Flyer by Flyer… Community by Community… Presenting Ourselves, Professionally and Comprehensively To The World

By James Richard Campbell, ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief

“The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive.' The honest men who just want to be left in peace.

Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves—or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honor, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn.”

Sophie Scholl

Where did it start for each of you?

What was it that caused you to look up at the sky at some craft flying by and then set yourself to becoming one of the treasured few that could do that for yourself? What was it that allowed you to deal with all the hassle, expense, over-bearing regs and BS, and STILL want to fly so bad that you saw it through and became a real-live, honest-to-goodness, fire-breathing, PILOT?

What was it that allowed you to become someone above and beyond the ground-hogs that look up and can only see you with awe, wonder, and maybe a tinge of jealousy before so many of them return to the drudgery of their unimaginative and unfulfilled lives?

Whatever it was… it has made you my brother/sister in flight… a member of the Aero-Verse… one more valued participant in an uncommon/special society who conquered fear, confusion, a wholly unfriendly regulatory environment, an even steeper learning curve and no small amount of expense to be able to play with the angels… and that makes you something/someone, in my opinion, so very special… and, as just mentioned, a member of my extended family.

And yet… our family is in peril.

Can you hear that?

The creaks and groans?

The slipping away of something unique and extraordinary and wholly underappreciated?

Those are the sounds of a once-vital industry and way of life that is settling into decay, indifference, and obsolescence -- and precious little seems to be occurring to head it off. It’s been that way for a while... and the more that it does, the smaller the group that remains that appears properly dedicated to reversing the tide of potential failure.

Seriously, folks… we have big problems to face down and a ponderous lack of enthusiasm and support for fixing the Aero-Verse around us. I have watched our numbers dwindle and even endured the torture of witnessing some truly great folks leave the fight, fully convinced that this is a course that cannot be reversed.

But, I don’t believe that, and over the last two years, I’ve toiled over dozens of concepts, plans, and ideas in an effort to find something that I (and those of like mind) can do to make a positive dent in the battle we face to seek a positive future for aviation.

And I think I’ve found it—at least, I think I’ve found a few crucial pieces of it (and possibly the foundation for much more) -- and most important, the centerpiece from which a lot of other change might come about. And a whole lot of enlightened people seem to agree -- Including some much trusted aeronauts and a few experts outside of our industry that have proven to me that they are the REAL DEAL. And mind you, what we’re pursuing is NOT the answer to all things… but a piece of the puzzle that needs to be compiled and made available to create a new industry that can survive long into a promising future -- instead of being a mute slave to the long-lamented past.

Over the course of the last few years, we’ve built some exciting and highly productive relationships with some of the aviation world’s hardest working and most effective organizations. Whether it be day-to-day stories, special event coverage, unique projects, or live event programming, ANN has been able to provide pivotal services and collaborations to some exceptional organizations… and in so doing, proved a need and desire for us, collectively, to do far more.

We wondered, together, what might happen if we took some powerful tools, made them available to the best and brightest among the movers and shakers of the aviation world and then built a cooperative framework in which we could ALL use it to better inform, educate and empower the aviation and aerospace world?

And as a result of nearly two decades of outreach, and some particularly inspired brainstorming over the course of the last few years, something we call the Airborne Partnership Initiative (API) was born.
The API’s first project (of over a dozen in the works) is the initiation of “Airborne Unlimited” on the first Monday of the coming New Year, January 5th, 2015. Using the nearly 400 episodes of our thrice–weekly Airborne program as a road map/foundation for the future, Airborne Unlimited will debut, DAILY -- Monday through Friday -- with the occasional addition of Breaking News Bulletins for Important News that may arise after an episode of Airborne has gone to bed. After we get that off to a decent start, and utilizing some new equipment and technologies that have become available only in the last few months, we’ll be adding a weekly wrap-up/analysis platform -- a summary and commentary program on the week’s news, employing editorial observations from some of the aviation world’s most intriguing experts and personalities.

