ALEA: The US based Airborne Law Enforcement Association [ALEA] has announced that its in house magazine for members “AIR BEAT” is going digital this year. The staff of Air Beat is geared up for 2011. In addition to having a full-color glossy magazine delivered to your mailbox, you will now have the option to read Air Beat on your computer, laptop or mobile device. In order to receive the digital version, members need to make sure ALEA have members current email address by going to the website and verifying their information. It can all be done online. Air Beat is also looking for a few police aviation agencies to profile in 2011. Specifically, they are looking for agencies that would like to share their experience with microwave downlink, moving maps, alternative aircraft, and search and rescue missions. Contact airbeat@alea.org for more information.

Editor: PAN is getting hemmed in by all the new moves towards the cheaper digital option being take by its ‘competitors’ year on year. There was a time when it was the only option, then ALEA brought out its own digital monthly newsletter [around the time PAN left the alea.org web presence!]. It will be interesting to see how ALEA fare with this. They had a real expensive experience with trying to digitize their membership database onto CD in the face of member hostility. Perhaps offering both is a sop to change by stealth and the hard copy may be doomed later rather than immediately.

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Reproduced from Police Aviation News with permission. Copyright and full responsibility for the content of this article remains with Police Aviation News

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