What does the Kitfox community think of Sport Aviation?

[akarmy]

First off, Chad, Thanks for asking. I can't remember us ever being asked for input before!

While I agree with the theme presented thus far that we all want more hands on building focused articles, I don't see it as a major problem as of yet. There were a number of good additions to the mag redesign that specifically added more of these types of articles while expanding the coverage to other areas. I think for the most part it's a nice blend of topics and information.

Overall I think it's very hard for a magazine to survive in this 21st century environment. We spend hours and hours obsessing about very specific information that interests us and have access to that information via the internet. I'm not sure how a print publication is going to cater to that need.

I really enjoy the online version of experimenter as well where much of the more hands on information is presented.

Keep up the good work and thanks for taking our input back to HQ to influence future directions.

PS, I'm a chapter president of a fairly large chapter (326 in Puyallup WA) which has over a hundred members and I know how hard it is to find information and materials that appeal to everyone!

[rcnut]

Andy, I will be in Puyallup for 2 wks PM me if you would like someone to fly with in March
gary_hensen@yahoo.com

[HighWing]

Frankly, I am heartened by the responses so far to Chad's question. Got to give him credit for posting it. I sorely miss the old days. As I recall there was a publication that could be ordered along side SA called "Experimenter". On top of the $40 already, I don't think I would opt for it right now, but if it was a choice between Experimenter and SA, it would not take a moments thought to opt out of SA and go to the meat of homebuilding. My take on the whole thing is $$ and trying to keep the real homebuilder memership while increasing circulation by trying to capture other aspects of aviation is good from the bean counter point of view, but it really doesn't work for me. I wrote the following personal note to Chad and got a very nice reply. A couple of things of note. Mac McClellan is here to stay and we will likely be treated to monthly monologues on how fun it is to fly the big bucks in extremely poor weather into airports the bulk of us use our GPSs to avoid. And GA is here to stay as well

Hi Chad,
I hope you can accept a tad bit of cynicism. The only thing that has changed from the beginning is the name. Home building / experimental aviation has been going on for quite some time. I think it has been EAA that has changed and I suspect 90% - at least of the actual experimental guys - would agree with me. Going back one step to its roots is a good thing. My satisfaction would increase quite a bit if your column was duplicated several times by other columnists and let the certified flyers find their technical niche in their dedicated publications where amateur built is non existent. Mac McCLellan every month, give me a break. Has he ever even seen an amateur built airplane? Every other month would be plenty for him to tell if his experiences flying his fancy twin into weather.

Since I have you on the phone, I would like to suggest that your membership folks stop sending me renewal information six months before expiration. I know all about float and want my money in my bank until it is due not in your bank where you get free use of it for six months. I recently renewed two days late, and argue with myself every time if it is even worth it. As I am just a guy that has built four airplanes on a budget, have a SEL rating as the vast majority of us do and feel a bit out of sorts as my rag and tube choice is often pretty much ignored. All this, because we all know the golden rule - "he who has the gold makes the rules".

Kitplanes vs. Sport Aviation - no brainer.

Lowell

[Peteohms]

This isn't about the magazine per se but EAA in general. Too many chapters have gone "Young Eagles" and do almost nothing to encourage building.

[colospace]

Good previous comments.
I admit to enjoying articles that evoke the adventure of flying and those that cover vintage/classic/warbird aircraft and their eras, but feel homebuilding has increasingly been taking the backburner. I don’t need to read about the high end planes, equipment or even blitzing across the country IFR; I get more than enough of that from AOPA Pilot. I currently also get Flying magazine (because it was too cheap at the time not to renew), but I will not be bothering to re-subscribe as I skip reading half of it anyway (especially since most of the writers I had enjoyed have bailed or been booted out). EAA and Sport Aviation DO NOT need to be all things to all people.
Chad, specific to your question, I would like to see more on electrical system design and tips. And not just in the panel, but also antennas, lights, engine…..the whole enchilada.

[Chad Jensen]

Thanks for the feedback! Keep it coming...something we are working on with the magazine now, which I am sheparding, is the expansion of coverage of homebuilding in the magazine. We are working on some cool articles over the next few months! I also want to make sure everyone knows up front, SA will not be a homebuilders only magazine again. As much as I wish it could be, the membership of 176,000 and growing is speaking, and the diversity is showing more in the publication.

I love all things aviation, and I don't mind any of it, even as the homebuilder guy at EAA.

You all know about Experimenter e-newsletter, correct? I write for it each month, and everything we cover there is meaty homebuilding stuff. Every issue, every article.

First off, Chad, Thanks for asking. I can't remember us ever being asked for input before!

Well, you have someone that cares deeply about homebuilding in me, and I want to make sure each of the type communities are being served. I have a LOT of ground to cover, so I apologize in advance if I'm tardy on responding at times, but I do check in here as often as I can.

While I agree with the theme presented thus far that we all want more hands on building focused articles, I don't see it as a major problem as of yet. There were a number of good additions to the mag redesign that specifically added more of these types of articles while expanding the coverage to other areas. I think for the most part it's a nice blend of topics and information.

Overall I think it's very hard for a magazine to survive in this 21st century environment. We spend hours and hours obsessing about very specific information that interests us and have access to that information via the internet. I'm not sure how a print publication is going to cater to that need.

These two paragraphs sum up the majority of the feedback we get. Everyone is worried about the magazine surviving with online info available at the stroke of a key. When we talk at grass roots tour stops or chapters, the feedback we get on the magazine is great...the biggest complaint is the size.

