J. Mac McClellan
Editor in Chief

As editor in chief, Mac leads the editorial staff of highly skilled, heavily experienced aviation writers, editors and photographers to a new level of excellence. Mac's knowledge of virtually every facet of the general aviation market helps him keep Flying focused on what's new, what's happening, what's exciting and what's fun.

Mac has been a pilot for 37 years and an aviation writer for more than 30. He holds an ATP certificate with type ratings in Learjets and Citations. He also has a commercial helicopter pilot license and is a certified instrument flight instructor. Mac began his aviation writing career in 1976 with Business & Commercial Aviation, which, at the time, was a companion to Flying. Mac was technical editor at B/CA and moved over to Flying in 1980 with the same title. During his years at Flying, Mac has been based in Kansas City and Grand Haven, Michigan, before returning to the main office, then in Greenwich, Connecticut, to become editor in chief in 1990.

Mac has logged more than 10,000 hours flying virtually every current general aviation aircraft type, and many not-so-current classics and antiques. In fact, his first airplane was a Cessna 140 that was manufactured two years before his birth. He now travels primarily in his Beech Baron.

Mac is also an avid sailor, racing his Tartan 10 on Long Island Sound during the summer, whenever he isn't flying his Baron.

Richard Collins
Editor Emeritus

Richard Collins has been writing about airplanes, how to fly them and the environment in which they fly for over 50 years. Richard earned his private certificate 55 years ago and acquired his commercial, ATP and flight instructor certificates over the years. He has logged over 20,000 hours in general aviation airplanes.

Genetics apparently played a part in Richard's aviation writing ability; his father was Leighton Collins, founder, owner and editor of Air Facts. Richard etched out an unprecedented aviation writing career that took him to Flying in 1968, where he became Editor in Chief in 1977, and to AOPA Pilot as Publisher and Editor in 1987. Richard returned to Flying in 1993 and as editor at large contributes his monthly On Top as well as other feature articles.

Richard has studied the weather from the best vantage point-the left seat-and is one of the nation's foremost experts on aviation meteorology. He is featured in a Sporty's Pilot Shop video series on weather, has appeared in 28 videos in Sporty's Air Facts how-to video series and has written 11 books on aviation.