Sounds cool, doesn’t it?

Well… that’s NOT the big news.

Not even close.

Not hardly.

But then again, those of you who have been a part of ANN for many years probably knew that already…

With us, there’s ALWAYS something else…

The big news is that after working with some of the some of the best and brightest personalities, organizations and entities in aviation, that a stunning number of them (pretty much everyone we’ve invited from among the best and brightest) have agreed to join with us in a massive working partnership/consortium, to pool our outreach and news resources and innate topical knowledge to work together to build Airborne Unlimited and the other program initiatives that are part of the master plan (subtly named “Aero-Verse, Inc.”) into a powerful, collective resource dedicated to focusing, organizing and rebuilding the aviation universe, one flyer (and would-be flyer) at a time. Each of our partners will be contributing news and information, outreach, their great expertise in their chosen field, and will work to extend our reach and influence to aviation and beyond with better programming, greater insight, and the kind of collective effort that, frankly, this business has never seen before.

At the present time, that collective outreach totals in excess of 100 aviation entities and organizations… and represents every aspect of the aviation and aerospace universe… everything from model planes to rocket planes… aviation’s golden past to its potentially bright future.

Collectively, expertly, and in unison.

Three things will be immediately instituted that are unique to the Aero-Verse… everyone will have the ability to ‘preach’ to everyone else’s choir, there will be a (truly) United Front available to the aviation world for topics and missions of importance, and this collective effort will yield the kind of insight and influence that are already gaining the attention of content distribution partners than can then help us get our messaging and info to the rest of the media world… and thereby ‘aero-evangelize’ to populations and numbers we’ve rarely been exposed to… and yes, there’s more than we’ve described to our efforts – but the rest of the details will come at a later time since, frankly, every day our abilities change and grow – and we really just want to get the first phases of this program underway before we start discussing any more of our future plans and ideas.
The Airborne Partnership Initiative includes all manner of aviation organizations… from small to large, from sport aviation to aerospace (and everything in between), and all with a solid desire to quit proving Einstein right and to do something unique, powerful and innovative.

And that’s just what this is.

Really.

Many of these partners represent names you know, all you should know, and others that are doing some amazing work with little attention and recognition (though, we plan to change that).
But they are great partners, all… extraordinary organizations lead and staffed by equally extraordinary people – groups like AEA, WAI, EAA, SAFE, ICAS, CAF, AMA and over 100 others (and God only knows where the final tally will end up!).

I’ve hardly the space or time to explain it all at this time… as there is SO DARNED MUCH to this program (and so much I’ve yet to do… ahem)… the result of years of dreams and brainstorming… but there are already six generations of Airborne planned for the next few years (each with more programming and greater abilities than the one that precedes it), there are two reality-style programs in the works (based on some inspired concepts), there are a number of other initiatives involved… including one massive effort, which is already seeing some very positive results, to take expert aviation news, education, and entertainment resources from our wide and growing distribution inside the aviation world to well outside our normal confines. Comprehensive content distribution deals are in the works and future generations of Airborne and its sister efforts are being planned to be shown in some amazing places – where they can attract and enhance our outreach to the next generation of flyers.

Add to this a revamp and reintroduction of our Aero-Casting podcast programming, massive upgrades to ANN itself (including some exciting mobile and APP efforts), the addition of new reader/viewer tools to allow more useful content distribution and community-building, as well as some truly innovative work in the SEO and Social Media spaces, a few top-secret ideas in the works, and you begin to understand JUST THE TIP of the iceberg -- because (once again) there is far more than all this to the entire Aero-Verse project… some of which we will disclose to you as we get Airborne Unlimited/Generation One launched and underway.
Still, let me explain that we believe this to be a critical building block in the future successes needed to rebuild the aviation world… and as such, we’re going to be VERY careful/methodical… we’ll crawl before we walk, walk before we run, and run before we fly…because you deserve our best efforts and the modus operandi behind what we do makes it SO MUCH more important to get this ‘RIGHT’ – rather than ‘right now.’
And because this is SO significant, and because some of the most powerful names and personalities in the aviation world have contributed to making this work an entity of great promise; we’re determined that our collective egos be left at the door. We’ve undertaken hundreds of consults, and put together a stunning Advisory Board, whose mission is to be as critical as they can be, in order to guide this effort to the kind of success that can help make aviation whole and healthy with the gift of a pivotal tool to rebuild its future and communicate ALL our many values and assets to the entire world.

