Avionics International gladly accepts writing contributions for our newsletter and/or website in the form of feature stories or briefs. Our editors are interested in manuscripts inclusive of viewpoints and aim to build our database of experts from those with the following:
- Operational experiences with specific aircraft types (or multiple types) or mission sets (such as commercial airlines, private aviation, fighter jets, SAR, CSAR, medevac, homeland security)
- Management of aviation units
- Insight on the use of and future demand for sensors, onboard communications and mission equipment, among others.
- Designing or developing new aircraft communications, navigation and surveillance electronics systems.
- Embedded processing, architecture and technology insights, developments or industry trends.
- Aerospace engineering, regulatory or technology related expert opinions on topics of relevance to a wide variety of aviation professionals.
Writer Requirements
Must have working knowledge of avionics technologies and concepts, including but not limited to unmanned technology and drones. Must also have the ability to pursue interviews and write articles independently.
Submission Guidelines
We expect our writers to submit complete pieces, including imagery or recommendations for imagery, captions, headlines, personal headshot, personal bio and any other illustrations supporting material relevant to the article. With your submission, you acknowledge that you have the rights to distribute such material.
Length
- Online submissions usually run between 500 and 800 words.
- Print submissions usually run between 1,000 and 2,000 words.
Formatting Your Document
Medium: All copy should be submitted in a Word doc.
Language: Since our publication is based in the U.S., the “language” for all submitted Word documents should be set to “English (US).” We encourage you to set English (US) as the document language before writing the article, as it will adjust international spellings to the U.S. equivalent as you write.
Font/Spacing: All articles should be formatted using Arial set to size 12. Do not leave a blank line under each paragraph. No double-spacing after sentences.
Headline: You must provide at least one headline option. (More than one is greatly appreciated.)
Supporting materials: We would appreciate your reaching out to sources and requesting supporting materials, such as charts, photos, graphics and videos, to submit with your story. Caption and photo credit information should be included after the end of the main copy.
File Name: Please use the following format for naming your file: AVS_monthyear_title.doc. An example for a feature on Asia in August would be: AVS_0816_Asia.doc
Style Rules
AP Style: We follow the U.S. Associated Press (AP) style guide for all articles.
Acronyms: Acronyms are spelled out completely on first use, with each noun of the acronym capitalized, followed by the acronym in parentheses. The acronym can be presented by itself after first use. There are exceptions, including FAA, EASA and U.S., among other well-established abbreviations. When in doubt, include the full name of the acronym and the editors will edit accordingly.
Measurements: Avionics International’s in-house style guide includes abbreviating measurements preceded by a number, i.e. 40 mi (not miles) and 10,000 ft (not feet). We also don’t include periods after the measurement unit unless that word ends a sentence. A few examples of this instance follows.
- Ft, in, mi, km, gal, agl, nmi, kt
Publication Titles: All news publication titles are presented in italics, including our own Avionics International. Titles of research reports, panel sessions, webinars, books and works of fiction are presented in quotes, as AP Style dictates.
Punctuation: We do not use the oxford comma.
Quotes: We use past-tense verbs (said instead of says).
- Quote Length: Quotes should be no longer than three or four lines and only contain the most important elements of information.
- Inserting Information in Quotes: To insert or alter words in a direct quotation use square brackets —[ ]— around the change.
- Omitting Information from Quotes: Following AP’s punctuation guide, when condensing quotes, use an ellipsis with spaces before and after to indicate the deletion of one or more words.
Run-on Sentences/Comma Splices: Each sentence should convey one clear idea. Commas should be used sparingly. A general guideline is to use no more than four in one sentence, unless those commas are a part of a series.
Sources: We do not quote spokespersons. Avionics International is the business resource of aviation intelligence. We write for top executives. Therefore, we speak to and quote top executives, never “flacks.”
Spacing: Only use single spaces after periods ending a sentence.
Occupational titles: Avionics International’s in-house style is to abbreviate common uses of certain job titles, such as VP for vice president, CEO for chief executive officer, EVP for executive vice president.
Terms
Avionics International and its parent company, Access Intelligence LLC, purchases all U.S. and international rights in perpetuity to all the submitted material and its use in print, in digital form and any other present or future forms.
Content must be exclusive to Avionics International. We ask that authors not publish columns in other aviation publications for one month before and after publication in Avionics International. One week for company/association blogs.
Pitch Contact
Editor: Richard Abott