By ANN Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell (Guy Who Takes ALL The Blame)

Note: As previously detailed, ANN's BIG 2005 Planning Meeting/Summit Conference is in just a few days... so we're taking one last opportunity to ask your input on the things YOU want to see from ANN in the coming year.

In response to a recent letter from a valued reader from the sport aviation community, we had a chance to look over the way that ANN covers the news from the entire spectrum of aviation and aerospace. In looking over tens of thousands of stories, columns, Op-Eds, pictorials and the like, ANN Weekend Guru Juan Jimenez compiled some interesting stats. When we look at the aggregate totals of all the stories in our database back to 2002 (when we switched over to a database-served news system), the news breakdown is as follows:

• Aerospace, 7.2%
• Commercial Airline, 15.3%
• Commercial Biz-Av, 18.3%
• Feature Stories, 8.2%
• Military, 12.4%
• General Aviation 29.8%
• Sport Aviation 8.7%
• GA and SportAv Collectively 38.5%

I'm kinda pleased with the results, because I know how hard we all work to maintain a balanced presentation and how thoroughly we've beat the bushes to make sure that all segments of aviation and aerospace are properly represented. 
 
Mind you, depending on certain news-cycles, it may occasionally appear as if our news service may be top-heavy one way or another... During NBAA, it seems as if we're all about biz-av... but last week, during the AOPA Expo, I'm sure it looked as if we were all about GA... and during Oshkosh, you know what we look like (grin). We strive for a balance... but it isn't always possible. During the last week of September and early October, I'm sure we all looked like Space Cadets (or... is that Spaced Cadets... Hmmmm). Ultimately, though, I think my staff has done a helluva job keeping it leveled out.
 
One caveat, though... we have to beat the bushes to get news out of the sport and GA community... the PR abilities boasted by most of the lighter side of the industry (with a few welcome exceptions) are awful and it's like pulling teeth to get folks to let us know what's going on. Try as we might, this industry is (mostly) news-ignorant and we're doing our best to eke every bit of info out of it as we can... but it's a vicious job. You can help us immeasurably if you make sure that ANY aviation or aerospace company that you may have contact with, KNOWS that keeping Aero-News in the loop is the BEST way to make sure that everyone knows what's going on with them... throughout the ENTIRE Aero-World.

One final note: much of the senior ANN Staff and Contributors are getting together for something of a MAJOR summit conference shortly. We have some aggressive issues to work out as we're FINALLY getting ready to deploy some features and functionality we've been teasing you about for over a year. What's coming up, is INTENSELY cool and a revolutionary way for you to stay informed on all things aeronautical.

HOWEVER; we're also doing a LOT of strategic planning -- with an intense look at what we're doing right, what we're doing wrong, and what we can better. We  need your input... on everything that ANN does and what it means to you. We need your complaints, your suggestions, your improvements, your likes and dislikes... we need to hear from YOU as to what you'd like ANN to do to be of better service to you. ALL suggestions, complaints, and comments are welcome... and STRONGLY encouraged. Click on the mail link below and let us have it!

FMI: ANN Input