I've been bored with AOPA as it is a bit too high-brow for me. Jets don't really do it for me, and I'm tired of political articles. Flying use to be fun. I've been searching around for mags that are more in tune with grass roots. I've really been enjoying Kitplanes learning about flying techniques, aerodynamics, construction techniques, powerplants, and all sorts of things about planes instead how flying is going away.

Plane and Pilot also seems to be more in tune with GA and light planes. This month they have a great article from Damian at Andover Flight. Lots of flight reviews on small planes. And the expensive stuff they review isn't astronomical.

I was wondering what other magazines, etc, people like. A buddy of mine likes the EAA mag but I haven't seen it yet. Thinking of joining EAA and ditching the AOPA membership.

EAA's Sport Aviation has deteriorated over these last 20 years or so. It's hardly recognizable from what it was in the '70s and '80s. Here's hoping Hightower returns EAA to it's roots. Air Progress is gone I think, it was always a favorite of mine. That pretty much leaves Plane and Pilot. I used to take Western Flyer before it merged with GA news. It was the single best source of NEWS regarding general aviation. There is now an online version but I haven't been able to browse it the way I like. I dunno.

It sounds like you're getting the TURBINE version of AOPA Pilot magazine. AOPA publishes two versions of Pilot: The Turbine version and whatever they call the non turbine version.

You can call them and ask to have your subscription changed to the non turbine version.

Won't change the political content because remember that AOPA is an advocacy organization, after all....that's their primary role.

As to EAA Sport Aviation....I can't believe where they've gone. They've now hired Mac McLellan as their Director of Publications..he who was "released" by Flying Magazine recently, and replaced by "new blood". Also, they're publishing articles by one of Cessna Pilot Association Mike Busch on maintenance, and he seems to write almost exclusively about Cessna 210/310 aircraft(this month's EAA issue has his article about C-210). So, Sport Aviation is starting to look a lot like the old Flying....no surprise there, I reckon. Good news is, Busch's articles were the only decent ones in CPA magazine, so now, published in two spots, there's NO reason at all to be a CPA member anymore..... But, Sport Aviation articles are more and more about flying Barons, etc. I suppose they're trying to reach out to a broader audience. This all started about the time Hightower took over, so I doubt he'll be changing it soon. The good news is the new format of EAA Sport Aviation also has a LOT of "tech tips" and other articles that ARE good. Nothing's perfect, I reckon.

Plane and Pilot is working hard to change format and content also, and I like the new format. Their articles are a little shorter than the other aviation press, but that's changing a bit as well.

There's no one perfect aviation magazine, unfortunately. But, of course, aviation is pretty diverse, and I don't know how you'd cover all the aspects of it, or even most, without leaving out a lot of folks.

MTV

You can change your AOPA magazine subscription to "Flight Training" magazine with a phone call too. I'm not a flight instructor, just have a license to learn to fly and it is my favorite magazine.

The Smithsonian "Air & Space" magazine is by far my most eagerly awaiting aviation related publication, I have been a subscriber since day one. Even some of the articles I think will be of no interest to me are, due to the fine writing. The only magazine I keep permanantly in my aviation library.

The EAA has a few sub-interest organizations under its umbrella. There is one for aerobatics, warbirds, LSA, and ultralights. I really like the publication that comes from the Vintage Aircraft group. It is fairly thin, I usually read it in one sitting, but at least it is full of the aircraft that interest me. Lots of good restoration stories about people pulling aircraft out of hangars, barns, or garages and getting them back to flying condition. Pretty minimal articles on the politics of aviation and nothing from the turbine, VLJ, executive crowd.

I've looked through Pilot Getaways on occasion and sometimes find an edition that I really like. SW Aviator was great but they've been gone for years, their old articles are still online though. I like Plane & Pilot but haven't had a subscription in a few years now. The Seaplane Pilots Association also puts out a good publication called Water Flying.

It was a sorry day when Northern Pilot folded into Pilot Getaways. I gave them a chance, but every other article was about where to play golf.

