Hey, Who Are You Guys?

ANN is, first and foremost, the work of some dedicated folks who have put their hearts (and souls) into promoting and protecting the aviation community. Born out of the blood, sweat, and tears of many hard years of aviation journalism, ANN was designed to take the vital and much-needed next step in the evolution of information sharing about and within the aerospace world.

ANN is the brainchild of US Aviator magazine Publisher and Aviation Safety Advocate Jim Campbell (below), whose brave efforts to bring constructive and honest information to the aviation industry are well-known, for all kinds of reasons. The aviation industry often seems to bury its head in the sand when it comes to the threats and dangers that threaten to destroy the people, programs and products that populate it.

For a dozen years, Campbell and his valiant little magazine told the world of aviation what no one else dared to... namely that there were products and manufacturers out there who did not tell the truth or were actually dangerous, and that many of the entities that we had learned to trust as Aviators, especially the FAA, simply could not be trusted. That proud little magazine fought many battles, and in fact,  never actually lost a single fight (but, boy... did it get its nose bloodied a few times...). But, it paid a helluva cost.

Yes, it was a great fight, but a flawed one. The new reality of near-instant information and the critical nature of the data that Campbell and his partners could provide, demanded something better and more immediate in order that their work have the greatest impact. Campbell's burgeoning realization indicated that it was getting rather fruitless to kill new trees with old news, and it was time for those speedy little electrons to do their stuff.

Hence, ANN.

Together; with some of the best folks he's ever worked with, ANN is blazing a NEW trail and doing what this aero-business has never seen before.

ANN means Real-Time Aviation News, valuable columns, features and event coverage, weather, classifieds, aero-marketing resources, discussion boards, and much, much more.

There are no shrinking violets here... we've all had our noses bloodied, we've had our faces rubbed in the mud for trying to do the right thing (and not always succeeding), we've gotten pummeled for sticking up for people who may not have been able to stick up for themselves and we've had to face down folks who have broken every rule in the book, moral, ethical, and legal, to keep us from trying to protect our brethren. We've learned a lot  the hard way, and not a single one of us have ever backed down, no matter how tough the risks we faced. We are not bashful, we are not shy, and we promise you that the courage and bravery we see all around us in those who fight for their love of aviation and the safety of their fellow Aviators, will not be lost upon us, but will guide us in everything we do.

So... Who Are We?

We are the Aero-News Network: An Online Daily Aviation Aerospace News Resource. We have a strong commitment to safety, consumer activism, Aero-education, and Aero-entertainment (let's face it, the main reason most of us come to aviation is because it is a lot of fun and we dare not forget that no matter how serious the subject matter may be). ANN will be, at first, what we make it, but ultimately it will be what YOU make it. We implore you all to demand the very best of us, to offer your suggestions, questions, criticism, and News-Spy Tips... and to participate fully in every aspect of ANN's growth and posture.

We ask you to be highly critical of us, and to take your time to point out what we're doing wrong or not doing at all, and what you think we need to be addressing. So... that in the long run, when people ask who those ANN guys are; that, in addition to folks like Jim Campbell, Tom Patton, Nathan Cremisino, Ashley Hale, Ed Downs, Birgit Pauli-Haack, and many other talented fly-writers and photographers, that YOUR names, wishes and concerns will be a big part of it as well.