Michael Brown, a 23-year-old instrument and seaplane rated pilot from Tennessee, is the winner of this year’s Richard L. Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots for his story, “The Wrong Stuff.” A distinguished panel of judges selected Brown’s story as the entry that best answered this year’s writing prompt, “My most memorable or important flying lesson.” Brown’s article recounts what he learned when he let his ego make the decision to impress his first non-familial passenger in a Legend Cub on twin amphibious floats. As he admits, “I didn’t want her to think I didn’t have the confidence or the right stuff enough to do what the plane was designed to do.” After landing the floatplane, he quickly realized safely taking back off was going to be an issue.
Michael Brown Wins the Richard Collins Writing Award
Key Takeaways:
- Michael Brown, a 23-year-old instrument and seaplane rated pilot, won this year’s Richard L. Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots.
- Brown's winning story, "The Wrong Stuff," recounts a memorable lesson learned about the dangers of letting ego influence flying decisions while attempting to impress a passenger in a floatplane.
- He was awarded a $2,500 prize by Sporty’s and had his article published in Air Facts.
- The award, named after the prolific aviation journalist Richard L. Collins, encourages young pilots in their aviation and writing pursuits.
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