A Discussion of the magazine "Sport Pilot"

[Girl Fox and a Bat]

Old Man Emu,

 

I need to clarify, I'm the deputy editor; I'm in no way experienced enough to be the editor. As a dep ed my duties are to compile the storyboard - the submissions we receive, the columns from the experts, the cover photo, etc. Brian is responsible for the editing and has the final say on all content. I write features, yes, but am in no way an expert in all fields. My hope is as the magazine progresses more and more members - people who DO know the difference between a clevis pin and a cotter pin - will contribute. My job is to encourage contributions, send them for subbing and make sure the magazine has a balance of content. I can't reiterate enough: it's your mag, if you want to see in depth features - send them in - we'll edit them, and make them flow, but it will be your content. It's a members' mag, and so should be written by members.

 

While we're not in the position to pay for contributions at this point, I've managed to persuade our advertisers to give up some pretty splendid prizes (a sim ride, a GPS, some iPad apps, weekend retreats) and I'm working on many more to attract people to write in. I certainly see your point, in paying people, and I hope in the future we'll be in a position to do just that.

 

Please feel free to submit an in depth article on Jabirus, or on any other subject.

 

Thank you for your welcome, very much appreciated.

 

Fly-tornado,

 

Ahhh, I'm the first of my family to be infected with the av-bug. My only exposure to the 'old boys' is drinking whisky with them and hearing their stories, or if I'm lucky, some aeros in their Yaks. In that respect, I'm wearing flares in the street cred department.

 

 

[robinsm]

Most of us remember flares (and love beads and flying without wings (damn edit that!!) Quite a few, until we discovered aircraft, thought pilot was a pre run of a new series, wings was a pop group and instructors did PT (or PE if you like). Runways were for modelling and taxiways were for cars only. A Jabiru was a bird and cars raced in a circuit. Flares were trousers and landings were carried on outside the pub on a bad night.

 

Good on you Girl with a Fox and Bat, street cred or not, keep doing what your doing, at least you are out there putting it in writing.

 

 

[Paul Turner]

Oh FFS… get a grip guys…here’s a little experiment for you… go back to the office/ study/ shed/ lavatory… reach in to the pile of ‘Recreational Aviation’ magazines, dust one off that is at least six months old, take it out of the plastic wrapper because it’s likely not yet been read. Lay it down next the latest edition of ‘Sport Pilot’ and starting with the cover, flick through both page by page and compare the two. Notice a difference?

 

Now I’ll accept that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ and you cannot create a magazine that satisfies all of the tens of thousands of readers every month. However, I believe, as many others do that the new Editors are finding a nice balance between ‘light’ and ‘technical’; ‘informative’ and ‘entertaining’. However, I think the BEST thing about the magazine is… the KIDS love it. By ‘kids’ I mean anyone under thirty. The magazine is now connecting with a younger generation of pilots in a way that it has never done before. This is hugely important to our little patch of the aviation world. Of course if I ever yearn for unsubstantiated rumour, misinformation, sexist, racist and misogynistic comments… I always have this forum to come back to *Please note: No offence is intended, if anyone is in fact taking offence, this is (probably) not the intention.

 

Last comment… (ignoring the ‘infomercial’ jibe)… yes I wrote the ‘App of the month’ article. My journalistic qualifications are… nil; my flying experience is… limited. But I thought that my experience may be useful and relevant for a lot of people. Yes it took a lot of effort to ‘craft’ something together and Kreisha was able to provide a lot of (patient) support to help me turn out something that was (I hope) readable and informative. Truly, isn’t this the key to improving the quality of the mag? Don’t throw rocks at the people who are trying to fix the mag… jump in and help them. I did and I enjoyed the experience… and yes I hope to do it again. However, I’d be happy if I never get anything published again if it’s because there are too many better articles coming from lots of other people.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Good work Paul

 

 

[robinsm]

Keep them coming Paul, the more the merrier. The critics are there but if they haven't written anything and had it published then their "street cred", literary wise, is suspect. Good on you paul.!!!

