As you know, AOPA sends you a free subscription to your magazine of choice, one of their two publications: Pilot or Flight Training.

I used to really enjoy Pilot, but at my last renewal I changed to Flight Training because I'm more interested in reading about technique and actual flying than the latest glass panel in the new TBM. Even if it seems rudimentary at times, it's a good review and I enjoy that.

I still get Pilot because I can buy Flight Training at the local bookstore

I find that flight training is more of a flight school oriented magazine to get students some decent info...with that said I guess we're all students no matter how much experience we have....AOPAs pilots magazine has some good articles however the ads drive me up a wall hah...their website is outstanding I think though and if you go onto the safety link take the online courses...you get wings credits plus they are somewhat interactive...
BTW the free subscription costs me 40.00 a year haha...you must be lucky! lol...

I guess I must be a sinner I gave up the AOPA a long time ago.

You can check The Flight Training MAG. out on there website. On the home page you just look under AOPA publications and click on the Flight Training Mag. Same with their pilot mag.Bob

mr scout wrote:I guess I must be a sinner I gave up the AOPA a long time ago.

Couldn't afford it? Sorry to hear.

My dentist is a pilot, and he keeps all the major airplane mags in his waiting room. Seems they've all got some niche, but I find them more the same than different. What I really miss is Northern Pilot. MTV had some great writing appear there, BTW. I signed up for it shortly before they merged with Pilot Getaways. I remember that first Pilot Getaways I received had something about flying to swishy golf resorts where you could get spa treatments. I cancelled same day. Used to be you could get old NP back issues at the shops on Merrill field, but I doubt that's true any more. One nice thing is that the writing tended to be really fundamental and timeless stuff, like MTVs STOL piece in April/May '03. If anybody has an old collection they're willing to part with, PM me with details please. Interested in Mountain Pilot too, if anyone's got 'em.

One thing I really like about this site is the way it picks up where those old magazines left off. On the whole, BCP is way more useful to me than Pilot or Flight Training. Thanks again, Zane, and please keep up the great work.

-DP

I pretty much just pitch my copy of Pilot in the trash without even opening it. I'm not sure exactly why, but it seems to be written to an audience of which I'm not a member. Most of it is geared towards people who make a hell of a lot more money than I ever will, and who want to fly new planes between towered airports on flight plans. The last time I saw them mention a backcountry plane it was an article on his-n-hers super cubs...a vacuous bit of tripe about a couple who just couldn't get by with one super cub, so they bought two, and a house with a runway out back behind the stables! Golly what adventure!

It doesn't bother me that some people make enough money to own a King Air or a Citation or even a new Cessna 172, it just doesn't interest me. And every time I see them trying to save an airport, it's some towered slab of asphalt in the middle of a soulless urban sprawl which I'd never fly to anyway.

I don't mind giving money to an organization which lobbys on my behalf, but I sort of wish they'd quit sending me the magazine all together.

Hammer,

Get in touch with the publications division. They can stop sending the magazine if you like.

I'd agree to some degree with your contention, but for example this month's issue contains an article on the new American Champion version of the 7GCBC, with a 180 hp engine built by Brand X. There's another about the Iditarod Air Force, the group of volunteer pilots who support the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, and yet another about Light Sport, Year Three, and one about takeoffs in gusty winds. None of these is focused on mega buck airplanes.

Each magazine contains a lot of articles on legal and advocacy issues, as well as ones on weather, etc. This month's theme in that regard is thunderstorms. Lots of good information there, for all of us who fly.

I grant you that the entire magazine isn't devoted to low and slow airplanes, but aviation is a big world, and they try to balance the magazine to cover all bases. That's doubtless hard to do.

They've published my articles about my work as a pilot/biologist, about ag aviation, etc. none of which have to do with rich folks buying big airplanes.

Maybe try opening the magazine and checking it out would help......

MTV

1SeventyZ wrote:
Couldn't afford it? Sorry to hear.

Your awful quick to pick on the less fortunate It was either order parts from Chief or renew my subscription, I took the parts and have never looked back.

I opted out of the magazine from AOPA but do keep my membership in good standing. They fight some good fights for us and the resources on their website are great - the flight planner alone is worthwhile.

I do get Sport Pilot from EAA, much prefer the content there.

I changed back to Flight Training. I get more out of it than the Pilot magazine.

In both, the articles are to long for the real information thats in them. I have less and less time to read BS and find myself skimming articles for the real information.

I still get Flight Training, but now instead of reading it cover-to-cover, I skip over the articles that I dont think apply to my type of flying. It is still a good aid to keep up with the goings-on of the greater aviation community.

Never read Northern Pilot, but it sounds like a good one.

I do get Aviation Safety, and like it. They had a good article a few months ago on winter ops and preheating. Lots of common sense stuff that really works.

GANews isnt too bad either, but Im to the point where I have about a 2 month backlog of magazines to read... Time to weed out some subscriptions !

Hasta ~

Bob K.
Anchorage, AK

mr scout wrote:

1SeventyZ wrote:
Couldn't afford it? Sorry to hear.

Your awful quick to pick on the less fortunate It was either order parts from Chief or renew my subscription, I took the parts and have never looked back.

Hahahahaha. Touche`

As a CFI they send me both. While I agree with some of the comments about not enough "every day man's" GA being covered, it is still a great magazine (Pilot) and I read it cover to cover every month. Great content and very well written. It's my commute reading material.

For those of you not AOPA members, I would encourage you to join regardless if you want the magazines or not. They are one of, if not the strongest voice looking out for GA. It scares me to think of what we wouldn't have if they weren't there as a watchdog.

Vick wrote:I opted out of the magazine from AOPA but do keep my membership in good standing. They fight some good fights for us and the resources on their website are great - the flight planner alone is worthwhile.

I agree. The RTFP is worth the price of membership alone.