Wingspan,FLWG

[Flying Pig]

Interesting. I come I to work today and their is a copy of FLWGs publication Wingspan sitting on my desk.  Nobody here knows anything about it or how it got on my desk.  Good magazine though.  Must be covert recruiting tactics

[a2capt]

Someone knows your there

[EMT-83]

Impressive security!

[Flying Pig]

Impressive security!

This is the south.....  nothing is very impressive 

[AlphaSigOU]

I liked it better when it was called 'Gator CAPers', which didn't take very long for an underground scandal sheet named 'Gutter Clutter' to counter the sanitized, official news from Florida Wing back in the 70s.

[Woodsy]

Flying Pig,

I'm the guy who puts out WingSpan.  Hope you liked it.  WingSpan Magazine has come a long way from an online newsletter a couple years ago to a professionally produced, full length color magazine. 

What agency/section do you work for? Who was it addressed to?

We send it to a lot of people (latest edition had a distribution of 6,000.)  Some examples are:

-FLWG CAP Members (1 per household)
-Every US Congressperson and Senator from Florida
-Every member of Florida House of Representatives
-Every member of Florida Senate
-Every county's Director of Emergency Management
-Every County Sheriff
-Commanders/PAO's of major military installations within Florida
-Many Fire Chief's, Section Chiefs, Division Heads, and management personnel within Florida Department of Emergency Management, local and county agencies, military, national guard, etc.
-Key personnel at major state agencies, including Highway Patrol, Fish and Wildlife, Forestry, etc.
-CAP personnel up the chain of command at region and national level.  Also CAP/USAF (In fact, I just got an email (forwarded through my Wing Commander) a couple days ago from the CAP-USAF CC commending the magazine!)
-Many local leaders, mayors, and other interested parties as nominated by members.

On top of all that, we send 100 copies here, 100 copies there, to about 8 or 10 strategically placed members to distribute to units for use at recruiting/promo events, air shows, etc.  We will distribute about 500 copies at Sun n Fun in Lakeland this year. 

Additionally, many members have requested to add people to the mailing list, including sponsors/donors, facility managers, airports/FBO's, educators, etc.  Requests for an addition can be sent to wingspan@flwg.us. 

[Eclipse]

Who's paying for this?

The rest of the world is moving away from hard-copy magazines and mailing costs. including NHQ.

Nothing wrong with having a well-done electronic magazine, everything wrong if it costs money to distribute.

[Woodsy]

We used to put out a hard copy edition, but it was more of a newsletter, a few pages on inkjet paper, than a full blown magazine.  We moved back to a hard copy for a few reasons.  One of our major objectives with WingSpan is external exposure.  That's why we're mailing it to all the people in my previous post.  We want lawmakers, ES professionals, etc. to be aware of CAP.  The goal for this is increased missions, MOU's, and favorable opinions of CAP by policy makers / budget deciders. 

An e-magazine, emailed to these people is very unlikely to be read.  The last thing someone wants to do in the morning is spend an hour reading an emailed newsletter from an organization they may not be familiar with.  It is my opinion that a hard copy is much more likely to be read.  It can be taken home, read in the car or on an airplane, while waiting for meetings, etc.  Sure, we are realistic and realize that not every senator will read it or even see it himself, but if an aid does, or even if it gets thrown on a coffee table in a waiting room, someone is seeing it. 

As for cost...  It doesn't cost us a dime!  I negotiated a deal with a 3rd party publisher who sells advertising which fully funds the printing and mailing.  It is heavy in advertising, but that's the trade off.  We also get a percentage of the advertising revenue.  They also do most of the layout and design, which takes a heavy burden off of us.  We supply the content and also design the cover ourselves, but all of the page layout is done by them.  We are allowed up to 6,000 copies per edition, working up to 4 editions a year.  We just completed our initial year (2 editions) and both parties have agreed to execute a 2 year addendum in which we'll bump up to 3 per year.  After that, we'll go to 4.  We are also working on getting an electronic version up and running and should have that by the next edition.

Again, if anyone would like to receive a copy, send a request to wingspan@flwg.us (goes to me) with name and mailing address, unit and duty position and as long as we don't have any issues meeting our limit (we have plenty of room as of now) I'll get you on the list.  The next edition should be mailed around the beginning of May. 

[Spaceman3750]

I get 20 newsletter-type-mailings a month in my inbox. None of them get my attention. I do read the local chamber of commerce newsletter, because it shows up on my desk every month. I probably wouldn't read the same newsletter delivered to my inbox.

