Always Learning: Insatiable appetite

For a generation, Flight Training has been the largest source of fun and informative flight training articles. And that continues as subscriptions have increased by almost 15 percent in the past year thanks in large part to an influx of new student pilots. This is great news for general aviation, and we believe it affords a unique opportunity to realign how we deliver our content to match the preferences of our growing audience.

Thousands of you responded to several Flight Training surveys over the summer and what you told us was not terribly surprising: Your content needs are changing. You let us know that while the magazine continues to be your favorite source of flight training information, you often watch technique videos, search the internet for specific training topics, and scan newsletters for tips that catch your eye.

Based on this insight, Flight Training will begin producing more video and online content to provide you dynamic, interactive experiences that just aren’t possible in the magazine. Starting in January, annual Flight Training subscriptions will include eight issues of Flight Training magazine, unrestricted access to AOPA’s redesigned online hub of premium aviation training content (accessible via aopa.org and the AOPA app), and the weekly Flight Training email newsletter. Combined, you’ll continue to receive at least the same amount of original content each month as you always have.

Flight Training’s premium online content (available to subscribers only) will include articles, videos tips, animated technique illustrations, blogs, interactive quizzes, podcasts, and more to support you in your training. Professional and career track students will find a newly dedicated online section that contains a wealth of content and resources designed to support your career goals—and your accelerated training timeline—and can be accessed at any time.

Flight Training’s weekly email newsletter will provide the training tips you’ve told us you love, plus fresh content every week. The newsletter will not only be your weekly guide to what’s new, but will also remind you of the extensive online training resources AOPA offers—including scholarships, Technique and How It Works archives, the college directory, and so much more.

In addition to eight regular issues of the magazine, Flight Training will produce an annual You Can Fly special edition sent to both subscribers and flight schools across the country. The You Can Fly issue is a gift to new student pilots to welcome them to the pilot community and will include everything a student pilot needs to know to get started. Topics include the student experience; recreational versus career paths; gear you’ll need; aircraft used in training; medical certification options; financing your training; and much more. If you’re already a pilot, consider forwarding this issue to someone you know who may be interested in learning to fly.

As you can see, Flight Training has big plans for the new year, and we’re excited to fire up the GoPro cameras, press record on our audio equipment, and add some fun animation to our technique illustrations. Soon, you’ll be able to satisfy your insatiable appetite for training and safety content from Flight Training—because a good pilot is always learning.