Professional Pilot Magazine

What Professional Pilot Magazine does

Professional Pilot Magazine is a monthly business aviation trade publication founded in 1966 and based in Alexandria, Virginia, with primary editorial and business offices in Greensboro, North Carolina. The company operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees and serves a global audience of qualified professional pilots, corporate flight departments, charter operators, FBO (fixed-base operator) personnel, MRO providers, and aviation industry decision-makers through print, digital, and event-driven content.

The core product is the monthly Professional Pilot magazine, distributed in print and digital editions to qualified subscribers, supplemented by three proprietary annual industry surveys that anchor its franchise value: the PRASE survey (now in its 48th consecutive year) ranking FBOs and ground services with input from 800+ qualified pilots; the POWERPLANT survey ranking turbine engine reliability and support; and the Corporate Aircraft Manufacturers Product Support Survey ranking business jet and turboprop OEMs. The underlying technology is a digital publishing platform built on standard CMS infrastructure, with subscription management, online archives, and a custom survey/voting system for industry rankings. Editorial coverage spans aircraft launches, operator profiles, safety, connectivity, compensation, sustainability, and emerging segments such as urban air mobility and hybrid-electric propulsion.

The business model is a classic dual-revenue B2B trade publication: recurring annual subscriptions from qualified aviation professionals, and advertising sales from a concentrated set of aviation manufacturers and service providers (including Bombardier, Gulfstream, Textron Aviation, Airbus Helicopters, and Daher). Distribution is global, with editorial coverage extending across North America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, parent company, or ownership structure, and operates without disclosed AI/ML capabilities, proprietary APIs, or mobile applications.

Name

Professional Pilot Magazine

Legal name

Professional Pilot Magazine

Website

https://propilotmag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Professional Pilot Magazine is a privately-held, monthly business aviation trade publication founded in 1966, serving qualified professional pilots, flight departments, and aviation industry advertisers worldwide through print and digital editions plus three proprietary annual industry surveys (PRASE, POWERPLANT, Corporate Aircraft Manufacturers Product Support).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Trade Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports & Recreation Magazines (MPAJAEAJ)

Keywords

• Business aviation publishing
• Aviation trade magazine
• Pilot industry surveys
• FBO industry rankings
• Aviation news coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Qualified professional pilot readers and aviation industry professionals subscribe to receive the magazine in print and/or digital format, with subscription tiers including notice page for members
2. Advertising: Aviation industry advertisers including manufacturers (Airbus, Bombardier, Gulfstream, Daher), FBOs, MRO providers, and service companies purchase advertising placements. The site references ad specs page indicating formal advertising packages

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Professional Pilot Magazine is a monthly B2B trade publication for professional pilots and business aviation crews, delivered in print and digital formats with an online archive. It also operates three annual reader surveys — PRASE (FBOs), POWERPLANT (turbine engines), and Corporate Aircraft Manufacturers Product Support — that rank aviation service providers and manufacturers based on votes from qualified professional pilots. Revenue comes from paid subscriptions and advertising sold to aviation manufacturers, FBOs, MRO providers, and service companies.

Product overview

Professional Pilot Magazine is a single unified publication offering comprehensive coverage of business aviation through its main magazine product, supplemented by three major annual industry surveys (PRASE, POWERPLANT, and Corporate) that rank FBOs, aircraft manufacturers, and service providers. The publication also offers digital edition access and subscription-based content delivery to qualified aviation professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PRASE Survey: Annual PRASE (Professional Pilot's Aircraft Reserved/Survey) survey ranking fixed-based operators (FBOs) in the Caribbean and Americas
• POWERPLANT Survey
• Corporate Aircraft Manufacturers Product Support Survey

Products and services

• Professional Pilot Magazine Monthly print and digital trade publication delivering news, surveys, and analysis on business aviation, including aircraft reviews, FBO coverage, MRO services, connectivity, safety, and compensation analysis for qualified professional pilots and aviation operators.
• PRASE Survey Annual reader survey ranking fixed-based operators (FBOs) and ground service providers across regional categories based on votes from qualified professional pilot readers, with over 800 pilots participating annually.
• POWERPLANT Survey

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 800 pilots participate annually in PRASE survey providing statistically significant service provider ratings

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Avfuel (Avflight Network)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAvflight FBOs are part of the Avfuel-branded network of 720+ FBO locations worldwide, providing cross-promotional marketing opportunities and brand visibility for the publication's FBO coverage.
• BombardiercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBombardier featured prominently in Professional Pilot coverage including product announcements, service center network news, and industry surveys. Multiple press releases about Bombardier products and services published on the platform.
• Textron Aviation (Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerTextron Aviation brands regularly featured in news coverage including Special Olympics Airlift coverage and aircraft announcements. Major advertiser presence.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Aviation Safety Magazine: Aviation Safety is published by the Flight Safety Foundation and covers safety, accident analysis, and operations across aviation. It overlaps with Professional Pilot Magazine's safety and operations editorial for professional pilot readers.
• Aircraft Bluebook: Aircraft Bluebook publishes aircraft valuation and market data for the general aviation industry. It is adjacent to Professional Pilot Magazine's data-driven rankings business and competes for aviation intelligence spend from operators and FBOs.

Broad incumbents

• Aviation Week & Space Technology: Aviation Week is a broad, established aerospace industry publication covering commercial, business, and defense aviation plus space. It overlaps with Professional Pilot Magazine on business aviation content and competes for OEM advertising dollars.
• Flying Magazine: Flying Magazine is a general aviation consumer publication covering piston, turboprop, and light jet operations. It overlaps with Professional Pilot Magazine on turboprop and light jet coverage and on general aviation advertising.

Direct peers

• Aviation International News (AIN): AIN is a long-standing B2B aviation trade publication covering business aviation, commercial aviation, and operators. It directly competes for advertising dollars and reader attention in the same business-aviation professional pilot segment.
• Business Jet Traveler: Business Jet Traveler is a business aviation consumer-facing publication covering jets, ownership, and operations. It shares the business aviation readership and advertiser base with Professional Pilot Magazine, though oriented to owners/operators more broadly.
• Vertical Magazine: Vertical Magazine covers helicopter operations across commercial, corporate, and emergency services segments. It directly overlaps with Professional Pilot Magazine's helicopter and corporate rotorcraft coverage and competes for helicopter OEM and operator advertising.

Others

• NBAA (National Business Aviation Association): NBAA is the principal business aviation association producing publications, events, and operational resources. It is comparable as a content provider to business aviation professionals and an alternative channel for advertising and reader engagement.

Regional players

• Pilot Magazine (UK): Pilot Magazine is a UK general aviation publication covering flight training, aircraft reviews, and operations. It is comparable to Professional Pilot Magazine in content scope but serves a primarily European audience rather than global business aviation.
• Aero Magazine: Aero Magazine was a Cessna-published general aviation lifestyle magazine covering turboprops, pistons, and light jets. It overlaps thematically with Professional Pilot Magazine on general aviation editorial but historically served a more recreational, owner-pilot audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/propilot_mag
• Facebookfacebook.com/Pro.Pilot.Magazine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/professional-pilot-magazine/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/pro_pilot_magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Professional Pilot Magazine