The Pilot Newspaper: Official Site, Coverage, and How to Read or Subscribe
The Pilot's official website is thepilot.com, and it serves readers in North Carolina's Sandhills region. If you want local news from Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Aberdeen, and the surrounding area, this is the paper's own site — not a third-party aggregator. You can read some content directly in a browser, and the paper also offers an e-edition (a digital replica of the printed paper) plus subscription-based access.
What The Pilot Is and Where It Covers
The Pilot is a local newspaper whose site describes itself as "Links to The Sandhills." Its coverage centers on the Sandhills area of North Carolina, a region known for golf communities and small towns. Based on the site's own framing, the core service area includes communities such as:
- Southern Pines
- Pinehurst
- Aberdeen
Because it is a community paper, expect local government, schools, sports, business, events, and community news rather than national or international reporting as its main focus.
How to Read The Pilot Online
- Go to thepilot.com in your browser.
- Browse the homepage for current local stories. Headlines and section links lead to individual articles.
- For the digital replica of the print edition, look for the e-edition entry. The site hosts e-edition pages, including special sections — for example, a "Plan Your Best Life 2026" special section is published as an e-edition page.
- Click into an article or e-edition page to read it. Some content may load behind a subscription prompt rather than displaying immediately.
Expected result: you can read available local news on the site, and open the e-edition for a page-by-page digital version of the paper.
Subscribing and Accessing Paid Content
The site includes subscription signals — the term "subscribe" appears in its pricing-related content — so some or all content is likely tied to a subscription or account. The available information does not specify prices, tiers, or whether any content is free, so treat those as things to check on the site itself.
To subscribe or manage access:
- From the homepage, look for a Subscribe link or button (commonly in the top navigation or a banner).
- Follow the sign-up flow to create an account or choose a plan.
- If you already subscribe, use the Log in option so paywalled articles and the e-edition recognize your access.
Common Snags When Visiting
- Paywall prompts: an article may open but stop partway with a subscribe or log-in request. Logging in with an active subscription is what clears it.
- E-edition loading: e-edition pages are heavier than standard articles and may take longer to render, especially on mobile connections.
- Login not sticking: if you're signed in but still see paywall messages, refreshing after login or checking that cookies are enabled usually resolves it.
- Wrong site: several papers share similar names. Confirm you're on thepilot.com to be sure you're reading the Sandhills paper.
If your goal is simply to check local Sandhills news, start at thepilot.com and read what's open; if you need full access or the print replica, plan on creating an account or subscribing through the site's own sign-up flow.