Has it been tried?

[skier]

Has the gyro community tried submitting articles to some of the more mainstreem flying magazines? Could something like that help more people become aware of gyros and make them want to take intro flights? It seems as though kitplanes, AOPA, and EAA will once in a while run articles about helicopters and have ads for gyros but rarely have any articles about flying gyros. I wonder if there is a way to get them to print articles about the versititlity, safety, and fun of gyros. I haven't been subscribed to the magazines for very long, so I could be wrong.

Maybe if there were articles about why people who have tried fixed wing and helicopters decide to venture into gyros and why they like it.

I know threads like this start every once in a while, but they never seem to reach any conclusions or result in any actions. I'm not in a position to write something like this as I have never flown a gyro, but maybe somebody could.

[Zack]

The LittleWing has been featured, and I believe there was something about the Groen Brothers not all that long ago. I've talked to a number of folks at EAA, and the concensus seems to be that gyros just aren't all that safe, despite me arguing all the safety features till I'm blue in the face.

I think an extended article about Andy Keech's experiences, Rob Dubin's big flight, or Larry Neal's Skycycle would have a broad appeal, but then again I'm not on the editing team and have no input on those matters...

Zack - EAA AirVenture Museum staff

[Heather Poe]

I think that this group should show off their birds more often in the "aircraft completion" sections of magazines.

[gyroplanes]

Ken Brock used to say that the editor of the EAA's magazine, Sport Aviation begged him for articles about gyroplanes.

Ralph Taggart and Greg Gremminger, to name two, have had articles printed in mainstream aviation magazines.

Not only did we experience pride at seeing our little niche exposed to the aviation public at large, but we saw a spike in PRA memberships after each article.

I think we feel we owe allegiance to our own magazine, Rotorcraft. I would love to see more articles in all magazines.

Take a look at the AOPA or EAA publication. Take a good look at the "success" stories.
I wanted it
I looked at it
I bought it
I built it
I'm having a bunch of fun
Add pictures and you have a story.

Look at our own Stan Foster. If you or I took excerpts from his posts, cut and pasted his pictures and submitted it to the EAA they would probably be delighted to run a completion story that didn't involve a Van's RV for once.

Harry S, Scott H, Adam H... there are a bunch of you guys out there that probably think your building and flying stories are "not worthy", but remember, The EAA is built on dreamers and you guys are living the dream. Share it.

[Timchick]

Good idea Heather. With gyros like Stan's and all the other Sparrowhawks rolling out of the hangars lately it would be great if all those people sent in photos and descriptions to some of those mags.

Tom has some great ideas also. Some of the threads people put on the forum would make great small articles with just a liitle more writing and editing.

[gyroplanes]

Heather,
Sorry, I forgot to acknowledge Heather, you are correct. I certify gyros all the time and I haven't seen one in the completions section in a long, long time.
I hope you are having a speedy recovery!

[gyroplanes]

I'd be willing to bet the editors of magazines have to edit down the content we submit. We tend to get carried away.
If you are serious about writing for a magazine, look at a magazine article in Sport Aviation, Kitplanes, The Experimenter or Light sport and plug your own story in. Let the editor pick from a bunch of photos (with post-it captions) and I bet you'll see your ship in the magazine. Ask Hognose.

[Ga6riel]

you could be certain that Kitplanes would run it
they dont shy away from controversy, and are keen on flying stories
they also publish on technical issues
the changing picture of safety would be right up there street
and would forward the cause of this forum

[M. Pearce]

skier,
Just a tad off subject but here is what happened to me a while back. Bought some old PRA magazines a few months ago of ebay. Well here is what happened. I have a bad back and bring em to read while waiting for the doctor. I bring about four of them in the waiting room and people go nuts over them wanting to read some. I usually by the end of my doctors visit end up havin to give a few away. If a person really wants to get some attention leave a few back issues lying around where people will read em while waiting for someone like a doctor, dentist or maybe even drop some off at the hospital waiting rooms. Maybe drop some off at the local hair cutters waiting areas. I'm sure the PRA might have some back issues to sell cheap for promotional purposes like this. I would sure like to buy some and after reading them donate them to my local doctors offices. My pain management doctor is into kit planes and he got a real kick outta the old rotorcraft magazines I had.

[PW_Plack]

"Maybe drop some off at the local hair cutters ..."

Please do! It would be so nice to find a magazine other than "Woman's Day" or "highlights for Children" in that rack!

I'm going to take some back issues of Rotorcraft to leave in the waiting room of the doctor who renewed my FAA medical. Should be an audience rich in prospects!

[daveeisler]

I have sent info to many of the current magazines and I never got as much as a reply from them, I have even offered to write an article and add photos for free, and still not even a reply. Then one day in New Jersey a man came to me and asked many question about my strange aircraft, we talked for a long time and he took many pictures, then one day I got a German magazine in the mail and it was an article about me and my gyro. The entire magazine was in German, all but my name and the city. But wait there’s more; several months later I got my regular delivery of Kit Planes Magazine. June 2005, and on page 60 there I was, 4 full pages all in English too, with color pictures.

[daveeisler]

I just want to add that I have sent info to the “completions departments” of two magazines, and that was over a year ago, I still receive them and every month I look for it and of coarse nothing. I also sent info to Popular Mechanics magazine I thought for sure they would pick up on something real, something that is actually flying and not a pipe dream, but guess what.