Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

News about 'Aircraft' and 'Combat Aircraft' magazines

Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back?

I want AI back!
118
37%
I want AI back!
118
37%
I like the new 'Classic' Aircraft format - Keep that
21
7%
I like the new 'Classic' Aircraft format - Keep that
21
7%
I don't care
21
7%
I don't care
21
7%
 
Total votes: 320

PeterR
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Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by PeterR »

What do you think of the new magazine and do you want the old style "Aircraft Illustrated" back? :smile:

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AlexC
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by AlexC »

This is one poll at least that is well worthwhile!
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

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Monty
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by Monty »

Whilst i think the new idea would be good for a separate magazine to get rid of AI for a magazine that focuses mainly on classice aircraft seems ludicrous. Not many people are solely interested in Classic aircrafy and while i do like seeing a few articles on classic aircraft the new Aircraft seems to have lost its diversity that appealed to me in the first place.
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Donkey
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by Donkey »

The one of the best things about AI was the news coverage - this was by by far the best of any UK magazine especially as it had a nice mix of military and civil stories. To be honnest replacing this with preservation news doesn't interest me particularly - If I wanted that I'd go to Aeroplane of Flypast. Now in the absence of the news there is nothing that will make me buy it every month - instead I'll only buy it if one of the feature stories catches my eye. So I'll probably not renew my sub in November.
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Unknown74
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by Unknown74 »

Actually I'm quite enjoying the new format. I thought at first I wouldn't but I'm enjoying reading it.

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chrisward123
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by chrisward123 »

Bring back old AI!! pleasee :grin:
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zigzag
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by zigzag »

Bring back the old well balanced magazine

Luckily my sub expired after two issues of the new one, and I havent renewed
If you like these pics there are more utterly brilliant shots at https://www.flickr.com/photos/131094099@N08/albums
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PeterR
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by PeterR »

zigzag wrote:Bring back the old well balanced magazine

Luckily my sub expired after two issues of the new one, and I havent renewed


Snap, but I can't decide which mag to get now. Nothing is as good as the old AI

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Sam Dodd
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by Sam Dodd »

Unsubscribed after 2 edtions of the new Mag, already get Flypast so the two Mags together would have been samey! Bring back the old AI :sad:

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AlexC
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by AlexC »

Only 89 out of the 3508 members have voted in the poll, so I'd say that the vast majority don't care, or at least don't care enough to bother to vote.
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

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MarkL
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by MarkL »

AlexC wrote:Only 89 out of the 3508 members have voted in the poll, so I'd say that the vast majority don't care, or at least don't care enough to bother to vote.



Do you think if everyone did vote it would make any difference ? I guess only BD knows that ... maybe the new mags are selling a bomb. Would love to know.
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AlexC
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by AlexC »

As it stands at the moment I don't think it will make a difference. If everyone here voted who knows?
Pte. Aubrey Gerald Harmer, R. Suss. R. (att. to the Sherwood Foresters) KIA 26/9/1917 Polygon Wood, aged 19, NKG. RIP

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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by EMarsh »

I doubt the views of 100 or so people on one forum would provoke a change - only the sales figures would do that!

I wonder whether there would be such an outcry if they had decided to do away with all airliner and historic aviation coverage to focus solely on modern military news? Would be interested to see what the wider reaction would be. :question:

Lambourne
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by Lambourne »

Definitely...and the sooner the better! :smile:

Nick NZ
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by Nick NZ »

I am currently reading Airliner World, but it is not a patch on the 'old' Aircraft Illustrated.
The poll tells a huge story. The editorial staff should reveal the change in sales figures, to support the change. Because I miss the 'old' style AI.
Motorsport made a similar mistake, and had the 'bottle' to admit as much and revert to the original style. AI should do the same. If they do, then I will begin subscribing again. Otherwise, I am stuck with Airliner World. Which whilst OK, is not a patch on THE magazine.
And i challenge the current editorial staff to say & prove that I am wrong.
Otherwise it is a case of "The Kings New Suit".

Concorde216
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by Concorde216 »

Bring it back, bring it back! The new magazine is pants as far as I am concerned. I am reading my old AI from earlier this year and last year and I have to say that AI was miles better than what we have now. Does IA think it is right to change the product to which you subscribed to faithfully and then replace it with a totally different product without even a say before it went ahead and forced it upon us?

Well, my subscription has now thankfully ended.

To anyone at AI and Ian Allan who cares, I did enjoy reading your magazine that has been going strong for FORTY YEARS WITHOUT ANY NEED TO CHANGE! The variety of the articles and the great news reports (especially during the Farnborough and Paris Airshows), I throught were far ahead of the coverage given by other magazines.

