Call for Entries: The Fourth Annual Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots

$5,000 first place and $2,500 second place awards for pilots up to age 24

The Richard Collins family has once again partnered with Sporty’s to offer The Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots. To qualify, the writer must be a pilot (including student pilot) who is 24 years of age or younger. The article must be original, not previously published, and no longer than 1,500 words. The topic should be “my first time at the controls of an airplane.”

The winning articles will be published in Air Facts, the publication Richard’s father, Leighton, founded in 1938 and which was relaunched 11 years ago by Sporty’s as an online magazine. The articles will be judged by a panel of three: Richard Collins, Jr., Amy Laboda, and J. Mac McClellan.

“Since launching this contest in 2019, the Collins Prize has encouraged hundreds of young pilots to pursue their passion for writing,” says Sporty’s Vice President and Air Facts Editor John Zimmerman. “We’re excited to honor Richard’s legacy with an even better contest this year.”

New for 2022, two prizes will be awarded. Both the first place and second place articles will be published in Air Facts, while their writers will receive a check: $5,000 for first place and $2,500 for second place. The winners will be announced in April.

Articles may be submitted now through March 2, 2022, and sent in as a Word document to [email protected]. In addition, young pilots are required to submit a 100-word bio to accompany their articles.

For more information, visit Air Facts. To read the 2021 winning article, click here.