Announcing the 2026 Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots

1. To submit an article, the author must be no older than 24 years of age as of February 28, 2026. The author must be a student pilot or higher.
2. The article should highlight the author’s most memorable flight and be no longer than 1500 words.
3. The article must be original and have not been previously published.
4. The submission must include a 100-word biography of the author written in the third person.
5. The article must be submitted as a Word document and emailed no later than February 28, 2026, to [email protected]. Only emailed submissions are accepted. Please put “Young Pilot” in the subject line of your email.
6. Once a submission is received, no corrections or editing are allowed.
7. Photographs to illustrate the article are welcome, but not required.
8. One first place winner will be awarded $5,000; one second place winner will be awarded $2,500.
9. All winners will be notified by email in March 2026.
10. The winning articles will be published in Air Facts. Although there are only two prizes, Air Facts reserves the right to publish any article submitted.

Checklist for Young Pilot Authors

• Does my article have a title?
• Have I included my byline (by John Smith) below the title?
• Is my article 1500 words or less?
• Is my article about general aviation flying, specifically my most memorable flight?
• Have I carefully proofread my article and/or asked a pilot-friend to proofread it as well? (Remember that once your article is submitted, no changes will be accepted.)
• Have I included a 100-word bio of myself at the conclusion of my article and labeled it as such?
• Have I typed “Young Pilot” in the subject line of my email?
• Am I ready to email this article to [email protected]?

If you answered yes to all these questions, you are ready to press SEND! Good luck to all young pilots.