Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group announced several significant developments across its expanding aviation media and marketplace portfolio, reinforcing its commitment to investing in and modernizing the brands pilots and enthusiasts trust most.
Veteran aviation journalist Jonathan Welsh has joined Firecrown from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to lead the renewed Aviation Consumer brand.
Under Welsh’s leadership, Aviation Consumer will transition to a 100 percent digital platform, continuing its legacy of providing pilots with unbiased product evaluations and in-depth ownership insights in a more accessible, modern format.
Welsh previously served as a senior writer and multimedia contributor at AOPA, following a distinguished journalism career that included roles at The Wall Street Journal, FLYING, and Barron’s.
Firecrown also unveiled comprehensive front-end overhauls of AirlineGeeks.com and AircraftForSale.com, designed to enhance user experience, speed, and engagement across both platforms. The updates mark a major step forward in delivering streamlined access to commercial aviation news and aircraft listings for thousands of daily users.
Plane + Pilot Overhaul
Looking ahead, Plane + Pilot magazine will undergo a full rebrand in 2026, aligning the title around its mission to serve pilots who fly for the pure joy of flight. The refreshed brand identity—previewed in a recent teaser on social media—will celebrate personal aviation, adventure flying, and the lifestyle surrounding aircraft ownership.
Meanwhile, Firecrown reaffirmed its commitment to preserving the evergreen and technical excellence of Aviation Safety and IFR magazines, ensuring both continue serving their devoted readerships with the same editorial rigor and timeless training value that have defined them for decades.
Starting next year, the content from these journals will continue to live on digitally under the FLYING brand.
These announcements build on a year of strategic investments across Firecrown’s Aviation Group, which in 2025 included expanded FLYING Finance initiatives connecting aircraft buyers with lenders, the growth of AVweb’s video and digital reporting capabilities, and new cross-platform marketing programs aimed at strengthening the reach of Firecrown’s aviation titles.
“These initiatives reflect Firecrown’s ongoing investment in the future of aviation media,” said Kelly Keller, group president of Firecrown’s Aviation Division. “By modernizing our digital platforms and empowering our editorial teams, we’re ensuring that each brand not only honors its heritage but continues to lead its segment in quality and relevance.”
Firecrown’s Aviation Group includes FLYING Magazine, Plane + Pilot, AVweb, AirlineGeeks.com, Aviation Consumer, AircraftForSale.com, and KITPLANES. Together, these titles form one of the largest and most trusted networks in aviation publishing and digital marketplaces.
I am happrehensive as to the changes promised. As a very long time IFR subcriber and CFII, I was devistated when the magazine was cancelled or allegedly rolled int “Flying”. I was so upset that I did not renew my “Kit PLanes” subscription as I had a feeling that that would get disposed of as well.
You will have to come up with something worthwhile to get me back as a subscriber.
I wish Jonathan well, I have always enjoyed his work.
IFR Magazine simply stopped coming for me. No announcement, no nothing. My complaint to their customer service page on their website went unanswered. Then after a gap of probably 3 months, I suddenly started getting Flying (which I had let lapse because it had fallen apart after the Firecrown acquisition). No thanks, I’m out.
Apparently they’ve cancelled their sense of humor as well. No more “Short Final,” can’t find it in the menu choices at the top of the page.
I’m excited about the future of aviation journalism. I hope that Firecrown’s innovations will bleed over to the type club magazines that I subscribe to, but aren’t that good. For the last few years, I have been a daily listener to podcasts, and there are some good aviation programs for the listeners.
Here’s the gist of the changes:
Starting next year, the content from these journals will continue to live on digitally under the FLYING brand.
Cutting everything back to one or two pubs and expecting subscribers to follow with one or two relevant articles per issue. For some reason the owners think FLYING is the strongest brand. I don’t get it.
And even Avweb has now been reduced to reporting accidents every week. No original reporting anymore.
It’s getting to where even reading this newsletter is now worth dropping after 30 years.
I’m a decades long subscriber to Flying magazine. My subscription expires in April 2026. I will not renew. The content of Flying magazine has gradually eroded, and I never liked the print format that was implemented a few years back. Buying a Flying subscription now comes with a warning that Firecrown can change the method of delivery and the number of issues at any time without notice. I’m not risking a change to something I’m not happy with.
I’ve been flying for 63 years–5 jet type ratings, ATP & Commercial ratings in airplanes, helicopters, gliders, single & Multi-engine sea, lighter-than-air (balloons). I’ve flown to 83 countries around the world, plus Antarctica. I’m coming up on 30,000 hours–owned several FBOs–and owned and sold nearly 500 aircraft–and brokered about twice that many more.
I mention this only to emphasize that when it comes to aviation, I’m “ALL IN”–and like most pro pilots, I subscribe to many aviation magazines–I have an entire room stacked with a 62 year collection.
When Firecrown started taking over aviation magazines–they lost me. The diversity of multiple writers was lost in the gobble-up–and the content of the magazines suffered. I’m always amazed that companies will buy up successful periodicals–THEN TRY TO CHANGE IT!
If you value diversity of opinion, you won’t find it in the print magazines any more–forcing readers to look online.
Jim Hanson–Clarks Grove, MN.
I too have been flying for 63 years, but purely General Aviation. I learned early on not to make a job out of something that I love to do. I’ve owned an airplane for over forty of those years, and now have a helicopter as well. Since the 70’s, I have subscribed to every relevant aviation magazine out there and devoured them on arrival.
My field was computing (my first email address ended with ‘.arpa.net’) so I’m not concerned with digital delivery of content. But I will not support any media that insults my intelligence with anything artificial. Firecrown’s attempt to buy up the entire aviation publication ecosystem (print&digital) and use AI-generated content to avoid paying established authors, will not turn out well for them (c.f. the wholesale defection of readers from AvWeb to AvBrief).
Capital is necessary to support any worthwhile venture. But publishing-by-venture-capitalists won’t fly.