Sport Aviation vs Kitplanes Magazines

[ironnerd]

I have been disappointed in the EAA's flagship magazine for a while. I did not get how disappointed until I started getting Kitplanes again.

The difference between Sport Aviation and Kitplanes magazines

• I flip through SA, look at the pictures, then give it to a co-worker.
• I read KP cover-to-cover and never let them out of my sphere of influence

Sport Aviation

• Lately “Sport Aviation” has been more like “Vintage Aviation”.
• Don’t give a flip about a fat guy in a cub (unless it is me).
• The “Test Flight” commentary never seems to have much to do with flight testing and is more about “How to fly”
• See Fat Guy in a Cub…
• I am over months countdowns to Oshkosh followed by months of Oshkosh recaps.
• Yay… more warbirds…
• Yay… another super-rare antique.
• Yay… another article about certified aircraft.
• Yay… Multiple pictures of interesting details on E-ABs, with NO descriptions.

To be fair, Lisa Turner’s Airworthy is normally a good read. Plane Impressions is pretty hit-or-miss. It’s good content, but belongs in a different magazine.


Kitplanes

• Barnaby [feaking] Wainfan (for the win).
• Yearly Kit/plans, engines, and propeller buyers’ guides.
• Yay… a warbird – that I can build in my garage!
• Yay… an antique – that I can build in my garage!
• Yay… a plane (that I can build in my garage!) that performs better than similar certified planes.
• Pictures of interesting details, with descriptive captions.
• Flight Test articles about … Flight Testing.
• A distinct lack of fat guys in cubs.

 

[woodster]

 

[Kyle Boatright]

 

[Pops]

 

[Hot Wings]

 

[SpruceForest]

 

[TFF]

 

[Vigilant1]

 

[Wanttaja]

 

[Dana]