All that being said; the API program will be studiously led by an Advisory Board chaired by Retired AOPA President Phil Boyer… one of the most effective leaders aviation has ever had. He’s being joined by some amazing people… folks, I repeat, whose marching orders are to be as critical and forthright as possible and individuals whose bona fides prove that they can do just that with rare expertise and insight – leaders like XPRIZE’s Innovative Gregg Maryniak, Avionics Leader/Businessman Gary Harpster, Aviation Author/Luminary Julie Filucci, Airshow Pilot Extraordinaire Patty Wagstaff, one of the most dedicated Grassroots pilots I know – Rich Davidson, Flight Training Expert Roger Sharp, Aero-Advocate Rol Murrow, Digital Entertainment Visionary Don Marinelli, and a few others that we’ll announce shortly.

Folks… these are the BIG GUNS… and the kind of people that can lead and guide our Aero-Verse expertly, passionately and successfully… and but one of the MANY reasons why launching this multi-year effort so excites all of us at ANN -- and beyond. Simply put; this may turn out to be one of the most important things I’ve ever worked with… and it is my specific desire to make sure that it is.

And yes… we have a lot of work to do… but, finally, I must draw your attention to this proven fact…

Nearly 20 years ago, with the announcement of ANN, I was told that our initial concept of a 24/7/365 aviation news network was lunacy… that it would never work or be able to support itself. In that two decade span, the ever-innovative ANN and its sister programs/organizations have generated a model that has been copied again and again (though not always very well) and often by those who have ignored the fact that each and everything they’ve done was done first by the committed staff that helped birth ANN – and in that time, we have created over 200,000 stories, 7000 Aero-Cast/Podcasts, hundreds of live Aero-TV segments, 2000 Aero-TV programs, nearly 400 episodes of Airborne – all while introducing concepts like Daily Aviation News, Daily Aero-Casts, Daily Aero-TV and LIVE Special Event programming long before anyone else.

I say this not so much to brag (but it DOES feel good to do so—grin), but to firmly establish our hard-won bona fides as we enter this altogether new and exhaustive effort… to let you know that as serious as we were when everyone said we would not succeed (way back when), that we are even more dedicated now… and not just us… but the hundreds of inspiring personnel/parties and organizations that have given us counsel, support and guidance up to this point… and will help us lead the Aero-Verse along some powerful new paths, in the future.

I’m proud to be a part of it… I’m proud to take serious risks in search of great rewards for all those in the aviation world I care about -- and I’m even prouder to know that there are such good and enlightened folks out in the Aero-Verse who care every bit as much as I do, to partner with, as we try to rebuild a world we all care about so very much…

The very first, careful, powerful, steps – starting with Airborne Unlimited – debut on January 5th… and evolve from there. Remember this… we believe this to be a powerful effort… not because of what we are building… but because of what we know so many of our best and brightest can do with it.

And that includes (we hope) YOU.

Please join us, please support us, and please let us know what YOU THINK we need to do to push this initiative along to empower a new future for the Aero-Verse.

Jim Campbell, ANN Editor-In-Chief/CEO/Restless Aero-Revolutionary

FMI: What Do YOU THINK? What Do YOU Want To See Us Do?

• Email: jim@aero-news.net,
• I want my aviation organization to be part of the Airborne Partnership Initiative – tell me how!
• I, personally, want to help with the Airborne Partnership Initiative – tell me how!