The launch issue 'limited edition' of Wingleader magazine arrived. Excellent value for money with its 96 A-4 landscape pages, thick glossy paper and lots of interesting features and photos - photo reproduction is first class with many pages featuring a single large image. Just in case the editors read this I would just say that the 10-page features covering the Wingnut Wings Lancaster and the artwork of Nick Trudgian don't really appeal personally.
Did anyone notice though that the latest issue of Key Publishing's Flypast magazine has the 'same' article, the same photos, even the same personal accounts as the Wingleader cover feature - the Dornier Do 17 Kauz as night-time intruder over the UK. It's not exactly the same article of course. Wingleader's piece is written by Boiten, the Flypast feature was penned by the prolific Chris Goss. And the Flypast feature has a large swastika on every page just to reinforce that they have a Luftwaffe piece in their magazine - subtle they are not!
I do hope that running their 'Kauz' feature at the same time as the Wingleader magazine wasn't done deliberately by Key - perhaps in a (pretty pathetic) attempt to scupper their 'new' rival . Speaking personally I find it a little disappointing that Key Publishing nowadays own just about every UK aviation magazine, especially after what happened to 'Aircraft' ('Classic Aircraft') and, of course, well before that, 'Air Enthusiast', the seminal Green/Swanborough quarterly that I devoured avidly as a teenager! So for that reason alone the new 'Wingleader' magazine is very welcome..
I spoke to Stephen Bridgewater, editor of 'Jets' a few years ago when I expressed 'concerns' on the 'Flypast Forum' concerning the future of all these various magazines under the same Key 'roof'. He responded;
" ..Key purchased us last September. Personally I think it's a great thing. It was like going home for me as I worked on their 'Today's Pilot from 2000 to 2007. They're the market leaders and have the money to invest in the magazines, that other publishers do not. There's no cross over between Jets and other titles. I've only seen good progress so far..."
Interesting points; far from condemning certain titles to oblivion, Key was actually rescuing them.
Of course as it turned out Stephen Bridgewater was talking a load of nonsense - the title 'Jets' was quickly wound down by Key and 'amalgamated' into 'Aviation News' ....
https://www.wingleadermagazine.co.uk/