Why?

I think that every decision one makes has to answer the basic question, “Why?” The reasoning might be simple, intricate, or somewhere in between, but answering that question before making a decision can sometimes help push you forward and do something that you might not believe that you are actually going through with.

That is how the story of this page (Substack?) began. Since I lost my job at my former employer more than a month ago, I was somewhat in shock, somewhat in disbelief, and somewhat clueless about where to go next. I knew that I wanted to stay in the aviation industry, an industry I fell in love with when I first landed a job while I was still in university in 2018. Time flies, eh?

But knowing the job market in aviation media, and in media in general, reality set in quite quickly that my options would be limited, at best. After reflecting, I knew that the fact that I was facing an uphill battle because a) I am a non-native English speaker, b) I have limited connections, and c) the media’s overall state.

What I mean by the latter is that with the onset of AI and the way that some developers, including Google, have been actively driving away traffic from publishers (1), being a profitable media venture has become much more difficult in today’s day and age. Furthermore, users’ content consumption habits have also shifted to favor videos and/or audio (2), metamorphosing into another nail in the coffin of legacy media.

Having said that, and putting aside my doomer hat, I still truly believe that high-quality written work has and will always have a place in the world. Now, I am not saying that my work is the best out there, but I have strived to do my best and sprinkle everything I cover with a pinch of my own charm, or in layman’s terms, something that provides readers with a unique aspect about a news story that would appear in several other aviation publications.

After sitting on my bottom for a bit, and for the first time in my adult life, enjoying unemployment, I began contemplating my next move. Do I leave the industry, abandoning the trove of knowledge for greener grass somewhere else? I had already tried that a few years ago, and I quickly realized that once you get bitten by the aviation bug, there is no cure. So, that was out of the picture.

Do I try to find a place to work somewhere else? Mix in the aforementioned ABCs, self-doubt, and some form of imposter syndrome, and I ended up feeling that I had no options. This part is probably not the brightest idea – and might not be fully reflective of my reality – to put in a page that I would like to monetize and support myself with, but hey, I believe honesty is sometimes the best policy.

As I had been debating these questions inside my head and with my closest people, I have had some side work for which I am eternally grateful, and I am also grateful to the people who have reached out since that fateful – for my career – July 14, 2025. It cemented the fact that I do want to stay in aviation, and I want to write about the industry that never sleeps.

At the same time, the idea of carving my own path has been brewing for quite a while now. The designs and logos you see here were made in 2020! The timing never felt right – and it does not feel like the perfect time, still – but now, with a lot of time on my hands, I thought that, if not now, then when?

I am not going to lie, this path feels daunting, but overpowering through my fears might or might not lead to some beautiful things.

If I do not take the first step, though, I will never know, and I would rather try and fail than not try at all. Perhaps I am naive about this whole Substack thing, or my own abilities, but again, if not now, then when?

Thus, I welcome you to The Engine Cowl, a daily newsletter that will include my own stories and my peers’ takes on the ever-interesting aerospace industry. Consider subscribing, which will remain free, or upgrading to a paid subscription and supporting my independent journey, which starts today.

Whatever you decide to do, I appreciate it.

Yours,

Rytis

p.s. I already have some posts up, both incidentally covering developments at Airbus:

Despite Supply Chain Challenges, Airbus Improves Its Net Profit In H1 2025

Airbus Adds Only 11 Orders In April

Consider these to be teasers of what is to come in the future!