YMMV, but I consider myself pretty "average" in terms of what I consume online and suspect if you took a poll you would get a bigger sample saying the same thing. Obviously some CC somewhere has decided that it's worth the money.

[Woodsy]

I get 20 newsletter-type-mailings a month in my inbox. None of them get my attention. I do read the local chamber of commerce newsletter, because it shows up on my desk every month. I probably wouldn't read the same newsletter delivered to my inbox.

YMMV, but I consider myself pretty "average" in terms of what I consume online and suspect if you took a poll you would get a bigger sample saying the same thing. Obviously some CC somewhere has decided that it's worth the money.

EXACTLY!   

[spaatzmom]

Wing Span is a good magazine but I really miss Lt Col Buddy Harris' Florida Facts.  For a newsletterish magazine it was well before its time in content and quality.  Lots of stories from all over the wing and great pictures.  They also had far fewer ads that is now present.  I realize the ads are a necessary evil, but the majority of the mags current content is advertising leaving little room for what the wing members have done to support CAP.  Just my view point.

[Eclipse]

Awesome, a Penny Saver with CAP insignia on it.

Most likely this is a full-route circle from tree to landfill with few people actually reading it, other then a handful
of CAP people wanting see if they are in it, and then mad when they aren't.

[BHartman007]

We have a hard copy wing magazine, too. I read it cover to cover each month. I've never read one of the online type.

[PHall]

We have a hardcopy magazine here in California Wing. Comes out on a quarterly basis. Takes me about 5 minutes to read and in the trash it goes.
I can think of a better use of time and effort.

[Flying Pig]

I remember as a cadet getting the "Bear Facts".  I loved it! I thumbed through this issue I found on my desk and there was a good article about the local Sq.

Anyway..... the mystery has been solved.  Woodsy says the magazine is mailed to the Sheriffs.  My thought.....It ended up in the Air Units HQ mailbox because it had an airplane on it and the mail clerk who does all the rounds probably dropped it off.   

[bosshawk]

Rob: quit waffling and rejoin CAP.  You have been in the yes/no thing for some time.  Maybe FLWG will treat you better than CAWG did.

Just don't try to get me back in.

[a2capt]

Just don't try to get me back in.

No tit-for-tat? Come on. ;-)

[SarDragon]

Who's paying for this?

The rest of the world is moving away from hard-copy magazines and mailing costs. including NHQ.

Nothing wrong with having a well-done electronic magazine, everything wrong if it costs money to distribute.

Advertisers.

CAWG has a glossy magazine that is half ads, half articles and pictures. It seems to please all concerned.

[PHall]

Who's paying for this?

The rest of the world is moving away from hard-copy magazines and mailing costs. including NHQ.

Nothing wrong with having a well-done electronic magazine, everything wrong if it costs money to distribute.

Advertisers.

CAWG has a glossy magazine that is half ads, half articles and pictures. It seems to please all concerned.

Doesn't please me that much Dave. And if there was a way to opt out of it, I would.

And I'm not the only member who feels this way either.

[a2capt]

And I'm not the only member who feels this way either.

Bunch of old curmudgeons.. bah!

[BillB]

I was FLWG Director of Public Information (now PA) during the period that Gator CAPers was produced on a monthly basis. The biggest cost was the mailing of 5000+ copies each month. Advertising was limited since nobody on PAS staff did any selling, the Wing Finance Officer actually did the advertising selling. There was rarely a time when the newspaper style and later B&W magazine style GatorCAPers could not be filled with current information and news from around the Wing. Copies of the newapaper were sent to all major county libraries in the state sd well s several agencies to help in recruiting and getting the words out about CAP.

[Woodsy]

Who's paying for this?

The rest of the world is moving away from hard-copy magazines and mailing costs. including NHQ.

Nothing wrong with having a well-done electronic magazine, everything wrong if it costs money to distribute.

Advertisers.

CAWG has a glossy magazine that is half ads, half articles and pictures. It seems to please all concerned.

Thankfully, we're nowhere near the half and half mark.  We've had nothing from positive feedback from our members, and several emails from the non-member stakeholders we send it to asking for more info.  Add in the +/- 10K a year in revenue and I'd call it a huge success! 

As for the members who don't like it and want to opt out, they're more than welcome to do so by submitting a completed CAPF 2B to me and I'll make sure they're taken off the mailing list 

[Stonewall]

Good job on the magazine, I always enjoy getting it.  I still remember te GatorCaper from the 80s - 90s.