Sport Aviation

[Av8r3400 1179]

How many of you here at AFF are EAA Members? What publication(s) do you get from them?

What do you guys think of Hightower's new Sport Aviation? Here is a posting I just put up at Team Kitfox. The thread was started by a EAA staffer looking for opinions about the magazine several months ago.

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Chad - I know you must be a busy guy and we appreciate your checking in with us here every once in a while (though you haven't in a couple of weeks).

I just got my most recent Sport Aviation (SA) and I had to resurrect this thread to comment.

What an absolute disappointment.

Not one feature article about an experimental airplane in the entire magazine. The beautiful cover shot of the Pitts Special got me in and in the first paragraph of the article the author admits the plane only the cherry on top of the article (not a prominent part - an afterthought). Another human interest story. The Staggerwing (Museum) story with little aircraft content, and on and on.

Then to top it all off a $100k electronics makeover of an AZTEC?? Who are you guys publishing to? Because I surely don't get it.

The first "meat and potatoes" mention of airplanes is 100 pages in, with the builder reports. At that it's only little paragraph descriptions.

Do you guys publish a magazine about airplanes anymore? Is there technical content in the war birds or classics publication that may be of interest to people who are building and flying EXPERIMENTAL aircraft?

Speaking as an officer in a large and very active Chapter, I can tell you I am not the only person who is of this opinion. I hear it from my membership at virtually every meeting and function we hold.

If you want to publish an aviation human-interest, sociology journal, more power to you. I wish you well. Just let it be known to the people there that you have tens of thousands (if not more) members who would love to have the old SA back - technical content, feature articles about airplanes or building techniques or kits or engines or ...

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Comments??

[EDMO 1078]

How many of you here at AFF are EAA Members? What publication(s) do you get from them?

What do you guys think of Hightower's new Sport Aviation? Here is a posting I just put up at Team Kitfox. The thread was started by a EAA staffer looking for opinions about the magazine several months ago.

----

Chad - I know you must be a busy guy and we appreciate your checking in with us here every once in a while (though you haven't in a couple of weeks).

I just got my most recent Sport Aviation (SA) and I had to resurrect this thread to comment.

What an absolute disappointment.

Not one feature article about an experimental airplane in the entire magazine.

If you want to publish an aviation human-interest, sociology journal, more power to you. I wish you well. Just let it be known to the people there that you have tens of thousands (if not more) members who would love to have the old SA back - technical content, feature articles about airplanes or building techniques or kits or engines or ...

Comments??

Agree totally - An old EAA member - paid the $20 extra to get "Experimenter" mag and then they changed the name, AND THEN, claimed to have "merged" it with Sport Assination.

If I didnt get "KITPLANES" mag every month I would go nuts.

KP is filed, SA goes in trash.

ED in MO

[SuberAvid 617]

I have heard a lot of complaints about SA as well. Don't get me wrong, as an EAA member I appreciate what EAA does for me to help protect our flying freedoms. I get both KP and SA and KP always has a lot more usefull information for the builder and experimentor. Like you say, the SA is a more social flying type magazine that is at least 50% about Oshkosh in every issue and ramping up to 90% Oshkosh as it gets closer. It is interesting and I read it but it's not much for builders unless you build or own an RV; otherwise it is almost all about factory built planes. It makes you wonder why they keep teh name "Experimental". KP has a lot more useable and focused information; for instance the July issue had a couple articles on props and the Rans S7. These are not as in depth as I would like at times but the prop test between the new whirlwind blades that fit the Warp Drive hub and the Warp Drive blades was good stuff. If I hadn't just bought my IVO IFA which I am still totally impressed with, I might have opted for a set of the new Whirlwind blades for about $1400 less.

You got it; KP is much more for the experimental builder.

