Welcome to the very first issue of the PlanesNStuff newsletter! Chocks away.
Who it's for
This newsletter is for anyone who stops mid-sentence when a radial engine rumbles overhead. Maybe you're a pilot or a student pilot. Maybe you fly drones or RC models, spend weekends at the airport fence with a camera, or simply love the stories behind the aircraft. If planes (and stuff) make you smile, you belong here.
What lands in your inbox each Saturday
One email a week, on Saturday mornings, Sydney time. Here's what each issue will bring:
New on the blog: a quick round-up of the week's new posts, so you never miss one.
Aircraft of the week: one aeroplane, a few great stories and why it matters.
Airshow heads-ups: events and fly-ins worth putting in the diary, only once their organisers have confirmed the dates.
Behind the scenes on our prints: how our aviation art comes together, from first idea to finished poster.
Gear finds: honest, research-based picks for drones, RC, flight sim and pilot kit. If we haven't tested something ourselves, we'll always say so.
Catch up on the blog
Here's where it all started:
The Golden Age of Biplanes: Why These Classic Aircraft Still Capture Our Hearts: our launch post, from the Wright Flyer to Tiger Moth joy flights.
The Boeing-Stearman Kaydet: The Biplane That Taught America to Fly: the open-cockpit trainer behind a generation of WWII pilots, and where to see or fly one today.
How Do Planes Fly? Lift Explained Without the Math(s): the four forces, angle of attack and stalls, explained simply.
Gifts for Aviation Lovers: Ideas for Pilots, Plane Spotters and Avgeeks: books, model kits, flight-sim gear and more for the avgeek in your life, just in time for Christmas.
The North American P-51: The WWII Fighter That Took the Bombers All the Way: the fighter that escorted the bombers all the way, and the story behind our newest print.
From the art shop
Our aviation prints are our own designs, and two make a great place to start:
I'm Not Old, I'm a Classic: a cheeky vintage biplane poster for dads, grandpas and pilots who've earned their stripes.
WWII warbird in sunset clouds: a silver WWII fighter flying through sunset clouds.
You'll find the rest in our Art Shop.
Coming up
The de Havilland Tiger Moth: Australia's most-loved training biplane, and where you can still fly in one.
Beginner drones: what to look for in your first drone, and the rules to know before you fly it, with guides for both Australia and the US.
Floatplanes in Alaska: bush flying on floats, from Beavers and Otters to Cubs, and why so much of Alaska depends on them.
Mission aviation: the remarkable story of the pilots who fly missionaries, medical help and supplies into remote places, from the early years to today's bush planes.
Helicopters: from Sikorsky's early machines to today's rescue and aeromedical choppers, and the lives they save.
Gliding: how sailplanes soar without an engine, and where you can try a trial flight.
Homebuilt aircraft: from ultralights to popular kits like Van's RVs, Kitfox, Sonex and Zenith.
Headsets for student pilots: passive vs noise-cancelling, explained.
A free printable for subscribers. More on that soon.
Say g'day
Hit reply and tell us which aircraft you love most. We read every reply, and the best stories might just inspire an aircraft of the week.
Thanks for coming along for the ride. We're glad you're on board.
The PlanesNStuff crew
God bless you with blue skies!