Warbird Information Exchange

Wow, a great response, and quick too.

Thanks for posting everyone. Thank's to DaveM2; for contributing, and the Warbird Digest Team and dave are by no means the only editors who read stuff here, so keep it coming.

I like the suggestions put forward, some bread and butter stuff, some new ideas, and lots to think about. Those I'm talking to about articles know who you are, but if you've got an idea, and you aren't talking to someone, get in touch with your magazine of choice.

Can we have a few comments from eleswhere on the globe?

Another question prompted by my French Canadian friends - English is the most widely used language, but do you feel you get extra by access to french magazines? Anyone got any other language favourites (Spanish? German?)

Just one thing I'll point out about news-stands. I'll provide some facts (general, as I'm talking global) and you do the maths. To circulate to news-stands across a country is a killer, and very wasteful. You have to send out (say) 2 copies to each news-stand in the country. After the appropriate period, you'll get most (for aviation magazines it can be 95%) back (very few will sell in ALL locations). As most magazines are monthly, quarterlys like WD would come back after a month and a half quite often, or be so dogeared on the stand no-one will buy them. Once you've got them back, you can't sell them (they'll be shop worn and out of date) so you have to pulp them. Oh, and you often pay a lot to have them shipped around... So if you are thinking of getting Warbird Digest (or indeed Classic Wings...) Subscribe!

A couple more questions. What speciallist aviation shops to you frequent / rate?

Do you visit aviation museums regularly? If you do, and you don't see your fave magazines, tell them they should stock them. I'm fed up with buyes for the shops telling me "There's no demand." and my friends saying "If I saw it at Museum X, I'd buy it." Hah! Let's break the vicious circle and put a bit of cash thriiough your fave museums rather than big business like Barnes & Noble or WHSmiths!

Which museums DO well with their shops?

Keep it coming!

I do feel I get extras when I read my two French mags, because they provide insights on French aviation History that you wouldn't find elsewhere, and they are a darn good bunch of historians in general too, so you get excellent articles on the aces, especially in "Avions".

The aviation shop I hang around is API for all our hardware!!

_________________
Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

I subscribe to Classic Wings as it cannot be bought at regular newsagents (apart from the one I bought in Antwerpen).

I also read FlyPast and Aeroplane, Flugzeug Classic (German), Verenigde Vleugels (Dutch) and aircraft modelling magazines. My bookshelves are bending under the strain.

Cheers

Cees

Hi Cees,
I do wish the Dutch mags would provide English translations; Dutch is one of the languages I can't even battle with! I was pleased to be able to feature the Aviodrome development in WD 01; a great future with some amazing aircraft for Europe.

When you can build your house out of aviation books and magazines, you've arrived!

Cheers

James et al--

For me, this forum and Key's have largely taken the place of magazines, which I usually bought chiefly for "breaking news". Until recently the only "subscriptions" I held were to the newsletters of various organizations I belong to (eg. CAHS, CAAA, and recently CH2A and SAM). When I did buy mags--and at one time that was quite often--it was variously at CWH (I used to work in their bookshop "cough cough" years ago as J adroitly puts it), at local hobby and variety shops (the latter generally do not carry that sort of thing anymore), and at a newsagent called Book Villa that carried, well, everything anyone cared to publish...

Anyway, the subscription situation changed because of an old photograph of a Junkers 87 I found last year in an antique market; I mentioned the pic to Dave of CW, he was working on a Stuka-survivors article...ultimately I signed up for two years of CW, which I found a very fine publication. Then WD was launched in grand style at Willow Run, complete with its ravishing first "cover girl" (Nathan Davis' P-51) parked next to the WD tent...well what can you do. I now have two subscriptions concurrently for the first time ever.

The comment about "a house full of magazines" reminds me vividly of our old friend Walt Soplata; whole rooms of his place (which he showed me round briefly in '82) were stacked with mags, videos, books, etc...I understand all the shipping containers and cube vans on the property now have that stuff in them!

Dave--I love the "hot iron", but I must admit the big piece in that first CW you sent me, about DH Dragons, was just splendid. The light classics certainly ARE of interest...Graham needn't worry about that! (And Rob--on about the same topic, you'd have enjoyed the Brampton fly-in last weekend. There were seven Moths there--six Tigers and a DH87B Hornet).

Anyway, magazine sale venues hereabouts: These days it'd be mainly hobby shops like Modellers' Choice; museum shops like CWH's; pilot shops like Aviation World (in Toronto); and oh yes, Book Villa is still active, braving the wilds of deteriorating downtown Hamilton still...

My 2 cents Canadian...

Cheers

S.

Of all the warbird magazines I've read, the one I liked the most was Warbirds Worldwide. It stood head and shoulders above competitors like Air Classics and the like. It was a sad day when I found out it was no longer being published.
To my mind, this was a magazine aimed squarely at the warbird buff/restorer. I found every issue very informative and packed with interesting, useful information on these wonderful machines. And the photography was outstanding as well!
If you put out a similar magazine, I'd happily subscribe!

Best of luck to you!

Ray Crawford

Hi Ray,
Click on that lovely banner advert on the top of the WIX hangar page (the Warbird Digest one ) and you'll find all your prayers answered!

Classic Wings is very nice too but I don't work for them!

More seriously, when Tim Savage contacted me about getting involved in WD, I was really pleased someone was going to fill the gap left by WW - and the feedback we've had so far has been very positive that we've managed that; but moved on to today's world, which has changed a lot since the last WW came out.

Cheers!

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

You know what ?

Might I just make a small sugestion for your magazine.

I do not subscribe to anything anymore due to family budget. Ask Ollie he will tell you why And its a good thing in my case

Anyhow, with all the ressource and contribution available within WIX and the Fly Past board, you could put a regular invited guess section ( read anyone here whom as a specific interest ) with whatever subject they have to talk about.

What I REALLY like about this place is its diversity......from all aspect of it. This I think is a key success of a good magazine.

Why not let some of the very good knowledgeble folks on this forum show their passion.

Call it whatever you see fit.

Just my 2 cents worth (canadian of course)

JDK

You flatter me ( I think !), I might tentatively be called 'assistant editor' of Classic Wings, certainly not editor.
To Steve. T , Roger C. , BDK , Brad, Steve P., and many others who frequent WIX, thanks for all your help with photos and information for my articles- much appreciated ! . To everyone who subscribes, a BIG THANKYOU - you are the life blood of any publication.
Thanks also to Scott for being generous enough to allow the banners on the site, and providing the venue for us to discuss our passion in the first place

regards
Dave