[Torch 18]

I'm a supporting member for their voice in general aviation. They lost me on the magazine when they brought in that arrogant asshat mac maclellen. He has no business writing for a sport aviation magazine. I'm also tired of Lane Wallace, she wrote recently about taking a "risk" by riding in a freind's RV9. That's just what a magazine about experimental airplanes needs, a journalist who writes what a risk it is to ride in an experimental airplane. Lauren Paine is boring and I don't need to hear anymore of his military flying stories. I'm old(my EAA# is 10078)so I miss the days of tech and real grassroots flying they used to feature. Now when SA comes I go to the "what our members are building/restoring", then look and see if I know anybody who has "gone west" then I pitch it in the trash. You can renew your membership on the phone and request "no magazine" and they will do it, costs less too. That's what I'm doing next time, I thought I would give them one more chance but now I have learned. Rant over for now.

[ChrisBolkan 130]

The EAA publication used to be called the Experimenter or something like that. The the content was relevant and I loved each new issue. Looked forward to them and read them cover to cover. Now I take 5 minutes if I even look at them at all and toss them. I'm a member of both EAA and AOPA and they seem more and more alike all the time. Much more into new high dollar stuff because that is probably where the money comes from.

And everything has gotten so political. I suppose it is the way our society is heading, but I get tired of advocacy all the time. I mean I appreciate it and I get involved locally, but I feel if these groups had their way we'd all be in meetings everywhere supporting aviation and not doing it.

And there are more and more groups forming all the time. The latest being the Recreational Aviation Foundation. When I first caught wind of them I thought now THESE guys have it right. Seems like two or three years later they are all advocacy too.

Maybe that the way its always been and I'm just late to the party, but it doesn't seem like it. It seems like things are really changing and not for the better.

Sorry if I ruffled any feathers.

Chris Bolkan

[BryceKat 125]

AMEN to all the above, especially what Torch said on Mac and Lane. The good thing is that available to all members are the magazine archives. I can go back to before i was born, 1970, and read about true experimentals and the way they were built. That kicks A$$! Some of those old guys used to design stuff by chalking it out on the garage floor and cutting tube and tacking it together ala Curtis Pitts style. That was cool! Those were the days! Bryce

[akflyer 1427]

I dont even bother to look at it anymore. It has been going more and more to nothing but glass panels and very high end shit for awhile now. They don't even really make good fire starter

[C5Engineer 1170]

I got mine in the mail yesterday. I've noticed the same thing and agree with all the above comments. Kitplanes is better but it's still not as good as they used to be.

[Av8r3400 1179]

Now I see Kitplanes has more and more of the electric plane crap in it now. Where the hell are they going with that? Ecco-nazi liberal tree hugging bullshit.

[EDMO 1078]

I'm a supporting member for their voice in general aviation. They lost me on the magazine when they brought in that arrogant asshat mac maclellen. He has no business writing for a sport aviation magazine. I'm also tired of Lane Wallace, she wrote recently about taking a "risk" by riding in a freind's RV9. That's just what a magazine about experimental airplanes needs, a journalist who writes what a risk it is to ride in an experimental airplane. Lauren Paine is boring and I don't need to hear anymore of his military flying stories. I'm old(my EAA# is 10078)so I miss the days of tech and real grassroots flying they used to feature. Now when SA comes I go to the "what our members are building/restoring", then look and see if I know anybody who has "gone west" then I pitch it in the trash. You can renew your membership on the phone and request "no magazine" and they will do it, costs less too. That's what I'm doing next time, I thought I would give them one more chance but now I have learned. Rant over for now.

Didnt know you could get membership without the mag - thought mag was free !

Maybe if enough refuse to take the trash-can mag, they will get the message.

I will have more room in the trash after next renewal.

ED in MO

[Torch 18]

I'm told that "no magazine" membership renewal is done by phone only.

[Av8r3400 1179]

Paul H. Poberezny and Ed Fisher are working to reform the SAA - Sport Aviation Association. Returning to the roots of home building and flying fun rather than politics and mega money GA special interests.

You can email Ed directly: raceairdesigns (at) hotmail (dot) com with your name, address, email and phone number to get on their mailing list for future developments. They are not asking for dues or money at this time but will accept donations to help get the organization going.

Link to more information.

[Torch 18]

Looks like they are rearranging the deck chairs in Oshkosh. Avweb is reporting Rod Hightower is stepping down as head honcho of the EAA. Wonder if they will run off some of the other deadwood?

[Av8r3400 1179]

Good riddance to bad rubbish, IMO.