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