BCP is the best place to get a fix these days.

I let my AOPA membership lapse. I got tired of reading about airplanes that I will never be able to afford, or even want. The only magazine subscription I still get is Light Plane Maintenance. Always something valuable for pilots who do their own maintenance (with a+p supervision of course).

Arctic,

For perspective, one of the featured articles in the latest AOPA Pilot magazine is on the Cessna 120/140.

MTV

I have a no-magazine membership in AOPA, I think it's lke $19 a year. I feel they are our best defense against general aviation being legislated, zoned, & noise-abated out of existance.
EAA's in there pitching too, I should be a member there too (have been, let it lapse). Witness EAA's advocacy of the whole sport pilot thing, and the current drivers-license-medical proposal that AOPA & EAA are teaming up on.
Juts because you're tired of the magazine, don't drop your support of our best advcates.

I like Kitplanes and I still get both AOPA's Pilot and EAA's Sport Aviation magazines. I agree that AOPA has largely been about planes I'll never fly. But they have had a few articles on experimentals lately. The EAA magazine is starting to largely be geared toward the RV-10 crowd. The guys that can afford to throw away money. Imagine that. It's losing my interest but I'm still a subscriber. Kitplanes is my favorite glossy magazine.

This is my favorite aviation periodical:http://www.pacificflyer.com/ It comes in a newspaper format and has an annual swimsuit edition. You got to love an aviation magazine with a swimsuit edition.

mtv wrote:Arctic,

For perspective, one of the featured articles in the latest AOPA Pilot magazine is on the Cessna 120/140.

MTV

As a matter of fact- I just read that issue on a flight to Juneau- There's the article MTV mentioned, an article about flying to greenland in piston singles where they had to (gasp) fuel out of 55 gallon drums, and an article about the Husky A-1C that they're fixing to give away. And if you read between the lines, it seems that Craig Fuller just bought himself a Husky too. Not bad, not bad. Keep it coming.

Hmmm, that's interesting. I may have to resubscribe. I also heard that Rod Machado has recently bought a 150. Maybe they are listening to the people who are leaving. When I was subscribing about 3 years ago, the magazine was full of articles aimed at the richer lower 48 pilots, which makes sense if you are trying to get donations from your subscribers, but won't hold my attention longer than it takes to skim the titles and chuck it in the trash. The cheapest planes featured were Diamonds, but mostly Cirrus' and Mooney's.

As far as advocacy, I believe my congressmen has the best positive influence toward aviation I could hope for. Unfortunately, not all states can say that about their elected officials.

svanarts wrote:
This is my favorite aviation periodical:http://www.pacificflyer.com/ It comes in a newspaper format and has an annual swimsuit edition. You got to love an aviation magazine with a swimsuit edition.

Just became my favorite, too!!

puts a whole new light on hand proping, remember, always handprop with care

Looky there, two rides that you can't afford; the plane and the girl.

svanarts wrote:Looky there, two rides that you can't afford; the plane and the girl.

"Look. Don't Touch"

That site has monthly bombshells on it...nice..very nice.

I believe Pacific Flyer also has either free issues or deeply discounted issues for active military serving overseas. They are good, politically incorrect, whiskey drinking guys. I don't drink whiskey, but I generally tend to get along well with the guys that do. And I'm all for treating actively serving military guys well.

Aviation Safety is the one I like to read the most, along with the Cessna Pilot Association publication. Aviation safety does a pretty good job of talking about actual flying issues rather than hardware I'll never care about.The CPA publication has offered a lot of good maintenance insights to those of us that fly spam cans- AD's, operations, etc.

I have almost a complete set of EAA's Sport Aviation from the 70's and 80's. The advice was as variable as it was practical, but it was a solid pub that really covered the bases in communicating the important techniques and creativity in the home built world. I fed on them more than Flying or AOPA in my youth, although those were far more practical at the time as well. The newer version is pretty thin on the practical stuff.

The glossies are all abut selling Breitlings and sunglasses now- that's the demographic that pays the ad bills, not average folks with 50-year old planes.