Les Abend

[:-)]

The only professional magazine worth taking is B/CA.

Flying magazine hasn't changed in years. Every issue contains yet another Collins column about Thunderstorms or single vs multi and a J Mac tale about picking up one of his kids from college. Contrary to mr. 350's opinion, Len Morgan was the best. Lane Wallace is the only Flying writer worth reading. I don't consider Garrison a writer, but I don't read his column for entertainment either. I read him because he usually has something to say that I enjoy finding out.

Random thoughts. Clay Lacy must be an arrogant dude. Dick Collins is past his time. Dr. Karl doesn't do such a bad job as a writer, he just doesn't talk about anything that interests me. Stuart Lau probably bought a job. Abend is boring and doesn't rate a read. Machado is good. Karsten Shein is a commie pinko (but still a good source of w/x info). Mark Twombly sometimes manages to find a new subject. If I read one more full page ad from the Commyair academy, etc, I'm going to boycott Flying forever. Which will happen the next time I happen across one of the rags, I KNOW that it'll include numerous adverts for those pilot mills.

The only writer I always read is Dick Starks. The Dawn Patrol. Great stuff.

BTW, I dropped out of the EAA four years ago because they reached a point to where they were targeted to a more affluent audience than myself. (and I happen to earn a danged good living) Have they gotten any better, or are they still focused on the retired construction company owner multi-millionaire who paid a professional builder a cool quarter million to build the ultimate Lancair? I just luv those articles. Some bored rich guy spends $150K on installing a glass cockpit in an RV8 and Sport Aviation acts as if he did it all himself.

Man I miss Tony Bingilis.

If anyone desires to learn about aircraft design, aero, etc. I suggest that you obtain a collection of Sport Aviation from the sixties and seventys.

Ramble mode - off.

Calvin

edit: Murray Smith and his Professional Pilot rag are a joke. I quit taking it and it was FREE. I just got tired of looking at pictures of Mr. Smith alongside of some suit representing an FBO, etc. That mag is like a society journal for the high rollers of corporate aviation, it should be named Professional Aviation Department Manager Magazine, not Professional Pilot. Back when I flew high rollers around in fast little aeromachines, the pax picked the FBO, not me, so I really don't care if Ken Best is a great FBO employee.

One good thing about ProPilot Magazine. Adverts for Millionaire Addison. Man, that's about as good of female stock as Maxim.

 

[Traumahawk]

With all due respect, how in the hell do you know how hard it is to be an airline pilot? Because with your time you obviously are not one. Again I think Les is a total dork at times but he is an airline captain and knows what it takes to get there. As do I.

I love when people first say "with all due respect"......and then just light you up. Such a display of self control.

Now, I just can't find where in that SINGLE sentence I claimed to fly for a major airline and/or claim to be the know-all be-all of major airline hardships. Read your completely random and over the top uh..reply?? and ask yourself if the guy who wrote it was completely sober at the time.

Then..uh..'DangerKitty'...heh....yea...Listen, pop a Zoloft and take a look back at the letters to the editor in regards to the particular issue I mentioned. You will see that many readers INCLUDING major airline pilots--like yourself--as well as minor airline pilots alike(pun intended) chimed in to basically say boo hoo to the way in which Mr--sorry, Captain Abend went about discussing the hardships of being a Major airline pilot. There are hardships with any job, and perhaps he could have been more tactful, but after reading this thread I guess that's the case with much of his writing.

T-Hawk

 

[typhoonpilot]

Glad I've got company in disliking CAPTAIN Abend's writing.

If you are into the business or airline end of flying then Flight International is a very good read for keeping up on what's going on. I also like Airways as Skygod has pointed out. It is a good read as well if you are interested in the airline side.

Barry Schiff does some good writing, but it seems like he has gone downhill since retirement.

Typhoonpilot

 

[AAsRedHeadedbro]

Coolyokeluke,

Dave writes for Airways magazine when he's not flying a JetBlue A-320.

 

[sky37d]

Man, when I was a kid FLYING was something else. Len Morgan, Michael Maya Charles, Bax, Fred George. The only thing left there worth a look is Peter Lert and Lane Wallace, a beautiful soul who, though she doesn't speak to my type A, firstborn personality, does do a wonderful job of communicating thoughts and ideas to the low-time bohemian/hippie type pilot.

