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2020 International Aviation Art Contest

The theme for the 2020 International Aviation Art Contest is "Flying Yesterday and Tomorrow."

Please mail entries to: Virginia Department of Aviation, Art Contest, 5702 Gulfstream Road, Richmond, Virginia 23250.

Contest Brochure 

All artwork for the state competition must be postmarked by January 13, 2020.

The dream to fly is thousands of years old. Ancient stories from around the world tell us of those who wanted to take flight. Their stories of successes and failures started to be- come reality in the late 1800s, when men and women used the growing technological know-how to build the craft that, up until then, had only been possible in our dreams. 

Early balloonists excited the world with flights covering 25 miles in under 3 hours. Now, they have the option of taking a few hours journey or one of thousands of miles over many days in balloons specially designed and equipped to go long distances. Gliders have increased distances and heights as well. While the first glider pilots jumped their gliders from hills and mountains, today’s gliders are towed high into the air and can travel for hundreds of kilometers or more. The first airplanes were made of cloth and wood, and those early crafts were powered by engines that pro- duced around 12 horsepower. 

Today, metal and composites are the materials designers use to make flight faster and safer. In fact, some modern racing planes’ engines produce over 3,500 horsepower, and a modern commercial airliner with multiple engines creates over 95,000 horsepower! While the physics of flight remains the same, the technology is always advancing. 

Each generation has learned from those that have come before, adding to what is possible while holding true to the love of flight that is in the heart of all aviators. The dreams of flight have become the reality of today’s sports aviation. The hang gliders, balloonists, racers, and aerobatic pilots fly above us and show what is possible today. What does the future hold? Where will the young aviation dreamers of today lead us? 

Eligibility

All Children in the age groups shown below are encouraged to participate in the contest, even if they are related to officials or employees of the FAI or any of its member organizations.

Group I  Category (Date of birth between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2013)
Group II Category (Date of birth between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2009)
Group III Category (Date of birth between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2005)

Contest Rules

Format

The required format is A3 (297 x 420 mm or 11 ¾” x 16 ½ “). Or, if this is unobtainable, the nearest possible equivalent. Artwork must NOT be framed or outlined with borders.

Medium

All artwork must be done by hand (or, in the case of physically challenged children, by foot or mouth). Any of the following media are permitted: watercolor, acrylic, oil paint, indelible marker pens, felt-tip pens, soft ball point pens, indelible ink, Crayola or any similar indelible medium. The following media are NOT permitted: pencil, charcoal or other non-permanent medium; computer-generated artwork; collage work involving the use of photocopies.

Markings

The following information should be clearly shown on the back of the artwork: title, family name, given name, address, date of birth, country of residence, name and address of school which the child attends, and certificate of authenticity.

Title

There is no need for a title on the poster and entrants can decide for themselves whether or not to include one; however there should be a clearly recognizable link to the theme of the contest.

Reproduction Rights

Once received, entries become (and remain) the property of the State Sponsor and may be used for a variety of purposes. Those forwarded for international judging become the property of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), however, FAI will try to return the original artwork.

Awards

State Awards

Entries in each age group will be judged and state winners and runners-up will be selected. Winners will receive a certificate and recognition from their state. The top three entries in each age group will be forwarded to Washington, DC., to participate in the national competition. Winning artwork will also be displayed on the Virginia Department of Aviation’s website.

National Awards

A first, second, and third place winner will be selected from each age group. All national winners will receive certificates, ribbons and a framed reproduction of their artwork.

International Awards

The first, second, and third place national winners in each age group will be forwarded to FAI headquarters for international judging. Winners of the international competition will receive certificates and gold, silver, and bronze medals.l

Sponsors

The 2020 International Aviation Art Contest is sponsored by the National Aeronautic Association and the National Association of State Aviation Officials, in cooperation with the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), to motivate and encourage young people of FAI member nations to become more familiar with and participate in aeronautics, engineering, and science.

Mail Virginia Entries to:

Virginia Department of Aviation
Art Contest 
5702 Gulfstream Road
Richmond, Virginia 23250-2422