 

 

[JG3]

I must mention that I met our new Deputy Editor, Kreisha (Girl with a Fox and a Bat), at Yarram, when she was flying a Cherokee to Tassie and then on to Western Australia. Absolutely bursting with enthusiasm and sense of adventure. Very quick-minded and bright and friendly. She has heaps of energy, and I'm sure that she'll add a real spark to the magazine. I look forward to it.

 

JG

 

 

[turboplanner]

Well she better write a travel story them, someone has to

 

 

[JG3]

Well she better write a travel story them, someone has to

Yeh, well that's up to us who do the travelling. I've done plenty of travelling recently, so I guess I need to do some writing.....

But a good idea. Kreisha, how about an introduction to everyone, in the form of your cross-country trip adventure. Wasn't an RAAus aircraft at the time, but the right spirit of adventure anyhow.

 

JG

 

 

[turboplanner]

JG this is Recreational Flying, many posters and visitors fly GA for recreation, DJPAcro for example teaches aerobatics for recreation, many are dual GA/RA

 

 

[Tomo]

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.

Hey Kreisha, I just had a moment of recollection, or maybe call it a revelation...?! Anyway, you remember at Wide Bay airshow, on the Sunday afternoon a young fella and his brother got in a mini van with all our gear to get taken to our Cessna 182, the farm truck as I called it! And I'm pretty confident that you were the fine lady seated next to us, and we were talking about the weather, working out whether we should fly out or not. Then you were talking to my brother about going to Europe etc...

 

 

[shags_j]

Tommo knows everyone!

 

 

[turboplanner]

Kreisha, when we first knew him he could only communicate in Morse Code, in fact had a strapline promoting people from Morse. We trained him on the Never Ending Story, very slowly at first, and now after several years intensive coaching he's able to write in English, and in particular has learnt third party talk. A 21st Century Biggles.

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

Hey Kreisha, I just had a moment of recollection, or maybe call it a revelation...?! Anyway, you remember at Wide Bay airshow, on the Sunday afternoon a young fella and his brother got in a mini van with all our gear to get taken to our Cessna 182, the farm truck as I called it! And I'm pretty confident that you were the fine lady seated next to us, and we were talking about the weather, working out whether we should fly out or not. Then you were talking to my brother about going to Europe etc...

Tomo...your outta be ashamed! Thats the worst pick up line I have ever heard....

 

 

[Tomo]

Oh dear...you guys are funny!

 

 

[old man emu]

Last comment… (ignoring the ‘infomercial’ jibe)… yes I wrote the ‘App of the month’ article. My journalistic qualifications are… nil; my flying experience is… limited. But I thought that my experience may be useful and relevant for a lot of people. Yes it took a lot of effort to ‘craft’ something together and Kreisha was able to provide a lot of (patient) support to help me turn out something that was (I hope) readable and informative. Truly, isn’t this the key to improving the quality of the mag? Don’t throw rocks at the people who are trying to fix the mag… jump in and help them. I did and I enjoyed the experience… and yes I hope to do it again. However, I’d be happy if I never get anything published again if it’s because there are too many better articles coming from lots of other people.

Paul,

 

There was no jibe in "infomercial". I was just putting the magazine's contents into categories.

 

I must admit that on my first reading of the magazine, I skipped over your article for only one reason - I'm not interested in i-computing. However, in an effort to be fair, I have since gone back and read the article. As a piece of magazine writing, it's a good piece of work. Having read it, I'm interested in looking at the app, but my bias may not let me go out and buy an iPad and this App. I wouldn't have any other uses for the iPad to make the purchase worthwhile.

 

Harking back to my original point, don't you think that your effort was worth more reward than seeing your words in print under your name? I don't know what the going rate that is paid by magazines to freelance journos, but your effort was worth the payment. Is $35 worth of app sufficient? In my opinion, NO. I reckon that your article is worth at least the value of a full page ad.

 

And Kreisha ...

 

Compare your article on Jabiru with Owen Zupp's in Australian Aviation October 2009, No 265. pp 58 - 59.

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[Girl Fox and a Bat]

Tommo, hey! It was me, although I don't often receive the compliment of 'lady'... How was your brother's trip?

 

OME, thank you for your reccommendation, I shall read the article with interest.

 

The intention of my Jabiru article was to be a pictorial demonstration of a Jabiru factory build. Maybe because I've never built an aircraft myself, I thought our readers would be interested in the process and an inside look at the Jabiru factory.