Anybody else got any favorites?

Cheers!

Scott Smith, writes intelligently about insurance for a couple of mags. And, as we all know, it's not the FAA that determines what you fly, but the insurance companies.

 

[Vortilon]

I almost forgot about Barry Schiff. He was like the "Mr. Wizard" of aviation! As a CFI I was addicted to an old video series he used to do....kindof like an aviation video magazine. I guess it must have ran for a year or so. They'd do a review of an old warbird, they'd discuss training maneuvers, and Barry Schiff would do a bunch of experiments with 172s.....crazy analysis taken to the nth degree of anything really useful but it was fun to watch. I wish I could remember the name of that video series.

Too bad there isn't anything like that on TV....could keep people interested in GA.

 

[skyking1976]

I'm sad to say that after 15 years of subscribing to Flying Magazine, I will not be renewing my subscription. It has turned into one giant advertising section with little or no writing talent. In fact, the only column I faithfully read anymore is Peter Garrisson's. The only way Flying could retain my interest is to rerun old Len Morgan articles like they did with Bax a few years back. For the money, Aviation Week and Space Technology has been a good investment.

My $.02,
SK

 

[cougar6903]

I almost forgot about Barry Schiff. He was like the "Mr. Wizard" of aviation! As a CFI I was addicted to an old video series he used to do....kindof like an aviation video magazine. I guess it must have ran for a year or so. They'd do a review of an old warbird, they'd discuss training maneuvers, and Barry Schiff would do a bunch of experiments with 172s.....crazy analysis taken to the nth degree of anything really useful but it was fun to watch. I wish I could remember the name of that video series.

Too bad there isn't anything like that on TV....could keep people interested in GA.

ABC'S Wide World of Flying??

 

[sky37d]

For the money, Aviation Week and Space Technology has been a good investment.

My $.02,
SK

I occasionally pick up Flying, but the only magazine I really read is AOPA Pilot. Is AWST really a good general mag? I always thought it was (years ago, mind you) dedicated to much to Mil acquisitions and stuff like that. You opinions of AWST??
Thanks

 

[enigma]

I occasionally pick up Flying, but the only magazine I really read is AOPA Pilot. Is AWST really a good general mag? I always thought it was (years ago, mind you) dedicated to much to Mil acquisitions and stuff like that. You opinions of AWST??
Thanks

Aviation Week and Space Technology is great for those who desire to keep up with the latest military and space news. If you need to know how the Chi-Coms are progressing in the space race, AW&ST is your magazine. If you want to know the inside story on the 767 tanker lease deal, AW&ST is your magazine.

For me, the only time AW is interesting is after a crash. If you want to know what happened, in detail, AW will publish more inf., quicker and more accurately than anyone else.

As for Abend, I believe that he is attempting (way too hard) to speak to those on the outside looking in. Flying mag is not directed at those of us who do the job, it's pointed to the casual pilot or person interested in aviation. I'll give Abend the benefit of the doubt and assume that his columns are puffed up at the request of the publisher.

I'd bet that most AA pilots are embarressed to death about Abends role as a writer.

enigma

 

[Vortilon]

I think it was Wide World of Flying......no "agony of defeat" crashes though.

 

[skyking1976]

I occasionally pick up Flying, but the only magazine I really read is AOPA Pilot. Is AWST really a good general mag? I always thought it was (years ago, mind you) dedicated to much to Mil acquisitions and stuff like that. You opinions of AWST??
Thanks

AWST is more of a techie and who's buying what publication as opposed to AOPA pilot, which is almost all GA oriented. I believe that someone mentioned Aviation International News in a previous post. I also subscribe to AIN and I find it a decent all-around magazine.

SK

 

[ATCER]

ATCER:.....

If you get stuck on this guy's j/s again (if you ever get the 160 program back, that is) here's a good way to get him to let you sit in the back.

Sometime shortly after takeoff, start searching around and act like you lost something. When the captain inquires as the what you are looking for, just say "I'm looking for a 'sick-sack'. I always throw up whenever I ride one of these flying machines".

The captain will probably make sure you get a seat in the back.

