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

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.

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.

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Eric Radtke

It was his first airplane trip at age seven that made Eric decide to become a pilot. "While boarding the airplane, a flight attendant noticed my interest in the flight deck and urged me to go talk to the pilot. I give a lot of credit to that pilot for my career choice." He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and went on to an airline career. Eric now serves as Chief Instructor at Sporty's Academy and directs the University of Cincinnati’s Professional Pilot Training Program. In addition, Eric serves as a Captain in a Cincinnati-based corporate flight department.

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