?

 

 

[coljones]

OK, OME! Put up or shut up. Where's your articles?Well, I'll write them if I get paid for them. The point is, why should I spend my time writing articles for magazines without any reward for doing so? This post has probably taken me a couple of hours to research and write, but I've done it to get something off my chest. But what if I was to write a tech article on control cables? Such an article would take a few hours to research and write. It would have to be technically sound and everything in it would have to be defensible.

 

Should I give this effort away for nothing? Do you expect your L2 to service your plane for nix? Does your instructor teach you for the love of it? We all have specialist skillls that we have developed through years of study and experience. Is it unreasonable to ask for a reward when these skills are the basis of material that makes a magazine worth reading?

Drop the Ed an EMail, his email address is on page 4. You may have what they want and they may have some $$$s (or even ¢¢¢s) to pay for it on some basis.

 

 

[Litespeed]

I am with OME on this- some reward for quality work is best to cover some of the effort put in by contributors.

 

Even if it was a small sum- it shows the effort is valued.

 

Or maybe a gift cert to go against membership for the year or mag subscription.

 

If the mag is to succeed it needs to value what it provides ie articles. We don't buy it for the adds.

 

For RAA not to pay for a quality article says it does not value the efforts and talents of the writer.

 

If I pay to read something, I expect a certain level of quality. I also want to know that those who wrote the words are rewarded somehow.

 

It is a magazine we pay for and should reflect that.

 

 

[Litespeed]

i'd be happy to spend the time...but...thats me...

A long time ago and in what seems a parallel universe, I had to write several articles for a fortnightly publication. Every fortnight- it took a lot of effort and time to do this with any consistency. Sure we might all do it once, but for those with a talent for the stuff- it is a mighty ask to continually pump out copy ie: a regular column etc.

 

And for any budding writers out there- it soothes the ego no end if you get remuneration for your words.

 

And at the most ethical level- no payment even beer money, means a writer is expected to pay for the ability to read his own words in the magazine.

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

I find the basis of many of the articles very good (that's the positive) but they are simply too short and sometimes poorly edited (the negative).

 

For example the article about Jabiru was really interesting but it should have been at least a couple of pages more text - it provided the briefest of overviews barely enough to whet the whistle. There is just so much more that could have been included about this successful Australian company. Also poorly edited - for example "Sue" introduced at the end with mention of her father but no explanation of who she was, her history with Jabiru or her background; I presume a daughter of one of the founders.

 

Sorry if it sounds a bit negative Sport Pilot, just my 2 cents worth. There are many good bits of course and the magazine looks fine.

 

 

[old man emu]

Gnarly,

 

You've bucked the rivet right on the tail! I don't think your comment was negative in any way. It was positive criticism. Compare the Jabiru piece with Dave Tonk's bit about Queensland's attitude to amphibians. The latter was a much more meaty read, but was of equal length. Philip Myer's article was a good one, too.

 

I think what Sport Pilot needs is some aviation savvy journos. Articles in this type of magazine need to be written by people with some street cred.

 

OME

 

 

[Girl Fox and a Bat]

Gnarly,You've bucked the rivet right on the tail! I don't think your comment was negative in any way. It was positive criticism. Compare the Jabiru piece with Dave Tonk's bit about Queensland's attitude to amphibians. The latter was a much more meaty read, but was of equal length. Philip Myer's article was a good one, too.

I think what Sport Pilot needs is some aviation savvy journos. Articles in this type of magazine need to be written by people with some street cred.

 

OME

Ahem. Define 'street cred' and let me see if I tick any of your boxes....

 

 

[shags_j]

Anyone know if the magazine is profitable or not? If it is what sort of profit margin are we talking? Shoudl the magazine be breaking even in an attempt to recruit more members?

 

Just some random questions I have had.

 

I agree with OME on the content. I've not been interested in what is said for quite some time now.

 

 

[Wayne T Mathews]

Ahem. Define 'street cred' and let me see if I tick any of your boxes....

Be very careful OME... Last time I saw a guy take up a challenge like that, he had a very rough, and painful landing... Ouch!...

 

Keep the sunny side up,

 

Wayne.

