RAF PHOTO CONTEST STARTS OCT 1; RUNS THROUGH END OF MONTH

October 1st is the first day of the 2025 Photo Contest! It’s time to gather your favorites from the last year of flying.

From October 1-31, send us your best photos of scenic, recreational airstrips. Again this year, we are including the “RAF Mission” category, for photos we feel best illustrate people enjoying recreational aviation, regardless of region.

Winning images will appear on the popular RAF Thank You cards that go out to thousands of donors and supporters. Winners receive a pack of high quality RAF greeting cards with their image on the front, just in time for the holidays.

Winners from each of five U.S. regions will be selected; plus the RAF Mission category. The region is determined by where the photo is taken, not the photographer’s home state.

Entry period: October 1, 2025 until 10:00 pm MDT, October 31, 2025

Eligibility: Open to any RAF supporter, amateurs and professionals alike, including those 18 and under

Submissions must include:

  • Photographer’s name (Name remains anonymous during judging)
  • If under 18, state the age of the photographer 
  • Phone number
  • Location of photo (airstrip and state)
  • Identify any faces in the image, and obtain permission from them for this use
  • If sending in photos of children, you must first obtain parent/guardian permission to use the images

It’s easy to enter!

Email high resolution digital photos in .jpeg, .jpg, or .png format to Cindy at ccross@theraf.org.

There is a limit of five images per person, so please send only your best.

Standard size (not panoramic) photos in good focus, with good overall composition and lighting are preferred. Avoid clutter. Photos chosen as winners may be slightly edited or cropped to fit well on the cards. Most photos that include people will be judged in the RAF Mission category. Scenic images with aircraft are preferred for regional category entries.

By submitting your photo(s), you give the RAF permission to use your photo in publicity related to the RAF.

Our judges are our volunteer VP’s of Appreciation who write all the RAF thank you cards. They favor photos with airplanes, great scenery, and people enjoying the experience.

Winners will be announced in November. Each winner will receive a package of high quality greeting cards with their photo on the front; and their photo credit on the back.

Submitted September 25, 2025. Cover photo by Stephen Yeates, 2024 West Region Winner

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