AFRICAN SKIES MAG

[skybound®]

Gr8-Dad you have stooped Sir. Calling people by nasty names is not on. Consider yourself chastised.

It is not responsible of Aero Club to promote any one aviation mag over another (they should promote all), nor should they put it onto an Aero club account statement by default.

If we were to live by your opportunity standards, and using an exageration to prove the point, one of us should request Aero Club to place on each MISASA members statememt R400 for an annual inspection that XYZ organisation will undertake, or even worse, we XYZ training school will force each trainee to join aero club if Aero club send all queiries they receive to us (and not support any other school).

[Aerosan]

If I may –my response on AVCOM

I’m not sure what the huff is all about:!::?: I’m a subscriber and think it’s a great mag. The contend is right down my ally and I feel that it fills the gap where other publications failed. That does not make any one better that the other it simply meant that I now read what I like. So if you don’t want the mag then don’t buy it. If Aero club made a mistake to place the fee onto the billing then they made a mistake. Once again if you don’t want it don’t buy it. Simple.

my2c

[John Young]

I hope this doesn’t turn into any form of a “Us & Them” type syndrome – another storm in a teacup or whatever. I would just hate to see a publication boycotted by any party because of sentiments aroused by postings on a public forum.

Let the magazine “do its own talking” – if the content is up to scratch, all players will be delighted.

It is an extremely onerous job publishing small newsletters and organisation magazines. I know – members are simply too idle to contribute and at the end of the day, it’s often best left to the professionals.

Aunty Scribbletjies – good luck with what seems to be a winding road ahead.

Regards
John ZU-CIB

[skybound®]

Aerosan, I dont think the content of the publication is being questioned, but more the alliance between Afskies and Aero Club. It sets a poor precedent of mixing a commercial operator with a non commercial organisation. The two just don't mix.

I also dont believe anyone is suggesting boycotting the publication.

[GR8-DAD]

Gr8-Dad you have stooped Sir. Calling people by nasty names is not on. Consider yourself chastised.

Skybound , Chastise accepted and my apologies to some people I have called "some a$$holes", I should have levelled my critique at the behaviour and not the person and this has nothing to do with Avcom or Microlighters.

[gertcoetzee]

How refreshing to follow a storm in a teacup which I did not start.

I agree with MicroflightSA being incorporated into African Skies, simply because the exposure in a commercial magazine can only benefit our sport. Microflight was read by maybe 400 MISASA members.

[KFA]

I agree with gert and the others. The fact that the aeroclub uses afskies as a vehicle to distribute and promote our sport is great. We get a lot more public exposure and afskies is more down our alley. Other sections like the powered flying can use another mag or other means to promote their section. I don't see any problem with trix seeing the gap and taking it. If you don't want the mag don't buy it. Good luck trix just as an after thought, why are the guys making all the noises not on the commitees making the decisions.
Cheers

[ICEMAN]

Well done trix on the business initiative;

seeing as its your mag- its your choice.

i know you are passionate about microlight flying so i know that your choices were well informed when you considered all three sides of the coin before making comitments...

go girl

[afskies scribe]

Thanks for the vote of confidence guys it's good to know I can count on you for your support let's pull together to make it work for the betterment of all the flyers with a lust for adventure :D

[skybound®]

KFA, I have been on the MISASA committee in the past and serve on two flying committees at a local level presently.

Just for the record, I have no financial interest in any magazine, I also enjoy the content of all the local mags.

This is a dangerous precedent that is being set by allowing a profit related organisation such promotion by our representative bodies at this level. It will be a free for all now with other profit organisations wanting to make use of this same 'gap' - and since they allowed one provider they will have to afford all providers of other services and goods the same opportunity.

Also what has changed since African Pilot tried this same stint in their opening year? Why were they disallowed and now Afskies are allowed? AP also wanted to become the mouthpiece of Aero Club. What has made Afskies the 'approved' Aero Club mag now?

