After fifteen years of flying IFR for a living, I get bored reading articles about WAAS, TCAS, and all the other gizmocentric garble that they choose to write about in Flying magazine. Instrument training is really important in a pilots development, but it is not the reason we learn to fly. All the gadgets in the world can't replace the simple pleasure of basic stick and rudder flying.
That's why I like reading Lane Wallaces' articles, she reminds me of the fun stuff.
I got to thinking about it and other than Pilot Getaways, I really don't know of any magazines that write about our kind of stuff. Do you?

I'm with you. Pilot Getaways is about the only rag I look forward to reading. Occasionally Sport Aviation (EAA) has a good article about a homebuilt "bush" style plane. Also, I enjoy Water Flying but it only comes out every two months. I think there may be a market for a good Bush Pilot magazine. Maybe it's something Zane should work on in his spare time...

Mark

I agree. Pilot Getaways is the only thing I really get excited about. Let's figure out how to start a magazine, Zane...

Matt

PS. The yellow bird flies at last...

I liked Northern Pilot magazine, but they went Tango Uniform right after I subscribed. Not surprising I guess since I also single-handedly flattened California housing prices in the early 80's by buying a house.

I think NP is now blended into Pilot Getaways.

I found a good one down here in OZ. It's "Flight Safety Australia" and is produced by, of all people, CASA, the equivalent of the FAA. Always a few good articles in there and a good insight into how some of the other folks live. Did you know that there are about the same number of aircraft in all of Australia as visited Oshkosh last year? Yes, counting all the airliners, gliders, helicopters, homebuilts and powered parachutes....in a place the same size as the USA lower 48. When I fly at home in the USA now, I don't whine about anything; not gas prices, not the ADIZ, nor TFR's. It could be so much worse. It could be a vacuum.

BTW: Best thing is, the entire mag is available online:
http://www.casa.gov.au/fsa/
Check it out

YB

Producing a magazine has always been something I've wanted to do. In high school a buddy and I made a 'zine called Critical Mass about skateboarding and bmx, but alas, only 1 issue ever made it out.

I wonder why Northern Pilot went Tango U? Do these guys overextend themselves with a business plan that doesn't work out?

It seems like if you had a userbase/clientele of roughly equal to say, a third of supercub.org's membership (2850) at 950 subscriptions @ $25/yr, you could start on a budget of about $24,000. Get some advertisers, and the budget goes up. I have no idea how much printing costs, but trips here and there, and the production time in hours would rack up and probably suck up that whole budget pretty quick. It would have to be a labor of love for somebody with a very flexible primary income based on sitting at a computer all day anyway...wait that's me!

We could make a print version with contributing columnists harvested right from this very website!! But what would we call it??? Dang I'm stumped.

I wonder how much you have to pay Lane Wallace to write one of her great articles. Is that her full time gig you think?

I get IFR mag which is pretty good. I have all the Mountain Pilot issues before they went t\u. Plane and Pilot is good. Flying is a piece of crap unless you have a King Air or a Citation. AOPA makes me sick with the constant safety B/S. They want everybody to become a pilot (some folks just are not cut out) and when some Ciru$$ pilot pulls the chute because he is having a bad hair day they make a hero out of him. If you want I'll stop beating around the bush and tell what I really think.

I don't even subscribe to amy magazines right now. They all kinda suck:
Flying is for turbine/jet guys. AOPA Pilot is for guys who are so worried about safety they never even taxi on the grass, let alone land on it. P&P and PP used to be OPK, but too many nocedragger and plastic whizbang airplane articles. Northern Pilot was OK,never read Mountain Pilot.
Zane, I think you owe it to the world to start producing a BCP magazine- all about grass strips, stick and rudder flying skills,and utility-type GA airplanes. You can sign me up for the first (free) subscription,buddy.

Eric

Zane-

This is a good opportunity to compliment you on your site! You obviously have an eye for good site design because BCP is pretty sharp. And given the grass roots information shared by the users the practical content rivals that available in any aviation mag out there, especially given the niche we occupy in the aviation community.

As far as the mags go I agree that Pilot Getaways is tops. I pay dues to AOPA because they represent and fight for the interests of all involved with general aviation, and the Real Time Flight Planner alone is probably worth it. The EAA and Vintage publications tend to have good technical content, especially with regards to flying and maintaining fabric aircraft. The dues do add up, but somehow I never get tired of talking, reading, and thinking about flying and all things related!

Cheers - Andrew

BTW Zane - do you tele or A/T?

^^Hey Vick, I downhill and am about to buy some Fritschi Freeride AT bindings, gotta get away from those people on the mountain and the snowshoes aren't cutting it. I tried tele but I couldn't stomach being a beginner again.

===================================

I'll look into it. Seriously.

I think if BCP came up more in Google search results, we'd have a lot more members, so the interest is out there. The key is to get some good people helping you out with content, and get some advertising so I can pay my mortgage.