LOL... Ya know, I thought about trying something like that... my luck he would have had some Jedi mind trick or something to cure all flight ills. I also figured if I went in the back at that point I would surely have talked to the FA's and all been laughing about him or something, even though the guy is a tool I respect the positon of a Capt. I kept trying to pretend I was napping but he was still talking to me...

350DRIVER - let us know what your buddy says, I'm 99.9% sure this is the guy I rode with.

I'll tell you one thing... the FO deserved a medal, not only did he answer just about every question correctly, he also was calm and quiet.

 

[sky37d]

Hope everyone had a nice 4th of July. We didn't get to celebrate this year due to where we live. I thought putting on my No Fear American flag T-shirt and walking up and down the road would generate some fireworks, but it didn't

TP

Where is that??

 

[Snakum]

Typhoon lives in the land of perpetual sand (flies for Emirates) ... the UAE. Can't say I'd blame him, the way things are going lately for expats in the Middle East.



Minh

 

[sky37d]

OOH, Fireworks may not be something he wants to see. Especially when they are aimed at him.

 

[AAflyer]

ATCER,


I did a search on our website. Les is based in LGA (JFK,LGA,EWR). He was also there 3-4 years ago. It showed his original line bid during that period, obvioulsy do not know if the trip traded etc, or if it was him, but he was doing LAX JFK transcons.

AAflyer (sorry he is such a boob )

My vote is for Len Morgan and that beaaauuttiful Orange 747. "Big Al"

 

[jbDC9]

BTW, I dropped out of the EAA four years ago because they reached a point to where they were targeted to a more affluent audience than myself. (and I happen to earn a danged good living) Have they gotten any better, or are they still focused on the retired construction company owner multi-millionaire who paid a professional builder a cool quarter million to build the ultimate Lancair? I just luv those articles. Some bored rich guy spends $150K on installing a glass cockpit in an RV8 and Sport Aviation acts as if he did it all himself.

Yep, you got a point here; I joined EAA 3-4 years ago and generally like their magazine, but it is getting kinda shiny and fancy... but they still run articles on some pretty basic little homebuilts, which is nice. Now some of the advertising, on the other hand, just kills me. There's an ad for an EFIS system from Chelton Flight Systems, bragging about the low low rock bottom pricing... and I quote; "Now. It's not a question of can I afford this, but rather, stack it or install it side by side?" A few lines down is the real gem; "And with a bottom line price of $24,900-it's not about affordability anymore." Huh?? 25 grand for a couple of EFIS tubes with a GPS built in??? I was pretty much speechless when I read that ad. Amazing that they think $25,000 is cheap or affordable. I thought ads like that only ran in Flying...

They're not getting any of my money, my RV is gonna have needle/ball/airspeed with a com and transponder. Done. Cheap(er).

 

[Kaman]

Hello,

You forgot a couple of the best aviation writers of recent memory...Richard Drury ("My Secret War" and Airways columnist until retired from FedEx as an MD-11 skipper) and Richard Bach ("Stranger to the Ground", Jonathan Livingston Seagull, etc..) guest coulmnist for Flying, however, it's been long time since he has written for them.

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

P.S. Len Morgan is missed as a columnist for Flying and I'm lucky enough to have a signed copy of his book: "From the Cockpit"

 

[bobbysamd]

Barry Schiff

I second the above comments about Capt. Schiff being an excellent and entertaining writer. As someone who is old enough to remember watching the program every Saturday, I like the "Mr. Wizard" appellation for Capt. Schiff. I really liked his TWA stories.

 

[:-)]

Yep, you got a point here; I joined EAA 3-4 years ago and generally like their magazine, but it is getting kinda shiny and fancy... but they still run articles on some pretty basic little homebuilts, which is nice. Now some of the advertising, on the other hand, just kills me. There's an ad for an EFIS system from Chelton Flight Systems, bragging about the low low rock bottom pricing... and I quote; "Now. It's not a question of can I afford this, but rather, stack it or install it side by side?" A few lines down is the real gem; "And with a bottom line price of $24,900-it's not about affordability anymore." Huh?? 25 grand for a couple of EFIS tubes with a GPS built in??? I was pretty much speechless when I read that ad. Amazing that they think $25,000 is cheap or affordable. I thought ads like that only ran in Flying...

They're not getting any of my money, my RV is gonna have needle/ball/airspeed with a com and transponder. Done. Cheap(er).

