Credentialed Journalists...would you be interested?

[Tom H]

Testing the waters...

This year is the 70th Anniversary of the North West Staging Route that under the lend lease program with the United States transferred thousands of aircraft to the Soviet Union.

The Route ran from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to Fairbanks, Alaska, USA and started operations in 1941 transferring thousands of aircraft such as the P-39, P-40, A-20, B-25 and many others.

As a celebration of this 70th Anniversary the Alberta Aviation Museum is considering hosting a flight along the route over nighting in some of the original stops making the journey approx 3 days from Edmonton to Fairbanks or alternately from Fairbanks to Edmonton.

The flight, if it takes place, will be on a 1944 Douglas DC-3 in its original passenger configuration.

The offer of joining us will only be open to credentialed journalists as the route airfare and overnight accommodation will be at no cost...that's right, journalists taking part will be our guests.

Journalists will be on their own to get to the starting point...ether Edmonton or Fairbanks and make their way home from Edmonton or Fairbanks at their own expense.

Our goal is to celebrate this special anniversary that linked Canada, the Soviet Union and the United States together.

If you are interested let us know...

On this thread, by PM or e-mail to eahs.execdirector@shawbiz.ca

Thank you
Tom Hinderks
Executive Director
Alberta Aviation Museum Asso
Edmonton, AB

[51fixer]

I post on WIX and have written a magazine article for Warbird Digest.
Does that qualify?

[corsair166b]

Same here....plus 'Classic Wings' and 'Air Action' out of the UK back when it was still up and running. Plus multiple fly fishing articles. That qualify?

Mark

[Tom H]

Right now we are looking to see if there is enough interest to take the next step in this project.

As you can guess this is a very expensive enterprise!!!

Most arrangements are in place and schedules researched but before we go forward with funding and commitments on aircraft etc we need to see if there are enough journalists interested in the story to take part.

It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to fly the WW2 route in a WW2 aircraft and the landscape that will be flown over is absolutely amazing.

There will be approx 14 seats outbound to Fairbanks and another 14 for the return flight to Edmonton.

Tom

[Neal Nurmi]

Sounds like a spectacular opportunity -- I don't think you'd have any trouble filling seats with journalists!

So are you looking for people with an actual assignment from a magazine or periodical which has committed to publishing an article, or simply experienced photographers who would be able to document the project in an interesting way?

I would certainly be extremely interested in something like this. I'm widely published over the last 25 years but do not currently have strong connections with any publications.

"Credentialed Journalists" is a prettty inexact term, as credentials are usually actually issued by an event on proof of assignment.

Good luck with it all!

[Tom H]

Neal

Can you send an e mail...

I won't be making the decisions on who goes/who doesn't but there are 14 seats outbound and 14 return...

The term was given to me to use so apologies from my end.

Again right now its a matter of gauging the level of interest to see if we should take the next step.

The offer is open to journalists in Historic Aviation, Aviation in general, travel and tourism as well as related.

Thanks Tom

[Dasher]

Tom,

I write a column for In Flight USA Magazine and would be happy to help.

PM me thru WIX.

[51fixer]

In all honesty I was being a bit humorous with my offer.

I guess you need to figure out who you want this story told to. Everyday people, region, aviation oriented, ect.
Then make offers or divide access to those who will best address the population you want to hear this story.
If the aviation history population is your target then you have found a good mouthpiece here.
For the general population the NY Times, Washinton Post, Fox News and others of the like should get some invitations.
I'm sure news dept managers will be happy to hear of having you cover some of the costs.

[Neal Nurmi]

No apologies due on this end, Tom. I just wanted to give you a "heads-up" on the wording of your post. You need to find legitimate journalists and you need to know what you want from them or you're going to have all sorts of oddballs who just want a free airplane ride.

I don't think that I have the sort of connections any more to be able to really help you out very much, though I am an experienced photographer and my wife has done a fair bit of aviation writng for magazines in Canada and in Europe. You need people who are current in the industry.

Rich's post had some good perspective on what I'm trying to say...

Last edited by Neal Nurmi on Tue Mar 01, 2011 10:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[JDK]

Interesting. Personally a bit far for a Dak ride. I'm teeing up something similar in Aus, and were I in Canada instead, I'd consider it.

Some thoughts which may help:

As has been touched on, asking for 'Accredited Journalists' helps, but probably isn't precise enough for what you are after, and may eliminate some of your best people. I'd suggest the longlist selection criteria are people who can demonstrate (and provide sample PDFs) recent applicable published material in retailed (not free) or major media. Secondly the shortlist should favour those who are able to provide a Editor's note commissioning a feature article from the event. That's not unusual for major aero-press events (Farnborough level).

Freelancers / Part-time journalists who can tick those above two boxes are (often) more likely to provide good quality material for this kind of thing than full time accredited media staffers, the former being more motivated to do a good job, and possibly better informed on the history / technology. Also staffers would simply look at the time cost vs benefit (a soft history piece, from three to five days out of the office) which will straightaway rule it out from a cost basis for many of them.

As a writer for several aviation history mags, I'd need to see some P-39s, P-40s, A-20s, or B-25s to provide modern content for a piece to get more than a page or half-page of 'news'. If the Ed thinks you can write it from your desk with historic images, he isn't going to fund a jolly.

As a full time journalist, with 14/28 'spots' I wouldn't be taking anyone on spec but selecting those who were likely and demonstrating intent to publish afterwards. If you want a mix of media and topic angles, that would be necessary anyway.

HTH!

[Tom H]

Rich, Neal, James

Appreciate the input, very much...

This is a special project and I am only taking interest from the aviation side (another is handling tourism and travel), as I said earlier at this time we are gauging real interest only.

As you might imagine it is an extremely expensive project when the charter, accommodation and meals are tallied up, but we are looking at it because it is an important part of our aviation history that is over looked.

The North West Staging Route rarely attracts anyone's attention but was a huge undertaking by Canada, the Soviet Union and the USA. It very much played a major role on the eastern front and the development of new technologies like Para-Rescue came from it.

Our fear as a museum is that the 70th Anniversary of the Staging Route will be missed and the whole effort around it's development and operation will drift away and be lost.

So we are working to create this "one off" opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of the "Route" and more importantly the "people" that built, operated and flew the Route before time passes it by.

Again thanks so much for the input and it will be passed along and I (hopefully) look forward to making this project happen.

Tom

[daveymac82c]

This sounds like a terrific expedition.

I have forwarded this thread on to the Editor-in-Chief of the Vancouver Sun Newspaper, the predominant paper in Vancouver. Hopefully they will take my suggestion in getting in touch with you to cover the monumental event.

I hope it goes well. I wish I could tag along. Maybe a P-39 from down south might like to join the Dak? Wishful thinkin' eh?

Cheers,

David M

[Red Tail]

Lane Wallace...this is right up her alley. Google her...you won't be disappointed in her work!

John

[Tom H]

Thanks for the input everyone.

All going forward tour team working on this project and at this point it is looking very positive.

Will keep everyone posted as it comes together.

Tom

[agent86]

my credientials are in the mail,oh yeah,I have none
sounds like a fun ride.