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United Kingdom

News-stand - Weekly


'Flight International'
[Reed Business Information, ISSN 0015-3710]

Founded in 1909, 'Flight' is the world's oldest aviation journal. It has always been primarily a news and analysis magazine for the aerospace industry. It was famously parochial and insular before World War 2, but this complacent attitude was soon changed by the war. Post-war the magazine has taken an increasingly international, (if Eurocentric), viewpoint, in direct contrast to its American "competitor".

'Flight' is famous for its technical articles and stunning cutaway drawings of new aircraft types and engines, which appear every 4-5 weeks or so. It was renamed 'Flight International' in 1962. Regular colour illustrations were introduced during the mid 1980s. The number of pages in each issue can vary considerably, but on average there are about 52 pages per issue. Major features include annual surveys of world airlines, world air forces, military aircraft, aero engines, helicopters, commercial airliners etc.

During the early 1990s there was a distinct bias towards commercial aviation, with numerous features on the financial problems of obscure airlines, and relatively little coverage of the important contemporary military issues arising from the end of the Cold War. Under the subsequent editorship of Carol Reed the correct military-civil balance was restored.
Current[Subscribe]
Further information: Flight International.


'Flying'
[George Newnes Limited, ISSN n/a]

Subtitled 'The New Air Weekly'. This magazine was designed as a weekly version of the monthly 'Popular Flying', and was produced by the same team, including the editor Captain W E Johns and illustrator Howard Leigh. The look and feel of the magazine was very similar, with a colour painting on the cover and a mixture of short fictional stories and factual articles inside. The 8 October 1938 issue was Volume 2 Number 2.
Ceased publication


'The Aero'
Temple Press, no ISSN]

'The Aero' was the first British weekly aeronautical magazine. Launched in May 1909 it lasted until March 1911. It was edited by Charles Grey, who later edited 'The Aeroplane' (see below). Produced in a similar style and content to 'Flight'. The staff also issued an annual yearbook called The Aero Manual.
Ceased Publication


'The Aeroplane'
[Temple Press Ltd, no ISSN]

'The Aeroplane' was founded in June 1911 as a direct competitor to 'Flight' (see above). The content was similar to that of it's rival, with the latest UK, industry and foreign news plus regular cutaway and detail drawings of new aircraft types and engines. Edited by the legendary and opinionated C.G. Grey, whose views on most subjects would nowadays be regarded as completely lacking in political correctness.

Illustrated in black and white only for almost all it's life. In 1959 the title was amended to 'The Aeroplane and Astronautics'. Between 1962 and 1965 it was published under the title 'The Aeroplane and Commercial Aviation'. In 1968 it was taken over and absorbed into it's long-time rival 'Flight International'.
Ceased Publication



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First Created: 18 January 1997 - Last Revised: 17 January 2004
Copyright © 1997 John Hayles.     e-mail: john@aeroflight.co.uk