Send in your pics to 2026 POWER UP Magazine Photo Contest Submit your vertical aviation photos by Dec. 1, 2025. Alexandria, VA (Aug. 4, 2025) – There’s so much to see in the vertical aviation industry: powerful aircraft, dedicated professionals, and the amazing work they accomplish. Have you captured that in photos? Share them with the world in the POWER UP Magazine Photo Contest, which opened Aug. 1, 2025. Now in its 14th year, the contest is open for submissions at photo.verticalavi.org through 11:59 p.m. eastern (UTC-5) on Mon., Dec. 1, 2025. There is no fee to enter, and the contest is open to anyone 18 years or older, professional or amateur; VAI membership is not required. Contest Categories The photo contest categories for 2025 are: Vertical Flight Aircraft at Work – present aircraft in action; no AOG shots, please Vertical Flight Aircraft in the Military – pay tribute to the aircraft and aviators serving their countries People and Their Vertical Flight Aircraft – focus your lens on aircraft and the PEOPLE who love them Wrench Turners – Show you or your maintenance crew turning wrenches inside or outside the hangar—or standing proudly by the aircraft you keep flying How We Serve – display all the ways we use vertical flight aircraft to keep our communities safe, secure, and prosperous, from fighting fires to keeping the lights on and more Digitally Enhanced Photos of Vertical Flight Aircraft – flaunt your photo-editing skills. Contest Rules The most important contest rules are: You must own the copyright to any photo you submit (in other words, you either took the photo or can document that you paid the photographer for the rights to the photo) Each photo must show all or part of a vertical aviation aircraft, including helicopters, tiltrotors, autonomous helicopters, large drones, and powered-lift aircraft. The complete rules and details on how to enter are available at photo.verticalavi.org. While you’re there, explore stunning entries from fellow aviation photographers from around the world. Prizes VAI will announce the winners of the 2026 POWER UP Magazine Photo Contest on Mon., Feb. 2, 2026. The top photographer in each category will win $100; the photographer who submits the top-rated photo overall will receive the Grand Prize of $500. Winning photos will appear in the March 2026 issue of POWER UP magazine and will be displayed at VERTICON 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Mar. 9–12 (exhibits open Mar. 10–12).