Hope you are pleased with losing a loyal reader of 15 years!

mrshu
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by mrshu »

"YES, YES and YES"!

Ben Dunnell - BRING IT BACK - AND WHEN DO WE WANT IT?

NOW!!!

I've been buying Aircraft Illustrated since 1980 - Yes 30 years but that "WILL" come to an end as my monthly fix of current news has disappeared without so much as an apology from our illustrious editor! No market research or consultation with long term subscribers etc!
Why did you do this Ben?
I'm afraid I'm with the three quarters of our voters who have said you simply "got it wrong"!!! Admit it and change it back or else I believe you'll see a mass exodus come the January 2010 issue of this new allien magazine.
All in all a very sad demise to what was a great magazine!

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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by Nick NZ »

73% is a pretty damning indictment. I notice that there has been no comment from the Editor since July. So he obviously does not want to listen. I miss the unique AI, and check weekly to see if sense has prevailed yet. When Motorsport (which has been going for some 75 years+. there was an outcry when they changed the colour of the cover! The readers forced the editor to back down, and restore the status quo. Mr Dunnell should do the same. He appeared in Combat Aircraft as a guest contributor recently, my blood ran cold!
When will AI or Ian Allan bloody WAKE UP ??

Manonthefence
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by Manonthefence »

Sales are (I believe) up on the "old" version. Its not going to change.

Get over it.

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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by EMarsh »

Manonthefence wrote:Sales are (I believe) up on the "old" version. Its not going to change.

Get over it.


Thank-you! Hardly a "sad demise". What is quite sad is that many people see to care so little about our aviation history. Also, there's no need for anyone to apologise for changing the direction of the magazine - especially not when sales have increased as a result!

It is just a magazine. Some of the exaggerations and OTT rants directed at the magazine and BD are quite ridiculous. If it bothers you that much (and I for one have far more pressing issues to attend to), why not write and express your views, rather than posting crazed "WHY BEN WHY~!1!" messages on the internet?

Blood running cold, editors stepping down, conspiracy theories on where BD has disappeared to (he obviously isn't a busy man at all), calls for apologies and consultations from the editing team... How about we all "bloody" wake up and get some perspective?

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Jet320
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by Jet320 »

Yes it is time to get over it and move on...I have... from Aircraft Illustrated ....to Air International and the ocassional Flypast/other aviation mag.It's a shame what happened to Aircraft Illustrated.I too would have liked it back, but it ain't gonna happen!It seems pretty obvious..But there are other good magazines out there trying to fill the gap!..One good thing about it . It has made me look at other aviation magazines and see what else is on offer... :vulcan:

DOUGHNUT
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by DOUGHNUT »

Voted to get the old format back. Saddest thing is the complete lack of response from the editorial team to my well meaning and honest review / critique of the first three issues of the new look magazine. As someone who has had to reviewed written work in an objective way before I would have hoped for a reply, even though I do not expect the format will change.

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PorkScratching
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by PorkScratching »

EMarsh wrote:What is quite sad is that many people see to care so little about our aviation history.

I think that's a bit harsh! Most people seem to be complaining because the well liked format of AI has been changed, not because they're not interesting in aviation history. Personally I was very disappointed - I've read AI on and off since 1987 because like most others I liked the wide coverage and excellent photography. For aviation history I mainly read books rather than magazines (I'm currently reading Suffolk Airfields in the Second World War), and found that the preservation section of AI kept me up to date with what was happening with particular airframes and collections. Although I thought the new format was very good, I don't need a whole mag devoted to aviation history (given my preference for reading books on the subject), so I cancelled my subscription and took one out for Air International to keep me informed on current aviation issues instead. If the new style AI has increased sales for IA then I can understand them doing it, but I wish they had brought out a new mag to run alongside AI rather than replacing it.

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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by EMarsh »

PorkScratching wrote:
EMarsh wrote:What is quite sad is that many people see to care so little about our aviation history.

I think that's a bit harsh!


Granted, that was unnecessarily harsh. I was on a roll, what can I say? :grin:

IanH
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Re: Do you want the old Aircraft Illustrated Back? [POLL]

Post by IanH »

Jumbojet380 wrote:
zigzag wrote:Bring back the old well balanced magazine

Luckily my sub expired after two issues of the new one, and I havent renewed


Snap, but I can't decide which mag to get now. Nothing is as good as the old AI


Try Air International. In depth and an excellent read.

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