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Kitplanes Magazine

Aside from saying she was an airline brat** and had a Private Pilot Kelly said nothing else about her background. I kept waiting for her to say something like "the synergy between all of our sister publications...", but even the mention of her Private Pilot and nothing else gave off a "How do you do, fellow kids?"* vibe of someone trying to be hip in a new place.

I really do wish Firecrown the best, and they're always welcome in my hangar.


*https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/how-do-you-do-fellow-kids

**Ironically, those who hung in there in the post 9/11 downturn were perfectly positioned when we started hiring again. Those who gave up weren't current and didn't have the hours, the ones who hung in there were current and got snapped up. Same thing post-Covid.
 
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Ironflight said:
Here’s a page from the December issue…apparently, they don’t yet know how to use AI to proof-read…or they expect all of us to know Latin…. (Read the photo caption…I dare you….)

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Hey Paul, that looks like the text "place holder" for a template that would be used in something like MS Publisher. And I found the same "place holder" in several other places in the December issue. That's absolutely terrible that a big publisher of a wide range of periodicals would have such a shoddy final proofreading process. Its not looking good for them.

I found a doozy of an error in AOPA Pilot once. But, I don't think I've ever seen a big periodical with template trash left in before.
 
I'm still more than a little miffed about the 20 years of PDF back issues that have now disappeared from the Kitplanes.com website. I've sent one of the "contact us" messages to the webmaster. But the immediate response I got was to the effect that they are getting so much email they can't respond to everyone individually.

If you're like me, and really liked being able to access those PDF back issues at will, maybe you could also let them know.
 
Got my refund check.

Looks like they are still hanging in there, Lisa Turner is writing a back of the magazine column for them now, which is a good sign.
 
Got my hard copy the other day. Interesting layout. Article on the well-known experimental 1941 Porterfield.......:oops::oops: :rolleyes:Two of the captions for photos in the gyrocopter article are in a foreign language!! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: OMG. Maybe I could hire on as a proofreader............:LOL::LOL:
 
I haven't had a hard copy for a couple of months. Firecrown has decided that "Print is not available outside the US" and as a Canadian I guess that means me even though my mailing label says my subscription is good until 11/01/26. I can't even be bothered to log in and see what the digital magazine holds. Very annoyed :mad: .
 
Roadjunkie1 said:
Two of the captions for photos in the gyrocopter article are in a foreign language!! :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: OMG. Maybe I could hire on as a proofreader............:LOL::LOL:
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Actually, the captions on page 25 of the January 2026 issue is Lorem Ipsum -- Latin sounding nonsense used as an initial placeholder by editing software: https://loremipsum.io/.

They made the same mistake in the December 2025 issue -- see my post #195 in this thread.
 
I just received the December issue in the mail, fortunately my last issue of the subscription, which will obviously not be renewed. I sat down in my favorite chair to have a nice read, hoping for some improvement from the last few and went through the entire magazine without finding anything worthwhile to read. The article on magneto’s was interesting to start, but I never knew they could write a Russian novel about magneto’s.
I have to say it’s been a great magazine, but it went bad when they got rid of people who knew what a Kitplane is and became a total waste of paper.
 
The latest, January 2026 issue of "Kitplanes" is the nail in the coffin for my subscription. Between the lazy, A.I.-generated pencil illustrations taking up 3/4 of some pages, spelling mistakes, layout errors, missing photo captions (or ersatz-Latin placeholder ones), and a nearly-psychotic "Editor's Log" article that repeats itself and seems to have been written by an A.I. assistant, I am DONE with this garbage from Firecrown Media.

There are some bright spots of human-written content, but not enough to justify a subscription. I have a three-foot wide shelf of old "Kitplanes" magazines that will be a wonderful reference library for years to come.
 
The January issue is another travesty of what Kitplanes once was - and they have AGAIN used my Column name (“Free Flight”) as a page header despite my request that they not do that, and their agreement to not use it. The excuse from the “Editor”….. “Uh, someone must have used that template from a previous issue….” OK - and what about YOUR proofreading of the issue? Obviously, there is none…..
 
Ten years or so ago, when I still wrote for Kitplanes, the then editor and I discussed the future decline of print media. Cost of printing and distribution were factors along with the then-future competition from electronic media. I certainly didn't consider that equity funding would be a factor in magazines rotting from the inside.
 
Beware the Autorenew! I just had FlyinMag charge my CC for subscription renewal. I went through all of the Firecrown, Kitplanes and Flying websites looking for a phone number to talk to a real person. No phone number anywhere, just fill out this form. I finally found a 1-800 number on the bottom of the Contents page of my last Kitplanes print (before they went to digital only, no print to Canada) issue and had a real person call me back. CC charges reversed and Autorenew disabled.
 
terrye said:
Beware the Autorenew! I just had FlyinMag charge my CC for subscription renewal. I went through all of the Firecrown, Kitplanes and Flying websites looking for a phone number to talk to a real person. No phone number anywhere, just fill out this form. I finally found a 1-800 number on the bottom of the Contents page of my last Kitplanes print (before they went to digital only, no print to Canada) issue and had a real person call me back. CC charges reversed and Autorenew disabled.
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Same with me, unauthorized renewal charge
 
jrs14855 said:
Same with me, unauthorized renewal charge
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I just reconciled my credit card account and saw a pending charge from Kitplanes. I had gone online last month and cancelled my auto-renewal authorization. I put a stop on the charge, but since it was "Pending" the credit card company said to check back in a few days before disputing the charge.
 
This morning they're still sending out emails asking for you to join for a year !!
 

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I was a Kitplanes reader for many years and really enjoyed the magazine. However have not subscribed for the last two years. I just got a mailing today that says because I was a former member I can get a years subscription for $29.95. I think I will pass until I hear the magazine is back up to par. Good to here Lisa is writing as I know her personally and she is a good writer who cares about experimental aviation.
 
Ironflight said:
The January issue is another travesty of what Kitplanes once was - and they have AGAIN used my Column name (“Free Flight”) as a page header despite my request that they not do that, and their agreement to not use it. The excuse from the “Editor”….. “Uh, someone must have used that template from a previous issue….” OK - and what about YOUR proofreading of the issue? Obviously, there is none…..
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It wouldn’t surprise me if a very junior person was assigned to the proofreading role with no awareness of any agreements or contractual constraints. Certainly not an excuse (I have no dog in this fight), but I run into these type of oversights everyday in my business any it drives me crazy!
 
I went online to terminate my subscription, and ended up on a page that told me that I couldn't, and here's an email address that you could try. Sending an email there and some patience resulted in a termination and a refund of the balance.

I used the fact that they emailed me that they would no longer send out paper copies to non-domestic addresses. I am sure that that helped.

Still, pity. I really liked the magazine and have been a subscriber for many years (I believe the oldest copy in my collection dates back to 1993).
 
rdamazio said:
You realize your address is perfectly readable on that photo, right? :) (mentioning just in case you care)
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I deleted for caution so thanks. But it is pretty easy to get any of our addresses from FAA. It sucks we need to be careful. Thanks
 
Lufthans said:
Still, pity. I really liked the magazine and have been a subscriber for many years (I believe the oldest copy in my collection dates back to 1993).
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Hans, I hope you are subscribing to AvBrief's The Experimental Aviator (https://avbrief.com/experimental-aviator/). Many (most?) of the old KITPLANES' writers moved over there and there some great, new ones as well. No paper but, it's free!
 
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