Aviation magazines

[Chris Gurney]

Just wondering if anyone still gets any, with the advent of the internet. In the past i used to get quite a few such as Aircraft Illustrated, Flypast and occaisionally Air Forces Monthly, but since various forums and websites have arose then i have stopped buying them.

[vulcan2912]

Hi Chris

I don't actually buy any but my computer free mate buys Aircraft IllustratedI,Air Forces Monthly,Flypast,RAF News and a couplre of others I can't remember.He passes them onto me every month for me to read.

Photography magazines-now thats a different story.I buy Photography Monthly,Practical Photography,Digital Photo,Digital Camera Magazine,Digital SLR Photography,Professional Photographer and Digital Photo Pro.Lucikly my local garage stocks most of them so I can sneak them onto the old petrol bill without the missus knowing how many I buy!!!
Fortunatly we have 2 cars and for some reason I always volunteer to fill them up!

Gary

[Chris Gurney]

Cant imagine why you buy so many photo mags, do you do a lot of piccy taking or something . What would you say is the best of the photo mags in case i felt the urge to pic one up at Tesco's next time i'm shopping?

[vulcan2912]

For a good all round read Practical photography or Photography monthly get my vote.If you want to learn Photoshop Digital Photo is excellent(the best video tutorials of any magazine).Then again,i've got the last 50 cd's so if you ever want to "borrow" a few.

Gary

[nwest]

I only get one regularly - Aircraft Illustrated. For me it's about the best overall package out there. It straddles my interests in military, civil, historic and airshows and the quality of the photography is usually high.

That's not to say it's totally amazing though. The quality of the writing sometimes lets the magazine down, and the depth of the articles is sometimes disappointing. The current issue features some quite in-depth articles about Red Flag and the Falklands 25th anniversary - and this is the sort of thing that AI should be doing more of. By all means publish lovely photographs and interesting articles, but at the same time try and give depth to the story. Last month's article about the RAF Typhoons is a case in point - brilliant photographs from Jamie Hunter, but a somewhat underwhelming article. In contrast, the Falklands stuff in this issue is detailed, comprehensive and engrossing.

As for the other magazines, Aeroplane Monthly is the best of the mags with a 'historic' leaning. The 'Database' section is excellent, providing in-depth articles which are genuinely informative and interesting. Flypast does preservation news extremely well, but the articles aren't as good (it's that question of detail and depth again!!). The same comments go for Air Forces Monthly - good news section but somewhat mediocre articles. The rest of the mags I have never really bothered with, so can't comment.

Chris is quite right - the internet has changed the game for mags completely. Ten years ago and more, you used to rush out with anticipation to your local WH Smiths to get the magazine or magazines and find out all the latest. Now, with the internet, news - especially with regard to airshows - is instant, and so when you see stuff in magazines it'd almost old hat.

I believe there is still a future for magazines though. People are always going to want something to read to take with them on the train or at work or whatever. But that brings me back to where I came in - why don't magazines reduce the 'news' they have and expand the size and depth of their feature articles. That's something I reckon lots of enthusiasts would like to see.