 

You'll be pleased to know Paul Turner has written the main feature in November's edition.

 

I look forward to in-depth contributions from you in the future....

 

 

[turboplanner]

Aarrggggh, he says that all the time! Got it out of a movie.

 

 

[old man emu]

I look forward to in-depth contributions from you in the future....

Only if they result an in cash conribution from you ....

 

OME

 

 

[Tomo]

Tommo, hey! It was me, although I don't often receive the compliment of 'lady'... How was your brother's trip?

It's funny you know, It just hit me this morning that it was you, as I remember you introducing yourself, but never put the two and two together until now! Just picked my brother up this afternoon from Brissy airport from being away for the month in Europe, he had a ball!! And apparently he has 40gb of photos.

 

By the way, did you leave that Sunday afternoon or Monday? we ended up leaving straight after the show and had a great run home to Dalby. I'm glad I didn't go Monday as it was blowing crazy!

 

 

[coljones]

Girl with a fox and bat - you have to stop being bashful.

 

http://www.girlwithastick.com/Blog/index.php

 

Really good photos and stuff (too bad about the spam though)

 

Cheers

 

 

[Powerin]

I would also prefer to see some longer, meatier articles, and yes, the Jab article is an example of one that could have been longer. But these days many of the younger generation (not the ones on this site of course ) have a shorter attention span, and as PaulT says, perhaps this should be a target market for the mag. A few epics for those of us who enjoy a good read would be good now and then though.

 

I also appreciate the large amount of time and creativity it takes even to put together a small article and I marvel at those, like Kreisha, who can come up with several articles a month. It sometimes takes me a couple hours of research and writing (and a couple of glasses of red) just to write a few paragraphs in a forum post

 

So Paul your first article was great and I look forward to your next, and Kreisha I have enjoyed your articles in Sport Pilot so far and also in Australian Pilot (the really great ones though, are when you write about your own experiences!). One day I'll submit an article, when I actually gain enough aviation experience for it to be worth reading.

 

 

[Girl Fox and a Bat]

Only if they result an in cash conribution from you ....OME

Thing is, If we start paying it will be for talent.

How much street cred have you got, OME?

 

Tommo, glad to hear your brother had a top time. We left first thing on Monday and tracked inland to Tamwoth.

 

Powerin, thanks for your kind words. I'd like to say what I lack in experience, I make up for in enthusiasm.

 

Col, g'day!

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Hi Kreisha, it's Ross here, if I may call you by your first name !...I have enjoyed your writing so far in the magazine, and look foward to more. I am generally a pretty regular writer myself, and have been producing articles for magazines for many years. Unfortunatly I am experiencing a seemingly long-term writers block lately, so haven't been able to help you out....time, time, time !

 

I do contribute to the Rec forum on a regular basis as you may have noticed. I have also been attempting to write an auto-biography which would cover ten years of very active skydiving in the 70s (jaspers' brush even) plus much UL and GA flying since 84, with a couple of crashes thrown in for some real adventure over the years !. Should make for an interesting read if I can just get it down.

 

Glad you met Tomo and his brother. I spotted Tomo on the forum a few years ago when he was just starting to fly. I saw a real keen aviator right from the start, and a nice bloke to boot, and made a point of dropping in and meeting him and his fine family a couple of times, in Cecil Plains. Very fine people for sure, and flying with Tomo is just plain (plane?) fun.

 

Do touch base if you'r in the Townsville area , would be nice to take you flying also, or maybe you could take me !....(see rec post: Tomo takes the Maj for a fly ) Anyway I'd be happy to show you around this area anytime..Keep up the good work.....Cheers for now................................. Maj...

 

 

[JG3]

Do touch base if you'r in the Townsville area anytime, would be nice to take you flying also, or maybe you could take me ! .Anyway I'd be happy to show you around this area anytime..Keep up the good work.....Cheers for now................................. Maj...

Gday Kreisha,

 

I second Ross's offer. If you're in the Sunshine Coast region we'd be glad to fly you around our patch.

 

JG

 

 

[old man emu]

Thing is, If we start paying it will be for talent.

So Paul Turner is a "No Talent"?

 

OME