PILOT YOUR OWN ADVENTURE CONTEST

EAA® Pilot Your Own Adventure Writing Contest

2023 Contest Details:

Each pilot has a story — what’s yours? Tell us the true story of how pursuing the dream of flight enabled you to do something that would have otherwise been out of reach. We want to hear how becoming a pilot and getting involved in grassroots aviation made a memorable experience possible for you. How did you pilot your own adventure? Tell us how flying helped you transform from dreamer to doer.

If we love the way you tell your story, you might just win the AirVenture camping experience of a lifetime, or one of several other exciting prizes, as part of EAA’s Pilot Your Own Adventure Contest, supported by Flight Outfitters®.

The contest runs from January 13, 2023, through March 13, 2023, at 5 p.m. CDT.

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Email Address*

Entries may be submitted online. Hard copy submissions may be sent to:

EAA Aviation Center

Attn: AirVenture Writing Contest
P.O. Box 3086
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086

The contest period for EAA’s 2023 Pilot Your Own Adventure Contest runs from January 13, 2023, to March 13, 2023.

For all official rules and other details, including judging criteria, click here.

To submit your story electronically, click here

Based on the enthusiasm from 2021, we weren’t surprised to get a lot of entries for EAA’s Pilot Your Own Adventure Contest, supported by Flight Outfitters. Our panel of judges read nearly 200 stories, and, while it was an extremely close race, ultimately chose five winners.

Grand Prize

The grand-prize winner is Brittany Lozier Moon from Noblesville, IN.  Her story is about her father’s 1929 Taperwing Waco plane.  She and her brother brought it back to life and learned a little history about the plane along the way. To read Brittany’s essay, click here.

2nd Place

The second-prize winner is Dewey Davenport from Jamestown, OH.  In 2016 he  became the caretaker of one of the most important aircraft in the American barnstorming era.  He and his plane,Full House,have become one of the most popular modern-day barnstormers in the world. To read Dewey’s essay, click here.

3rd Place

The third-prize winner is Matthew Northway of Eugene, OR for his story about the “unbroken chain” of his model A Bird.To read Matthew’s essay, click here.

4th Place

The fourth-prize winner is Emily Herron from Beaver Dam, KY. Emily’s story is about the family legacy of their Cub 45H plane.  Emily fell in love with aviation in the 45H and became a pilot just like her father and grandfather. To read Emily’s essay, click here.

5th Place

The fifth-prize winner is Justin Spence from Memphis, TN.  Justin’s story is about the multi-generational airplane he and his family have enjoyed beginning with his grandfather in South Africa. To read Justin’s essay, click here.

PRIZES

Grand Prize

The Grand Prize winner will be provided the use of a unique teardrop camper on a campsite in Camp Scholler on the AirVenture grounds for eight nights, from July 23, 2023, to July 30, 2023. In addition, they’ll receive two weekly adult wristbands to EAA® AirVenture® Oshkosh™ 2023, one individual, annual membership to EAA for one year, and a collection of gear and apparel from Flight Outfitters as follows:

Second Prize

Gear and apparel from Flight Outfitters as follows:

Third Prize
Gear and apparel from Flight Outfitters as follows:

Fourth Prize

Gear and apparel from Flight Outfitters as follows:

Fifth Prize

Gear and apparel from Flight Outfitters as follows:

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To qualify, your story must be:

  • True — all entries must be non-fiction, based on real facts, real events, and real people.
  • At least 500 words, and no more than 1,000 words long.
  • Accompanied by a minimum of two and a maximum of eight photographs with captions of no more than 30 words each.
  • Typed or handwritten, and must be legible, clear, and easy to read.

To enter, Contestant must complete and submit the entry form, which can be obtained online at www.eaa.org/flightoutfitters or in person at the EAA Aviation Museum™ and, further, must submit a Story Entry in conformance with these Rules. The entry form and Story Entry may be submitted online at www.eaa.org/flightoutfitters or by U.S.P.S. Mail, by Certified or Registered Mail, by recognized national or international courier service addressed to:

EAA Aviation Center
Attn: AirVenture Writing Contest
P.O. Box 3086
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086

To inquire about submitting an entry by email, you must contact EAA before March 1, 2023 at editorial@eaa.com. Only Contestants whose Story Entry complies with these Rules and whose submission is received by EAA in accordance with these Rules will be considered.

The contest period runs from January 13, 2023, through March 13, 2023, at 5 p.m. CDT.  All entries submitted online or via email must be received by EAA by the end of the Contest Period.  All mail-in entries must be postmarked by March 13, 2023 and must be received by EAA on or before March 20, 2023.

For all official rules and other details, including judging criteria, click here.

To submit your story electronically, click here

The Contest will begin on January 13, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. CST and will end on March 13, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. CDT (the “Contest Period”). All entries submitted online or via email must be received by EAA by the end of the Contest Period.  All mail-in entries must be postmarked by March 13, 2023 and must be received by EAA on or before March 20, 2023.

For all official rules and other details, including judging criteria, click here.