For quite a while I have been a subscriber to Loop magazine – an electronic monthly aviation publication. How about this for a bit of fresh air: the subscription is completely FREE!

My subscription is via my iPad – visit the app store and search for LOOP – but you can also subscribe online. Here’s the website address: http://www.loop.aero

The iPad version uses some very good and creative ways to enable you to see text and pictures. For example, you get mostly text in the ‘portrait’ orientation and in the ‘landscape’ orientation you get loads more photos. Using the LOOP app is quite intuitive – they don’t seem to be obsessed with creativity for its own sake, but just to enhance your viewing. Once you get the hang of it, you can swipe up, down and side to side, and rotate the iPad when you want more pictures. It’s a very good example of how electronic publishing can show real benefits over a printed magazine.

Even the advertisers are on board – I just love the ‘scratch card’ reveal of the Bendix King advert for their latest KT74 transponder.

The current issue – number 29 – has a great article about the Chipmunk trainer and previous issues have covered Light Sport Aircraft, STOL/bushplanes, the Red Bull racers, and many classic aircraft.

Finally, can you spot the Foxbat, which appears in every issue?