The BIGGEST Project We’ve EVER Undertaken, Is Designed To Rebuild Sport Aviation… One Plane, One Aviator, At A Time
Okay folks… We weren’t kidding we said we were cranking into the next SportPlane Resource Guide with a vengeance.
We've got several people working on this project… Documenting aircraft -- either editing, rewriting, or creating whole new how-to chapters, and starting to research the many, many, many other directories that are going to be a part of the book that I fear will ultimately push 2000 pages.
As we noted previously, the next generation of SportPlane Resource Guide will actually be all digital, in order to take advantage of all the technologies that are currently available in the e-book revolution, including multimedia, and all manner of interactivity. Further, since the book will be digital, it will never get out of date, because we will always be able to update it on the fly, whenever we see anything that requires changes. And finally, we’re gonna be able to build an extraordinary community around that project because in order to get the updates, people will have to subscribe and those subscribers will be part of a huge family of SportPlane fans that we will work very, very, hard to entertain, inform, and educate.
We are pleased to announce that we have opened participation in the first generation of online surveys… The first of which is designed to identify the companies that are alive and working in this industry, while the second is designed to document each individual aircraft that will eventually be detailed in the ‘eSPRG.’ Both surveys can be immediately accessed via the links that are shown at www.sportplane.com, and are linked to an online data collection system, so that you can fill the whole thing out online, whereupon it will be submitted to us.
The first series of surveys are dedicated to aircraft, but there will be successor groups that will be dedicated to documenting a number of the accessory categories from engines to avionics and so forth, as we build those sections later on in the program.
And here is where we try to draft you all to help… We have a massive list of aircraft, companies, and accessories that are already starting to get pretty heavy-duty.
But… we welcome and encourage everyone to submit as much information as possible about any company, any aircraft, any accessory, or other similar information that should be included as we go forward.
This is important folks… we have a number of people working on this, but we can't be all things to all people, everywhere -- the work is simply too vast – so all help is appreciated…
And the more outside information we can get, and work with, the better off we’re all going to be. And, of course, the faster the SportPlane Resource Guide will come together.
So… Please, please, please, if you think there's any chance that we might miss something you feel important, and that we might not be fully aware… clue us in. That includes all of the companies and manufacturers out there in the cheap seats who may not have gotten much attention in the past… Because we are bound and determined to make sure that everyone gets counted.
We are also looking for researchers and writers to help with the compilation of information that I will eventually turn into the published work…
Further… photos or brochures (or other documents) that ID some these aircraft, old and new, as well as some of the technologies we utilize in this business are particularly welcome as we renew our photo and brochure database for this industry.
One of the most beneficial aspects of the elder editions of the SportPlane Resource Guide were the dozens upon dozens of "how-to" chapters that populated the first half of the book. We covered it all -- Riveting, covering, welding, gluing, learning to fly, airplanes for the big and tall… And so, so, much more. If any of you have suggestions for chapters that would help you out in either making decisions about your SportPlane future, or might otherwise enrich the rest of the industry, again please let us know. Especially of interest, are those of you with unique skills and qualifications who may be able to lend your expertise as we start documenting some of the many special topics that we will eventually cover. So… If you know something, if you know something important, let us know too.
Finally; were pretty close to deciding on the pricing model or the SportPlane Resource Guide. There would be an initial purchase price that will include either the first year or two years of updates, depending on the option you select… And a very modest subscription fee thereafter to have full access to the updated work from there on out. We intend to keep this very, very, reasonable. Most important, the subscription cycle will not start until we have published at least 500 pages of this next-generation work… And once that happens, you can count on 100 to 200 pages added each month until we get to a point of completion (if that EVER Happens… eek).
One of the most important aspects of this project is the fact that starting early next year, the SportPlane Resource Guide, in addition to all the updates and capabilities of multimedia and so forth, will publish update newsletters at least once a week detailing the news, updates, excitement, and cool information that's happening in this genre… Including what's happening on the regulatory scene – which should get pretty interesting come this summer, as the FAA finally makes good on its long delayed, promised to publish MOSAIC… Which is so far behind schedule, the Feds should be ashamed of themselves.
These newsletters and updates are going to be powerful additions to the work ahead, and we have some pretty exciting ideas about how were going to be working with our community to make them the best informed and educated sport aviators in the world.
Okay… One last thing. This thing is eating up money like a rat in a cheese factory… There's just simply too much work, requiring too much in the way of time and resources, for it to be any different. One of the ways that we will be financing this program as we build the subscriber base of the future, is to offer carefully selected, honest, sponsor advertisements for companies that we feel comfortable in working with. The ratecard for that program is also available through the link on the front page of www.sportplane.com and we’re extremely excited about what we're going to be able to offer the community in terms of highly targeted, powerful messaging that will help quality companies put their best foot forward.
In the coming weeks, we will have a lot of news as we build the eSPRG for 2023… And we’re going to tell you as much as we can about what we’re doing with all this so that you can comment and offer your suggestions as to how we might do it better… For you.
We’ll also be detailing some of the exciting news and features that are prominent in the coming weeks, as well as introducing you to some of the many, many, experts were working with the keep an eye on this project.
This will be my 21st book… God willing, I’ve got seven or eight more in the pipeline for the future, including a series that I'm incredibly excited about based on a book series I read when I was a kid. It was something that inspired me, and helped grow my fascination with, and interest in, aviation… And with all the modern capabilities at my disposal, this later project is one that can make a big difference in attracting and inspiring people to come into the aviation world, and be able to stay there.
All we’re really trying to do here, in one form or another, is rebuild aviation… One sport aviator, and/or one SportPlane at a time. I think we've made a really good start. I hope you will come to agree…
Blue skies!
James Richard Campbell, CEO/Editor-In-Chief, Aero-News Network, Airborne TV, SportPlane Resource Guide
Airborne 04.16.24: RV Update, Affordable Flying Expo, Diamond Lil
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