Warbird Information Exchange

I wondered why I hadn't seen one on the newstand lately, then figured out a couple of days ago because there were ads for back issues in Challenge Publications that it was probably over. It is. Sad to see it. I wish they had more warbird and restoration articles over the years, but it still was great to read it. I have tons of these magazines, I have been buying since 1979.

http://www.wingsairpower.com/what-happened

John

Great magazine(s)

I've got dozens of old copies I've collected over the years. Now that publication has ceased, maybe I should begin a concerted effort to collect a complete set. As for restorations, I'll rely on mags like Warbird Digest, Flyapast and Aeroplane for that stuff..what was unique about Wings/Airpower was its focus on the historical side of aviation, escpecially Pete Bowers' seemingly endless photo collection!

SN

Wow, I never thought I'd see this happen... but it brings up a good point.

With the internet... I wonder how much longer certain niche print magazines will remain viable. I look at others like Aviation History, World Airshow News, and (to a certain extent) the Challenge Publications and Warbird Digest. With postage rates going up, printing costs remaining constant (or rising), and print ad revenues going down... what is the outlook for magazines these days?

Though I have made part of my living off building web properties, I have always liked magazines and subscribed regardless of what I find on the internet... it's hard dragging the laptop into the bathroom, ya know?

Ryan

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

I've bought them (Wings and Airpower) since I was 12 years old at the newstand (1972). I probably got my first subscription a few years later. I may well come close to having a complete set (I do for Air Classics).

On the history end, after 30 years, they had told a lot of stories, and of course there are a lot more to tell. The magazines seemed to keep getting thinner, but what the heck.

I think the web is busy putting newspapers out of business. I don't get print papers anymore, I get them on the web. I still buy one on occasion. My bet is on Aviation History as the enxt one to die, it may take a few years, but it seems thinnner too.

So, are they sending us a refund of my 3 year subscription or do they get to keep it?

Mark H

I would ask Tim Salvage what his thoughts are on magazines and the future.

I think it takes a good rag to keep it going, even though the internet is still taking some of the print down, I think that a lot of people still like to read in the bathroom I know I do and I don't have a laptop in there with me either

Agreed. While I can understand the internet's effect on newspapers, I can't understand how the internet replaces these kinds of magazines. There is no internet site that could replace taking Airpower or Warbird Digest or Warbirds Intl (or my other favorite magazines like Keyboard, Modern Drummer and F1 Racing and Motorsport) to lunch or dinner. I'm not going to haul a lap top to these places for reading material. Same goes for books.

John

It's all WIX's fault. Wa got a BIG warbird magazine right here on this forum. I don't even need to subscribe anymore!


Seriously, this is sad news. There is only one place within a 150 mile radous that sell these mags. Thankfull that store is located in the town I live in. Great mag, always liked how they put a vintage photo as their front cover. BTW, they always had great quality pictures in them too. Most I have never seen before.

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Shop the Airplane Bunker At
www.warbirdbunker.com

Didn't the owner start selling Wings by the complete year on CDs?

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Don't touch my junk!!

THey started selling them on CD, I foget the price, but they were high, way more than even I would pay for them (and I've paid a few outragrous prices for things).

Mark H

Sheesh, I recently decided to get back into this stuff and that's the first rag I was going to subscribe to. I guess I'm SOL now.

man shocking news!! i bought or subscribed since 1972 myself!! i wondered why they were being advertised in challenge publications too!! with guys like mike machat & walt boyne at the helm i'm surprised they couldn't keep it afloat, & machat just took over as editor / publisher within the last 2 years. however, aside from subcription revenue, i noticed that the advertising was pretty slim, & that generates just as much income if not more. the price kept going up, the mag got thinner.... & so it goes. i also noticed that some articles were re-hashed over the years, but i'm sure plenty of aviation mags are guilty of that as well. wings & airpower will be 2 sadly missed old friends as their content was as comprehensive as it gets.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Yes, it is sad, but it is more than simply the loss of an aviation magazine.

Wings/Airpower was the most scholarly of the American aviation magazines that made their way to the commercial bookstore. The articles were focused and had considerable detail. If you have a complete set of Wings/Airpower you have a considerable amount of information that is not readily available from even an extensive library of books. The articles also at least appeared to go through a peer-review process -- there were few errors. This was not so true of the other American aviation magazines that could be purchased off the shelf.

The loss of Wings/Airpower can be seen as further evidence of the "dumbing down" of our media. The surviving American commercial magazines are more "newsy" and depend on color photos rather than intellectual text to attract attention. A typical issue of Air Classics, for example, has errors aplenty; there is little to tickle the knowledgable.

Fortunately, there are some better American magazine/journals, such as WWI Aero, Skyways and AAHS Journal, but these can only be had through subscription. Consequently, they are not available to the more novice bookstore browser. These are also facing a declining base of subscribers.

I for one do not think that is so much the internet that is responsible for this loss, but rather the aging of our aviation history-minded population. The young are not as historical or aviation-minded and those that are genuinely interested in scholarly activity in this field are not replacing those who are leaving. Consequently, the subscriptions for the better journals, and perhaps all the aviation magazines, are deminishing. We have only a few months ago seen the loss of Air Enthusiast, which was another magazine that was more intelligent than glossy.

As an educator who sees many students who have gone through k-12 with minimal reading, writing, math or science knowledge of any kind, the future for such periodicals does not seem to be bright.

Kevin

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Kevin McCartney

very well conveyed opinion kevin!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!