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Outlet profile

Flying Magazine

U.S. aviation industry/enthusiast

Owned byFirecrown Media, owned by Craig Fuller, a digital media entrepreneur and licensed pilot
FundingPrimarily advertising revenue from the aviation industry, supplemented by print and digital subscriptions; also generates revenue through sponsored awards programs and industry events
On the administrationmostly neutral

Background

Flying was founded in 1927 as Popular Aviation by publisher William B. Ziff Sr. under Ziff-Davis Publishing, timed closely with Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight and the public's surge of interest in aviation. The magazine went through several name and ownership changes over the following decades, eventually becoming simply Flying. Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. sold it to the Bonnier Corporation in 2009, where it remained for over a decade. In July 2021, pilot and digital media entrepreneur Craig Fuller purchased Flying from Bonnier, establishing Flying Media Group — later rebranded Firecrown Media — as its parent. Under Fuller, Firecrown grew aggressively through acquisitions, adding Plane & Pilot in 2023 and a portfolio of Belvoir Media aviation titles (including AVweb, Aviation Consumer, Aviation Safety, IFR Magazine, and KITPLANES) in 2025. Flying bills itself as the 'world's most widely read aviation magazine' with roots spanning nearly a century. The publication's editorial focus is squarely on the aviation community — pilots, aircraft owners, and enthusiasts — and it has occasionally drawn criticism for coverage perceived as too friendly to advertisers and industry sponsors. It carries no consistent partisan political orientation; its policy coverage tracks FAA regulations, airspace rules, and aviation technology rather than broader political debates.

Sources

  1. Flying (magazine) — Wikipedia
  2. Flying Sold to Digital Media Entrepreneur with Plans to Expand the Iconic Brand — flyingmag.com
  3. FLYING Acquires 5 Major Aviation Media Brands — flyingmag.com
  4. FLYING Acquires Plane & Pilot Magazine — flyingmag.com
  5. FreightWaves founder acquires Flying, the world's most read aviation publication — FreightWaves
  6. Navigating New Heights: How Craig Fuller Built an Aviation Media Empire — Substack
  7. Our History — FLYING Magazine
  8. 'Flying' magazine rushes to defend advertiser — AOPA
  9. FAA Unveils New ATC Staffing Blueprint — flyingmag.com

Profile compiled 2026-08-12; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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