[Thunderboy]

Okay Im oing to have my say

From an outsider - not on any board or having finanial interest in Afskies mag, I think for any organisation to run their own decent and good looking glossy type mag full of the right content for what its intent is, is difficult. You would need a person full time on the job that knows what they are doing. That means a decent salary suitable for that person. Of course if you pay peanuts you get a monkey - so outsorcing is the way to go, wether it is afskies, african pilot or whoever they should be that person awarded that contract must perform suitably and produce what is wanted. Obviously Afskies has that content and look (yes there have been problems getting it out, but granted Trix bought the mag over half way through).

If you dont want it - don't take it, it is your choice
I cant believe how the 2 or 3 on avcomers are going on about this, have they nothing better to do with their lives?

We here to enjoy the forum and promote this sport/hobby lets not let this thread get spoilt by pettiness

[afskies scribe]

Skybound, I can't speak for Aero Club or for African Pilot or anyone else. But I can tell you this: African Skies is the first publication in SA that offers such a wide-ranging mix of all aspects of adventure flying in Africa.
I believe that we should all pool our talents and knowledge for the betterment of the various sport and recreational flying disciplines and the sheer love of flying in general. So whatever adventure flying means to you, whether it's not venturing much farther than around the cabbage patch, whether it's just taking friends and family up for a quick flip, everyone can aspire to spreading their wings a little further, even if at the present time he's limited to simply dreaming of flying from the comfort of his favourite armchair. African Skies is there to encourage dreaming of flying and helping to make those dreams come true.
What makes us so different? We do not talk at our readers, we encourage them to interact with one another in a down-to-earth manner and tell it like it is. So what if the pics aren't always 150% quality? We keep things real! African Skies belongs to the readers - let's pool our enthusiasm, energy and passion.
Negativity is sure to kill any good idea before it has a chance to get off the ground. Never mind what's happened in the past, whether people made it work before or not. Let's remain positive, make new beginnings and make it work this time!
End of my soapbox session... :D

[skybound®]

Trixie - as said I do not question the content nor what sets you apart. I have also found that if you send an article to any one of the SA av mags - they will publish it.

It is the fact that Aero Club has aligned itself with a single provider to the extent of helping a profit organisation make more profit at the expense of it's members.

I cant believe how the 2 or 3 on avcomers are going on about this, have they nothing better to do with their lives?

And another personal attack.

Clearly I am not welcome here as I am too a microlighter but being branded as an Avcommer with niks to do!

I am tired of the continual us and them crap !!! Headset, aeroplane keys, fuel - I am out of here.

[afskies scribe]

... If you don't want the mag don't buy it... just as an after thought, why are the guys making all the noises not on the commitees making the decisions...

Well said, KFA! Moreover, if they are on the committees, why are they not coming up with fresh ideas? And if anyone is on a committee (whoever, whatever) and not delivering the goods, why are the members putting up with it?

[slysi]

Oh my greatness yesterday on Avcom and today on Microlighters! I am not going to copy my post on Avcom but this is really a storm in a tea cup. The business model is simple, offer economies of scale to the various clubs and their members will ultimately save. Most clubs will have there own magazines and as such costs will be less if these publications are consolidated into one, it is simple accounting and financial management.

I can not believe this has developed into a "us" vs. "them" argument. It is not, it is a simple commercial transaction and I pointed out some shortcomings to The Scribe in my post on Avcom. She did not argue against this. I am not a microlighter yet but these fruitless debates make me believe that any controversial issue will be turned into an "us" vs. "them" argument. A sad state of affairs indeed.

Skybound, with respect I think you have overeacted as nobody at any point blamed you directly. The term "two or three Avcommers" was used. If you read the debate on Avcom this is indeed the case. I am an Avcommer aswell, as is Demon and a number of other Microlighters, we did not think this comment was directed at ourselves. Come back and participate in the debate.

Nuff said from me.

p.s. Scribe, you did not reply on my Avcom post of yesterday, how do I subscribe?