Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group announced several significant developments across its expanding aviation media and marketplace portfolio, reinforcing its commitment to investing in and modernizing the brands pilots and enthusiasts trust most.
Veteran aviation journalist Jonathan Welsh has joined Firecrown from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to lead the renewed Aviation Consumer brand.
Under Welsh’s leadership, Aviation Consumer will transition to a 100 percent digital platform, continuing its legacy of providing pilots with unbiased product evaluations and in-depth ownership insights in a more accessible, modern format.
Welsh previously served as a senior writer and multimedia contributor at AOPA, following a distinguished journalism career that included roles at The Wall Street Journal, FLYING, and Barron’s.
Firecrown also unveiled comprehensive front-end overhauls of AirlineGeeks.com and AircraftForSale.com, designed to enhance user experience, speed, and engagement across both platforms. The updates mark a major step forward in delivering streamlined access to commercial aviation news and aircraft listings for thousands of daily users.
Plane + Pilot Overhaul
Looking ahead, Plane + Pilot magazine will undergo a full rebrand in 2026, aligning the title around its mission to serve pilots who fly for the pure joy of flight. The refreshed brand identity—previewed in a recent teaser on social media—will celebrate personal aviation, adventure flying, and the lifestyle surrounding aircraft ownership.
Meanwhile, Firecrown reaffirmed its commitment to preserving the evergreen and technical excellence of Aviation Safety and IFR magazines, ensuring both continue serving their devoted readerships with the same editorial rigor and timeless training value that have defined them for decades.
Starting next year, the content from these journals will continue to live on digitally under the FLYING brand.
These announcements build on a year of strategic investments across Firecrown’s Aviation Group, which in 2025 included expanded FLYING Finance initiatives connecting aircraft buyers with lenders, the growth of AVweb’s video and digital reporting capabilities, and new cross-platform marketing programs aimed at strengthening the reach of Firecrown’s aviation titles.
“These initiatives reflect Firecrown’s ongoing investment in the future of aviation media,” said Kelly Keller, group president of Firecrown’s Aviation Division. “By modernizing our digital platforms and empowering our editorial teams, we’re ensuring that each brand not only honors its heritage but continues to lead its segment in quality and relevance.”
Firecrown’s Aviation Group includes FLYING Magazine, Plane + Pilot, AVweb, AirlineGeeks.com, Aviation Consumer, AircraftForSale.com, and KITPLANES. Together, these titles form one of the largest and most trusted networks in aviation publishing and digital marketplaces.
