Flight magazine digital archive thread

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Member for

3 years 8 months

Posts: 381

I’m fortunate to have a large number of Flight magazine from 1909 to 1948. Although many are bound editions, there are also single copies too. In order to free up shelf space I have started a project to bring together the available online digital copies. There are many pages missing from the digital editions - but I’m not particularly worried about the advertising pages. 

Is anyone else engaged in a similar project? Would you be interesting in swapping the missing items if you have them? Also, although my PDFs are searchable, I would like to collect and share more of the publisher produced index pages too.

Any interest out there want to collaborate? And just to make clear, I am not interested in the wholesale giving away of work already done to those not collaborating and simply interested in free pickings. Sorry.

Original post

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 5,927

Having contributed to it, Oracal, you'll be aware of the thread (https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/flight-magazine-online-arc…) concerning the disappearance - and non re-emergence - of the Flight online archive that was created some years ago and, until the beginning of this year, was managed by the new publisher of the title. That publisher has repeatedly asserted to me an intention to re-instate that archive in the course of 2020 but, nearly three quarters of the way into the year, that has not yet come about (and my last message to it has yet to elicit a reply). Indeed, even the message to that effect, at what used to be the archive portal on the Flight website, has now disappeared and, as far as I can see, that website now contains no reference whatsoever to the archive. Thus whilst I'm open to being pleasantly surprised, I'm not optimistic that I'll see the return of the Flight online archive in the course of 2020 or at all and, if it does return, I'm pessimistic that it will be, as it was, free at the point of access. Thus your initiative, Oracal, is to be welcomed warmly. At present, the only copies of Flight magazine that are accessible online (https://archive.org/search.php?query=Flight+Magazine&and%5B%5D=subject%…) cover the years 1909 to 1935. Thus if you can, Oracal, by digitising your copies of Flight magazine add a run for the period 1936 to 1948, then in terms of online access one will be getting back toward what was available before the new publisher of Flight magazine took its online archive offline. It may be that if others, who have copies of Flight magazine covering the last 72 years, are willing to donate or loan these to you, to be digitised, then one may yet see a close to comprehensive and highly valuable resource available again without being subject to the commercial whims of the publisher of the magazine. I'm afraid that I cannot help your endeavour, Oracal, as I have no copies of the magazine, but I'm willing to offer my support and encouragement - although I doubt that you need this! Now all we need is someone with a large collection of post 1922 copies of The Aeroplane magazine to add to the 1909 to 1921 run that is available on the Smithsonian website (https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/aeroplane). Ah, that would be such stuff as dreams are made on! 

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 5,927

Sorry, Oracal. I've just read your initial thread again and more carefully and it seems that I have jumped to the wrong conclusion, namely that you have the intention to make the digitised copies of Flight magazine available online. Thus I presume that your endeavour is to provide yourself with a personal digital resource to alleviate the weighty burden on your shelves of the vast number of hard copies in your possession! If so, I still commend your exercise and wish you a successful outcome.

Member for

3 years 8 months

Posts: 381

Hi avion ancien, 

I knew these subject would be of interest to you. It’s not just for me but also others doing the same thing. Who knows how the product may end up being shared by others? 

I agree with you on the post-1922 Aeroplane too. I’ve also given thought to scanning the rest of my Aero collection as well. If I were in it for the money then the motivation would follow - but I’m not; I’ve had my fill of designing, building and running websites!

Member for

3 years 8 months

Posts: 381

All done. 😎