I really enjoy the online version of experimenter as well where much of the more hands on information is presented.

Excellent!! We are working on getting it put in to a pdf version so it can be read offline and printed out nicely.

Keep up the good work and thanks for taking our input back to HQ to influence future directions.

PS, I'm a chapter president of a fairly large chapter (326 in Puyallup WA) which has over a hundred members and I know how hard it is to find information and materials that appeal to everyone!

You're most welcome! Finding articles, quality articles, is difficult, but I always encourage members to send in a well written article for consideration. You never know...I didn't think I was good enough to write and get published, but I sat down and wrote one night, and all of the sudden I get one in!

Frankly, I am heartened by the responses so far to Chad's question. Got to give him credit for posting it. I sorely miss the old days. As I recall there was a publication that could be ordered along side SA called "Experimenter". On top of the $40 already, I don't think I would opt for it right now, but if it was a choice between Experimenter and SA, it would not take a moments thought to opt out of SA and go to the meat of homebuilding.

Experimenter is available for free to members and non-members alike...
http://www.eaa.org/experimenter/
Click subscribe, and you get it!

Kitplanes vs. Sport Aviation - no brainer.

Lowell

Magazine to magazine, Kitplanes is great, and it's all experimental. They are a focused magazine. Sport Aviation is a magazine for an organization with diverse interests. It's not all about homebuilding, and hasn't been since the early 1960's. Paul had these same complaints then...not that they aren't valid, but it's something EAA has been dealing with for decades.

This isn't about the magazine per se but EAA in general. Too many chapters have gone "Young Eagles" and do almost nothing to encourage building.

I'm finding this to be true in some areas, but I've also come across and been in contact with a lot more builder focused chapters than I thought were out there. Chapter focus is something we can't and won't try to control. We just want to see the chapter network grow interest and participation so we get to keep doing what we love, whether that's building, flying Young Eagles, or running to breakfast in your Archer.

[JimS]

Chad,

I've been an EAA member since about 1984. Joined AOPA a few years later and have been getting Flying magazine for about the same lenght of time. I'm a CFI, have some multi time, fly the Kitfox I built, and I really enjoyed reading Macs articles in Flying. In fact I enjoy most all the writers of Flying and AOPA magazines. They write about things I expect to read about when I open the pages of those mags. BUT...As others have said, when I open Sport Aviation and read about Macs trips in his Baron, or L. Wallaces X-country in a Grumman, well lets just say I've kept every issue of over twenty years worth of EAA magazines, but the last issue with the corsair went in the recycle bin. I had shared my opinion a couple years ago (with a response to an EAA servey) that Kitplanes should be the flagship EAA magazine. Then once or twice a year there would be an issue of Sport Aviation that would start to look like a magazine that you would expect from EAA and it would make me think "maybe someone at EAA is starting to get it", but, with articles like a flight review on the TBM 850 in Sport Aviation, lets just say I've lost hope.

Chad, I've read the whole thread at the VAF site also and I applaud you for trying to put a positive spin on this topic. I bet you have the best intentions in the world and I can sense your inthusiasm. I just fear that the mountain you will be trying to climb at EAA to get the voice of homebuilders heard will be too high.

JimS

[Chad Jensen]

The magazine certainly has seen its share of variety over the last few years. I think the TBM article is as far to the other side as it will ever see, but Socata is a major sponsor of AirVenture, so that may have been why. That was before my arrival, so I can't say for sure.

I will agree that I am enthusiastic about EAA in general...not just homebuilding, but I am certainly proud to be in the position I am to serve the needs of the community for which I am passionate about. I don't see it as a mountain to climb really. Every single community that is a part of EAA has the same problem, because they all share the same sentiment...that they are being left behind. All of them say that.

That is something that EAA has been dealing with since almost the beginning. Paul has taken more heat over the years than any of us combined, so it's not a new thing. Paul wrote about exactly what we are talking about these days back in February of 1963.

I'm hoping to bring some great homebuilder coverage and stories to the magazine, and working with Mac has been great...he just needs a little more education on the experimental side of things.

[wannafly]

I echo the thoughts of many so far. The magazine is loosing me. I can't relate to the high power beyound my wildest dream stuff. On occassion I have found it interesting but frankly this forum offers me more bang for the buck than the SA magazine. I belonged to an EAA chapter for a short time as all were welcome and as it progressed it seemed to be more about go big or go home. Have money will build was the name of the game. I joined COPA instead and very much like their publication. They are more realistic for my budget kind of guys. But on a side note I still dream of flying into Oshkosh and camp under my Kitfox wing one day, or into Arlington, or the factory flyin or down to the "Kitfox Squadron". The bucket list just keeps growing.
I also want to thank you for asking and doing what you can to keep us flying our most glorious Kitfoxs'

[Chad Jensen]

...frankly this forum offers me more bang for the buck than the SA magazine.

This statement right here is one of the exact reasons that SA has been broadening over time. Forums are free (most of them anyway), and the knowledge that is out there for the taking is everywhere, some right, some wrong. Monthly print magazines are a dying breed, and making SA what it is today is an effort to keep it alive and well...so far, so good. It just can't compete with the internet and the 'gotta have it now' way of life most live now.

But on a side note I still dream of flying into Oshkosh and camp under my Kitfox wing one day, or into Arlington, or the factory flyin or down to the "Kitfox Squadron". The bucket list just keeps growing.

Speaking of bucket list...
http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?...sh-bucket-list

I also want to thank you for asking and doing what you can to keep us flying our most glorious Kitfoxs'

You're more than welcome...