 

 

[facthunter]

Maybe "runs on the board" is a suitable definition. I wouldn't like to be the one contributing. Setting stuff up to get shot to bits. There are ways of doing it though. Just about every instruction manual has errors in it. (should be proof read, better). Sometimes there are several ways of doing something that are almost equally valid. Eg judging the height to flare. Lindburg's Ryan had NO forward vision whatever and he had to land after some 36 hours flying. Nev

 

 

[Wayne T Mathews]

INCOMING!!!..... :peepwall:

 

 

[robinsm]

Who is Paul Bertorelli?

 

 

[Girl Fox and a Bat]

Well, firstly I have to say I wouldn't publish a comment on this forum without expecting to be challenged. I'm happy to rise to it and answer your questions.

 

1) How well known am I?

 

I'm the deputy editor of Sport Pilot, the circulation for which is 15,000. I'm also the deputy editor of Australian Pilot Extra (the online magazine for AOPA members, circ 3000) and a regular columnist and contributing writer for Australian Pilot (circulation around 7,000). My regular column, Learning to Fly, has been running for just over two years.

 

2) How experienced am I?

 

As a writer, see above. As a pilot, I'm relatively new to RA. I have 500 GA hours on single engines and recently embarked on a solo round-Oz trip, to Perth via Tassie. As I live in Sydney, my exposure to RA was limited until the big trip, where I met many RA Aus members and their aircraft. I'm three quarters of the way through my CPL, which I funded by selling my small business (a bookshop). I have a degree in English and Creative Writing. My blog has had over 10,000 hits (although my domain name, girlwithastick, may be responsible for some misguided visits!)

 

3)How many years have I been in 'the game'?

 

Just under three. I've been flying for just over three.

 

4)How's my rep on the street, etc?

 

We need to define the street, don't you think? If it's a domestic, RA relevant street, then I'd say as a representative of Sport Pilot and Australian Pilot I've been very present. I was at Natfly, test flying aircraft; at Avalon; at Wide Bay. I was at Bankstown to welcome Dave Sykes, was present at the RA Aus cocktail party, and have met each and every one of the board members. Ditto the AOPA board members. I've yet to meet Paul Bertorelli, perhaps because he's not ordinarily present at RA Aus events, being based in the United States. I'm not terribly interested in an international presence, as I see my role as being involved in aviation events I can actually attend.

 

5) How about the others, against whom I compete?

 

It's an interesting question. I don't really see it as competition, per se, as Sport Pilot is largely a membership magazine, although our aim is to attract new members via a vibrant newstand publication. Outstanding aviation journalists on home turf would include Paul Phelan and Shelley Ross, as well as our editor Brian Bigg, who's been in the game for over thirty years. I'm sure you know plenty about Mr Bigg already - producer of channel ten morning news, editor of Australian Pilot with a history in media far too weighty to mention here ( I note a googlewhack for Mr B returns over 6, 000, 000 hits). He's a pilot and RA Aus registered aircraft owner.

 

If street cred were to be measured by passion, then I'd be hip. I love my job, and see my purpose to be making sure members have exposure in the magazine. The correspondence I receive from members is amazing, and it's my aim to make sure the readers feel represented. Of course, with a circulation of 15,000 it's always going to be difficult. The feedback goes along the lines of: the articles are too long; the articles are too short; there are too many readers' stories; there are not enough readers' stories; I hate Prof Avius; Prof Avius raises the most interesting points, etc. Previously, the magazine was edited and compiled by the publishing company, Zebra. As far as I know, they had no journalistic background. RA Aus hired Brian to create a magazine representative of its members.

 

If we're not succeeding in that, then I'd like to hear about it. That's the very reason I'm here, on this forum.

 

There are very few writers in aviation, because the combination of writing and flying is quite unique. We don't do it for the money, that's for sure; we're all here because of our passion.

 

I guess it's over to you to decide whether I pass the 'street cred' test.

 

 

[old man emu]

Well...

 

I'll accept your ability to write coherently and succinctly based on your tertiary qualification. I can't comment on what you have produced in other publications because I do not usually read them for one reason or another.

 

As an editor, do you feel that Sport Pilot as it was published recently was more a collection of advertising and infomercials, with only a few readable articles?

 

The point I was trying to make was that I accept the need for the publisher to sell advertising space to maintain the publication's viability, but without its containing more material for reading it is not much better that junk mail advertising.

 

That is why I was saying that the organisation should look to remunerate casual contributors who take the time and effort to produce material for publication.