I seriously suggest that you obtain a set of Sport Aviation mags from the seventies. You will throw the modern versions out asap. I'll guarantee that a reasonable intelligent individual could design and build a successful aircraft just using the inf found on those pages. As I mentioned, Mr. Tony Bingalis from Georgetown, TX was the resident building guru; he built like seven aircraft and I'd bet that he never invested more than $20 Grand (todays dollars) in any airplane he built. He wrote a couple of books of building tips which should still be available form the EAA aka Extravagant Airplane Association.

You should be able to find a decent deal on old SA magazines at most all airmeet flymarkets.

Hobbes

Edit: how this for hijacking the thread away from the arrogant Arse's of modern aviation publications?

 

[sidesaddle]

Great story !

While in line for TO he is still asking the FO questions, he asks... "in the B757, can the FO seat see the right engine from looking out the window" ... as the FO begins to turn around to look (big mistake) the Capt hits him on the head with the book ! I said to myself this is going from bad to worse... I decided that if the FO killed the Capt in route I would testify on the FO's behalf that it was self defense.


Thanks for the story ATCER, I could not help laughing out loud.

 

[Tired Soul]

Personally, Richard Collins just about annoys the hell out of me.....

 

[typhoonpilot]

I don't know Les, but there is a reason he calls "positive rate" for himself as the pilot flying, that happens to be procedure at the airline he flies for.

Thanks, but we cleared that up a couple of pages ago.

Airliner World a UK based publication is worth a look. They concentrate, as the title would suggest, on airlines and have a fair amount of recent news with lots of pictures. The pictures part keeps the aircraft spotters in the UK happy.

TP

 

[coolyokeluke]

Typhoon,

So how hot is it in Dubai these days? If I had to live in the middle east that would probably be the best place. That's not saying much.

 

[ATCER]

Thanks for the story ATCER, I could not help laughing out loud.

I'm glad you liked it... it was such a weird flight, that is why I remember it. I started to lean forward and look to my right in unison with the FO (I was seated behind Capt.) and was so not ready for the Capt's hitting him on the head. I was frozen in place... I wasn't sure what to expect, the air had a tense feeling to it, but then they both cracked uneasy grins and went about business. I think we were on a 767, he kept starting each question with (in cool pilot voice) On the B767... what is the proper tork specification for the left hand threading inverted double barrel locking back screws for the toilet seat in the first class latrine ??? I'm sitting there like WTF ??? Then the FO would answer... Something like... 29.3 inch pounds. I'm now blown away that he answered with something that sounded good, Capt know it all responed the same to everything... Ummm... you're half right, technically you should have done the proper conversion and answered 234.743218 to the 10th power hecto pascals (or some crap like that)... Have you ever seen an FO and a jumpseat passenger sit and cry on the flight deck ??? We were close that day...

I sat here the other night after I first found the thread and started to wonder if this was the guy. I did a search online and found his picture which looked familiar from what I could remember, then I read he works for AAL. Now, AAflyer (thanx man ! ) confirmed that he was on the LAX-JFK runs in that time period... it has to be him.

It was such a long weird flight. Like I stated earlier, I don't think he was really a bad guy, I just remember thinking he had a real personality disorder.

 

[typhoonpilot]

It averages 40 to 41 degrees Celcius as a high in the summer. At least for the two summers I have been here. We're close to the water so that helps keep things a little more temperate.

TP

 

[Thedude]

I can t believe that I just sat here and read all six pages of this thread on what is the best avaition mag out there.....Jeez can you say get a life...but then again some of the smart a$$ replies are worth it.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Just saw this:

Some AA pilots I've seen look like Yoda raising the X-wing out of the swamp.

LMAO! That's funny!

(You attended the Dennis Miller School of Obscure References, didn't you Race Bannon? )

 

[Snakum]

Yesterday at the local library, I picked up a copy of an old (and very thick) FLYING compilation of articles from the 40s to the 70s .... AWESOME! Nothing like the pap smear they put out today.

I also picked up a copy of Bach's 'Stranger to the Ground' and stayed up most of the night trying to finish it. It was the most interesting and well-written aviation book I think I've ever read. Period.

(Of course ... none of them holds a candle to Peter Micheal Bufoonton's story of being an Eagle FO in SJ. )

Minhommad the Muslim Sausage King