Aviation Stories
Tell us the story you'll still be telling 20 years from now.
Aviation is full of stories.
We want to hear yours.
Aviation Stories from Special Tribute Spirits is a place for aviation people to share memorable moments—the good, the bad, and the ugly—in aviation.
Pilots are at the heart of Aviation Stories, but you don't have to be a pilot to submit. Flight instructors, mechanics, military aircrew, air traffic controllers, passengers, photographers, airport people, and anyone else with a great aviation story are all welcome.
The important part is simple:
Tell us about something memorable that happened that's related to aviation.
We're not looking for your life story or an essay about why you love aviation. We're looking for the story you tell when somebody asks: "So what's the craziest thing that ever happened to you in an airplane?"
If you've got one, send it our way.
What Makes A Good Aviation Story?
We're interested in memorable moments.
Maybe it was:
- A flight that went spectacularly wrong.
- A flight that went spectacularly right.
- A bizarre, funny, or unexpected encounter.
- A moment of extraordinary skill, stupidity, luck, or bad judgment.
- Something genuinely frightening.
- Something completely inexplicable.
- An unforgettable passenger, pilot, or airplane.
- A moment of incredible beauty.
- A situation you still can't believe actually happened.
- Or something else that makes for a damn good aviation story.
Your story should be your own firsthand experience whenever possible.
And don't worry about making it sound like a magazine article. Just tell the story. We'll take care of minor editing for grammar, clarity, and flow, if necessary. We won't rewrite your story for you or change the details. If substantial changes are needed, we'll either ask you to revise it or decline the submission.
There are no word or time limits. Tell the story as long as it needs to be told, and no longer.
Before You Submit
A few rules:
One story per submission. Send us your best one. If you send multiple stories, we'll reject the submission.
No simultaneous submissions. Don't submit the same story to Aviation Stories while you're also asking another publication to consider it. You can still share your story on your own social media.
Previously published is fine. If you've already posted your story somewhere, that's okay. You just need to own 100% of the rights to it, with no other person, publisher, company, or organization having a claim on those rights.
Keep other people anonymous when appropriate. If your story involves someone who shouldn't be identified publicly, change or remove identifying details. We will not publish stories that can reasonably be construed as attacks or negative portrayals of another person.
You must own the rights. Don't submit something that is subject to another agreement, publisher contract, or other third-party claim. If you don't have the right to give us permission to use the story, don't submit it.
No payment. Aviation Stories submissions are unpaid.
Submission does not guarantee publication. We reserve the right to decline any submission for any reason.
What Happens If You Submit?
If we accept your story, we'll publish it as part of Aviation Stories on our website and/or on our social media channels.
Depending on the format (text, audio, video) of your submission, that may mean a written story on our website, an audio or video upload on our YouTube, or excerpts/clips from your story on social media, including our Instagram, Facebook, X, and/or BlueSky accounts.
We may also feature stories in newsletters, compilations, or other editorial and promotional materials.
How to Submit
Keep it simple.
Send an email to specialtribspirits at gmail dot com with:
Subject: Aviation Stories Submission
Your name: Your real name, a pseudonym, or "Anonymous." Your choice.
Story: Paste your story directly into the email.
Audio or video: Attach your file to the email if you've recorded your story instead of writing it.
Photos: If you have photographs that go with the story, you can attach those too.
Bio: Optional. A short bio is welcome if you'd like us to include one.
That's it. No headshot required. No complicated submission forms. No resume. No cover letter.
We aim to respond to submissions within 14 days.
A Note About Rights
You retain the copyright to your story, photographs, and other material you submit.
However, by submitting material to Aviation Stories, you give Special Tribute Spirits permission to publish, reproduce, edit for grammar, clarity, and flow, excerpt, adapt, distribute, promote, and otherwise use that material, in whole or in part, in any format or medium, anywhere in the world, in perpetuity and without payment or royalty.
That includes using the story or portions of it on the Special Tribute Spirits website, social media, YouTube and other platforms, in newsletters, promotional materials, compilations, and future projects.
You remain free to use your own work as well.
In short: you keep your copyright. We get the right to use what you submitted. Permanently.
If you're not comfortable with that, please don't submit.
Ready?
You've probably already got a story in your head. Why not send it to us to share with the rest of the aviation community?
Send your Aviation Story to specialtribspirits at gmail dot com.
And if you want to see what we're building at Special Tribute Spirits while you're here, take a look around. We make decanters that celebrate aviation history for people who know that the stories behind the airplanes are often just as interesting as the birds themselves.