Warbird Information Exchange

CHALLENGE PUBLICATIONS AND COVID-19

First, I hope our readers, their families, and loved ones are staying well during the crisis that envelopes our nation. Challenge Publications has been in business for 56 years and tens of thousands of readers regularly enjoy our aviation and nautical history magazines including AIR CLASSICS, WARBIRDS INTERNATIONAL, SEA CLASSICS, and MUSTANGS INTERNATIONAL. I would like to take this opportunity to present an update on what is happening within our small company.

As many of you realize, California state and Los Angeles city mandates have forced us to close our doors. Also, many of our suppliers and distributors have fallen under similar directives. As an example, our publications are carried in the majority of Barnes and Noble's 600+ stores. These venues are now closed. This last Monday, the May issue of AIR CLASSICS shipped to Barnes and Noble and the many other retailers that handle the publication. Because they are closed, the magazines were “pulped” - destroyed before even being put on magazine racks. (As of 27 March, we have small numbers of the May issues in our office warehouse and they may be ordered from the listed contacts.)

With these problems - and combined with the closure of suppliers - we are completely incapable of producing our June 2020 issues. This dire situation may well extend into July. However, subscribers will automatically have their subscriptions extended.

Many of you have been subscribers for decades and I must appeal to your continued support and goodwill. While production of magazines has temporarily ceased, we will - for as long as possible - keep our customer service phone line (818-700-6868 ext. 15) open from 8 am to 1 pm Monday through Wednesday, Pacific Standard Time. By using this service (or our website www.challengeweb.com), readers can order back issues, obtain subscriptions, or order from the carefully chosen books that comprise our Aviation Book Club and Naval Book Club.

In these dramatically difficult times, we must call upon your continued support. Once the crisis is over, we hope to rapidly re-enter production with North America's largest circulation aviation and naval history publications. Bluntly, your immediate support is essential to our future survival.

Wishing all of our readership an increasingly bright future, please contact me directly if you have any questions.

Michael O'Leary
Publisher
moleary2challenge@gmail.com


https://www.facebook.com/81169355236173 ... 35543/?d=n

Thanks for posting this.

I've been a subscriber for several years now, since I couldn't find the magazines locally. I've called them several times--to order or extend subscriptions, order back issues or buy from their book club--and always found the nice lady there to be competent and friendly, and they ship quickly. Been an AC reader since 1970 and don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

Same here and back in the days when you showed up for the Breckenridge Airshows, you always took the time to ask how I was. I miss those days but look forward the next issue of AC, Warbirds International and Mustangs International.

Regards,

Lynn

I bought my first copy of AC sometime in the summer of 1980. I don't recall what issue it was, but it had a picture of a red-tailed F-86 on the cover (which is what caught my eye). I immediately subscribed and have been a continuous subscriber ever since. And then WI came out, I was a charter subscribed and still maintain that subscription.

Times are tough all over. Hopefully Challenge Publications will be able to resume doing what they do very well.

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Lake Dallas, Republic of Texas

That is just awful and we fully feel for the Air Classics gang as they have been a staple in Warbird media for years. We are lucky in Wisconsin to be able to continue to send our Sport Aviation and Warbirds of America magazines out to our gang. If you guys are going stir crazy and need a Warbird fix, this might be a good time to check out and consider joining the EAA family.

https://www.warbirds-eaa.org/

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

What I would like to see with Air Classic's and a lot of other defunct publications is a CD of the back issues.

I would not hesitate to pay 100 for 50 years of Air Classic's

Anybody remember Air Combat magazine from the 1960's ?

I thought the two best of the newstand aviation history magazines were WINGS and Airpower, bot of which are now gone for a decade or so. These had far more detailed historical information than Air Classics.

The magazine that I always enjoyed the most - always learned an abundance of new things in each issue - was WWI Aero. Now gone as well.

I used to subscribe to some 45 magazines, of various descriptions. Maybe three-fourths of these titles are now defunct. These will be further diminished as we further age.

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Kevin McCartney

I do. I have a few copies, maybe a dozen. I know I have their "special" on the F7F.

Challenge bought them out, and turned the title into something very different.

I think you can get a CD of all the Sport Aviation back issues. Lots of good warbird stuff, though not dedicated to Warbirds.

Speaking of Air Classics, does anyone here remember seeing this B-17 photo anywhere else? It was new to me.



It appeared in the January 2020 issue and I’m really keen to find out more about it. I suspect it’s a 19th Bomb Group B-17E at Townsville in May 1942. I think with a closer look at the photo I could identify the plane, so any help will be very welcome.

The excellent composition of the photo suggests it’s the work of a professional, perhaps Frank Prist from Acme or Ed Widdis from Associated Press.

Mark?

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www.B17BlackJack.com

It has the windows and sighting bubble for the early belly turret, and the last tail digit looks like a 2 or an 8, if that helps.

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Some Fry's grocery stores in Arizona have the May 2020 issue. I bought mine at the Cave Creek AZ store.

It would be good if Challenge updated their website and possibly they would get some more postal sales. The March issues of Air Classics and Warbirds are the latest featured on there.I do buy issues now and again when there are articles of interest to me but if the website isn’t updated nobody can see what’s on offer.

Thanks Chris. Yes, one of the early B-17Es and for a number of reasons I suspect it's 41-2438 from the 435th Bomb Squadron. Just wish I could get hold of a high-resolution scan of an original print. And, if it's an Acme photo, the caption stuck to the back of the print.

I presume Air Classics didn't provide a photo credit.

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www.B17BlackJack.com

I still hadn't gotten my May issue, so yesterday afternoon I sent Challenge an email asking for one.

Today, of course, the May issue was in my mailbox.

Either Challenge has the best Customer Service in the world, or it's just another example of the Natural Cussedness of the Universe.

My judgement: Never bet against the Natural Cussedness of the Universe.