1) We send jmtgt up to Idaho (he'd go on his own anyway) and do some interviews with the MauleMods people.

2) Jr.Cubbuilder writes a lengthy article on what a pain in the ass it is to build your own hangar.

3) Lowflyin'G3 write his biography of a life spent below 100 AGL.

4) Q shoots some sweet photos.

5) SuperDave writes a rant n rave column kinda like Andy Rooney but with more profanity.

Sorry if I missed anybody.

Contributors get a free subscription. and *voila* we have a magazine after I put it together and wave my magic wand. Once again...why did Mountain Pilot and Northern Pilot fold?

Other mags:

Water Flying (with SPA membership)

Flying Adventures

(www.flyingadventures.com) they just did a seaplane rating at Maddens resort. www.Maddens.com

Maddens has not only a lot of golf and water but offers a seaplane rating and now back-country aviation training. No mountains like Vern is blessed with but lots of water.

Brad

As stated, the specific magazines available suck. PG is better but still, my gripe with AOPA is the Ninny factor, too many Attorney's.
I am the proud holder of all of the NP issues and most of the Mountain Pilot issues. Technically challenging and real grit. No, they're not up for grabs, they're in my will.
In order to have a viable mag, you need to address the demographics and make sure that the numbers are sustainable. I think the biggest problem that NP had was they alienated a good portion of their market by being based in AK and the vast majority of content focused up there. (not that I minded) but a lot of people might make one trip there in a life time. I can only think of one article on Idaho and no others in the Southwest. Iam also seeing a number of people here from East of the Rockies. The biggest resource are the pilots that will actualy be your readers. I think that is one of the reasons at the overwhelming appeal of this site. Now, the trick is to get us tight wads to step up. I for one will sign up in a heart beat when John pays for me.
Unfortunately, it will have to be heavily laced with disclaimers as we live in such a litigious society. But there can be a whole spectrum of things from gravel bar landings to get togethers to the best golf course. Your reporters are reading these posts now. You could call it PIREPS.
I really miss NP & MP and would love to have something similar. Make it technical and fun both. After all, we are a great group of BS'ers!

I'm glad to see that you guys are annoyed by mainstream magazines too. I would love to see a rag like Mountain pilot come back, there are so many people out there with great stories, and experience, we could have years worth of stories before it eve got started. I'm afraid that there may not be enough of us to justify the cost. Zane, what are the ramifications of an online magazine? Maybe we could start that way and build readership to the point where we could afford a print version.

Damn, I know I'd like to see this show up in my mailbox a few times a year.



This could be in the future of BCP, but like one of you guys said, it would have to start as an online mag to get the foundation built. Yellowmaule nailed it when he said that the readers are the best source of what we actually want to read-- PIREPs, stories, reviews, photo essays, etc.

We're growing around here, but damnit, BCP is tough to take to the bathroom with you.

Now you're talkin'! See Zane, it's destiny.

wow zane, well done..... i can see it now. what a great idea.

Hey Eric, I want to know about your lightening tips! You've been holding out on us?

YELLOWMAULE wrote:Hey Eric, I want to know about your lightening tips! You've been holding out on us?

I was all ready to post my top secret tips about this, but now I'm gonna wait and write it up as an article for the new BCP magaZANE.
Forgot to mention that I do get EAA Vintage magazine. I joined EAA Vintage to get in on their insurance program thru AUA. The magazine is kinda nice but there isn't too much to it, and almost nothing on back-country flying, but some good stuff on operating old/basic airplanes. I am an AOPA member, but since I don't care for their magazine, I pay reduced dues & they keep their magazine. Like JR,& for pretty much the same reasons,I let my membership in the 170 Assn lapse after about 8 years. They kinda ticked me off by raising dues instead of trying to cut costs. I lapsed out of the Washington Pilots Assn too,for a similar reason, I woulda preferred to renew as they are lobbying for us at the state level but they kinda ticked me off.

Eric

Ha! Kurt, 2 of his tips are in his new signature.

Zane, Nice Waldo Pepper reference. I thought I was the only person to remember that film.
SuperDave, I got a kick out of the article about the Cirrus guys too. I've met a couple of people who own them, and now I understand why 12 have popped the chute already.

Rant/on
I had a ballistic chute on my ultralight for years. Enduring many engine failures from truly crappy design, I never popped the chute. The chute was sold as a last resort, since you're probably not gonna make it anyway. I couldn't imagine popping it on a perfectly good airplane with a running motor. The major rags made a hero out of this. $400000 does not buy basic pilot skills. SR22's seem to be dropping like flies. Might replace the Bonanza as well. you know. Maybe AOPA and Flying should do a safety report on what percentage of glass panel plastic falls out of the sky. Too many dollars and not enough sense. It will end up costing us all more money to fly. I have a videotape of a buddy that popped the chute in a hanglider off of Slide. It broke the keel and luckily he had a reserve around his waist. He now sells CT sport airplanes.


Rant/off
jmtgt-I have a whole stack of these I'll loan you.