Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association
Flight Training Magazine Redesign
SERVICES Creative Direction / Design / Illustration
AIRCRAFT OWNERS & PILOTS ASSOCIATIONThe Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA) is the world’s largest community of pilots and a leading voice in aviation. Through advocacy, education, information, and member resources, AOPA supports hundreds of thousands of current and future aviators while working to protect and advance the freedom to fly. Among its respected publications is Flight Training magazine, an authoritative voice on learning to fly. It educates, motivates, and inspires student pilots, certificated pilots, and flight instructors at every stage of their aviation journey.
FLIGHT TRAINING MAGAZINE REDESIGNAOPA partnered with Lisa Sirbaugh Creative to refresh the editorial design of Flight Training magazine, bringing a more contemporary and engaging approach to the publication while preserving the authority and educational integrity readers have come to trust. The redesign also addressed an important need for improved readability and accessibility, while positioning the magazine at the forefront of contemporary publication design and reader engagement. Working closely with the AOPA team, we redesigned key elements of the magazine, including the cover and masthead, table of contents, columns, section openers, recurring Preflight content, and custom illustrations. Thoughtful typographic treatments, stronger editorial hierarchy, improved readability and accessibility, compelling photography, and a refined visual system work together to enhance storytelling, navigation, and readability throughout the publication. More than a visual refresh, the magazine redesign establishes a cohesive, scalable design system that balances consistency with creative flexibility across future issues. The result is a contemporary, authoritative, and engaging publication—one that supports Flight Training’s mission to educate and inspire the next generation of pilots while remaining relevant to aviators committed to continuous learning and skill advancement.
