Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Gayden.
Hi Greg, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always had a love for aviation, starting when I was a kid and my father would take me out to watch the aircraft coming at going at the airport. Years later, I started a career at the airport and that passion was soon rekindled.
I had been writing a commercial aviation newsletter for the past ten years at my regular day job. Due to various circumstances, I decided it was time to change things up and transition to doing this fully on my own. By doing so, I gained full editorial and creative control of what I wanted to write and share. I also changed the tempo from twice a month to twice a week, which has enabled me to take deeper dives on stories or articles I find important or worth delving into. Of course, the increased publication pace also keeps things fresher as well.
Flightline is a specialized commercial aviation briefing and newsletter that provides high-level intelligence on global industry trends, fleet modernization, and airline financial performance. Produced for a niche audience of industry professionals and enthusiasts, the publication delivers data-driven analysis on everything from route expansions to regulatory updates. By prioritizing firsthand reporting and authentic industry insights, Flightline serves as a vital resource for staying ahead of the rapidly evolving aviation landscape. You’ll find information and statistics here that are culled from hundreds of various websites and civil aviation authorities.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I feel like the road has been both smooth and bumpy. What I mean by that is that it has been fairly similar in terms of the writing, reporting, and collecting of various information that is shared in Flightline to what I had been doing before. That comes naturally to me and is something I enjoy doing.
Certainly I have to be far more mindful of sticking to a set schedule as that is what I’ve promised and people have expected. Managing the website and the online publishing service, and trying to build up from a few hundred to nearly 10,000 subscribers now has been a challenge. I’ve been fortunate to have higher than normal open rates and engagement that industry norms, however, the harder part is trying to monetize that. I’m at least able to cover the costs of hosting the site and the newsletter platforms monthly costs. I’d by lying if I said I wouldn’t mind being able to make a few extra dollars as well.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have worked in regulatory compliance for commercial airlines and airports for the past nearly 25 years. In that time, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit and work at around 200 airports across 35 countries. This job has given me extensive experience across various lines of the industry and allowed me to visit countless cities and countries that I probably never would have been to on my own. I’ve always enjoyed writing and I am proud of the fact that my various publications have been so helpful to so many people in my industry. Between writing the Commercial Aviation 101 book and now with Flightline, I’ve developed a reasonably sized audience. This allows me to share not only the latest industry news but also insights and inside tidbits that may not otherwise be told.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I could easily name a few. Certainly my late father was a big part of getting me into aviation and of course he liked hearing the experiences and stories I would share with him. Various coworkers over the years have given me suggestions and help along the way, and then my wife encouraged me to strike out on my own with Flightline and see where it would go. I’ve been glad to lean on her expertise in the social media side of things as well.
Pricing:
- Monthly $7
- Quarterly $18
- Annual $65
- Lifetime $299
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.flightline.news
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-gayden-4588b8373/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Flightline2030
