Page 10 - World Airshow News Final

Jim froneberger: Editor

The Final Issue

T here is an old saying that all Racing Editor Brad Haskin, and our ACE columnist, Greg Koontz.

Thanks also to our former Airshow Evangelist, Hugh Oldham,
good things must come to an
end. I guess that must apply
For me personally, my two-decades-plus working with this
to airshow magazines. As you who first introduced me to this publication back in 2004.
may have already read on page 9, this magazine has been one heck of a great ride. I have been an avid
is the final issue of World Airshow airshow fan since I was a teenager, so to actually become a part of
News. this incredible industry and become friends with many performers
Print publishing has certainly be- who had long been my “Rock Stars” has truly been life-changing.
come a challenging business in our As a banker working the 9 to 5 in the 1980s and 1990s, only in my
online, social media-focused world, dreams could I have ever imagined getting to fly a P-51 Mustang
but on top of those already signifi- with Lee Lauderback, fly in the slot position with the Black Dia-
cant macro challenges, as Jeff and mond Jet Team, fly with airshow legend Patty Wagstaff, execute a
Sandy Parnau explain in their an- Lomcevak at Sean D. Tucker’s aerobatic school, or pull 9Gs with
nouncement, the Covid 19 pandemic devastated our airshow- aerobatic champion Rob Holland in his MX2.
dependent advertising revenue stream. Despite a few years of While I’ll no longer be helping create an airshow magazine, I
trying to rebuild our base of advertisers, it ultimately proved do hope to find a way to stay connected with my airshow extended
impossible for us to generate enough revenue to support the family. I’ll always be an airshow fan, so you’ll still see me hanging
continued publication of this magazine. out at airshows from time to time for sure. I definitely plan to join
World Airshow News has been around for 40 years now, but the airshow family at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh this summer.
my involvement started shortly after Jeff and Sandy purchased
the magazine in the summer of 2004. I began as a contribut- tHE Sky HIgH AEROSPACE ExPO
ing writer/photographer for the September/October 2004 issue Speaking of going to airshows, I’m pleased to learn that a new
and was lucky enough to be offered the chance to become the airshow is coming to my home state of North Carolina. The Sky
Editor starting with the May 2006 issue. High Aerospace Expo will debut September 6-7 at the Laurinburg-
While our first issues were small, averaging no more than Maxton Airport (KMEB). We don’t have as many airshows in the
50-60 pages each, we would eventually grow to the point where Carolinas as we once did, so a new show is certainly a welcome
our advertising allowed us to regularly publish issues with 80- addition for those of us in the Tarheel and Palmetto states.
100 pages nine times per year. As the publishing economic The Expo will be part airshow, part General Aviation fly-in,
landscape evolved, we eventually were forced to drop back to part STEM expo. The airshow will be headlined by the Commem-
six issues per year, and then to four, before the pandemic for- orative Air Force’s Tora Tora Tora Pearl Harbor re-enactment and
ever changed our airshow-based business model. the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team (who happen to use
Over the last 20 years, we have tried to do our best to show- KMEB as a training base). Other performers will include Warbird
case the many amazing performers and airshow events that our Thunder, Kyle Franklin, Charlie Morris, Bob “Rooster” Schmidle,
industry has to offer. We have focused on in-depth performer Thom Richard, the Hot Streak II Jet Truck, the P-51 Mustang Gun-
and event profiles, coupled with outstanding aviation photog- fighter, Marco Bouw Airshows, and Friends of Army Aviation.
raphy. Our goal was to present the excitement of airshows in a The KMEB airport is only about a 30 minute flight for me in
format that would appeal not only to airshow fans but would my Piper Archer, so I’m looking forward to having a fly-in-friendly
also be relevant for airshow insiders like performers, show pro- airshow so close to my home base near Charlotte.
ducers, and support service providers. After all, most airshow If you want to join me there in September, check out their web-
insiders are also airshow fans. site at www.skyhighexpo.com for more information and event up-
None of this would have been possible without the support dates.
and dedication of our team of airshow writers and photogra-
phers. You can read their names on our Table of Contents page. ONE fINAL tHANk yOu
Many of these fine men and women have been sharing their In closing, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Jeff
amazing work with our readers for well over a decade. Some and Sandy for entrusting the editorial side of their magazine to
even pre-date my own involvement with this magazine. They me. You took a big chance hiring a former banker with no previ-
have all consistently produced amazing work and have been in- ous editing experience. I’ve enjoyed every minute of the years we
credible partners to work alongside. I especially want to thank have worked together and wish you both well in all of your future
Contributing Editor Denise Decker, former Contributing Edi- endeavors.
tor Michael Gallagher, Canadian Editor Kerry Newstead, Air

www.airshowmag.com 10 The Final Issue