 

Also, your exposure up to the present has been as a pilot (both GA & RAA), but where is your experience in building and maintaining an airplane? I'm not debunking you if you don't know a clevis pin from a cotter pin, but there are members who could produce some interesting reading on subjects outside your field of experience.

 

I was very dissapointed with the Jabiru story. We all either fly or know Jabirus, and there was a chance to do an in-depth on the history and future direction of the company. That would have made a good read.

 

I'll finish by saying "Welcome" to this site, and I look forward to reading your two cents' worth on a variety of subjects.

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

Well, firstly I have to say I wouldn't publish a comment on this forum without expecting to be challenged. I'm happy to rise to it and answer your questions.1) How well known am I?

 

I'm the deputy editor of Sport Pilot, the circulation for which is 15,000. I'm also the deputy editor of Australian Pilot Extra (the online magazine for AOPA members, circ 3000) and a regular columnist and contributing writer for Australian Pilot (circulation around 7,000). My regular column, Learning to Fly, has been running for just over two years.

 

2) How experienced am I?

 

As a writer, see above. As a pilot, I'm relatively new to RA. I have 500 GA hours on single engines and recently embarked on a solo round-Oz trip, to Perth via Tassie. As I live in Sydney, my exposure to RA was limited until the big trip, where I met many RA Aus members and their aircraft. I'm three quarters of the way through my CPL, which I funded by selling my small business (a bookshop). I have a degree in English and Creative Writing. My blog has had over 10,000 hits (although my domain name, girlwithastick, may be responsible for some misguided visits!)

 

3)How many years have I been in 'the game'?

 

Just under three. I've been flying for just over three.

 

4)How's my rep on the street, etc?

 

We need to define the street, don't you think? If it's a domestic, RA relevant street, then I'd say as a representative of Sport Pilot and Australian Pilot I've been very present. I was at Natfly, test flying aircraft; at Avalon; at Wide Bay. I was at Bankstown to welcome Dave Sykes, was present at the RA Aus cocktail party, and have met each and every one of the board members. Ditto the AOPA board members. I've yet to meet Paul Bertorelli, perhaps because he's not ordinarily present at RA Aus events, being based in the United States. I'm not terribly interested in an international presence, as I see my role as being involved in aviation events I can actually attend.

 

5) How about the others, against whom I compete?

 

It's an interesting question. I don't really see it as competition, per se, as Sport Pilot is largely a membership magazine, although our aim is to attract new members via a vibrant newstand publication. Outstanding aviation journalists on home turf would include Paul Phelan and Shelley Ross, as well as our editor Brian Bigg, who's been in the game for over thirty years. I'm sure you know plenty about Mr Bigg already - producer of channel ten morning news, editor of Australian Pilot with a history in media far too weighty to mention here ( I note a googlewhack for Mr B returns over 6, 000, 000 hits). He's a pilot and RA Aus registered aircraft owner.

 

If street cred were to be measured by passion, then I'd be hip. I love my job, and see my purpose to be making sure members have exposure in the magazine. The correspondence I receive from members is amazing, and it's my aim to make sure the readers feel represented. Of course, with a circulation of 15,000 it's always going to be difficult. The feedback goes along the lines of: the articles are too long; the articles are too short; there are too many readers' stories; there are not enough readers' stories; I hate Prof Avius; Prof Avius raises the most interesting points, etc. Previously, the magazine was edited and compiled by the publishing company, Zebra. As far as I know, they had no journalistic background. RA Aus hired Brian to create a magazine representative of its members.

 

If we're not succeeding in that, then I'd like to hear about it. That's the very reason I'm here, on this forum.

 

There are very few writers in aviation, because the combination of writing and flying is quite unique. We don't do it for the money, that's for sure; we're all here because of our passion.

 

I guess it's over to you to decide whether I pass the 'street cred' test.

Geez Iggy....how do you shape up to that! Lets hear your credentials.

 

Scotty

 

 

[Tomo]

I live at Cecil Plains... does that count?

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Well, firstly I have to say I wouldn't publish a comment on this forum without expecting to be challenged. I'm happy to rise to it and answer your questions.1) How well known am I?

Sighs, first mistake, you are supposed to say who your dad, granddad, uncle, nephews, brothers and husband/s is. So we know how you fit into the old boys network.