Contributing Writer (Aviation Journalism)

About Contrail
Contrail is a commercial aviation publication covering airlines, airports and the business of flying for a general audience rather than enthusiasts. We publish three to six pieces a day: flight reviews, breaking news, editorials and explainers.
Founded in 2025, the site reaches a growing newsletter audience and ranks in search for reviews of airlines the major outlets ignore. The team is small and spread across several countries, with an advisory board of industry professionals who work with us on strategy.
The Role
You pitch what you want to write, and we edit it together until it's ready to publish under your name. Most contributors write one or two pieces a month. There are no quotas, no set hours and no obligation to file on any schedule.
What we publish:
Aviation news with an angle, not a rewrite of a press release
Explainers that answer something a normal traveler wonders about
Flight reviews, if you fly somewhere worth writing about
Airport and industry pieces from wherever you are
There's occasional work beyond writing too. When a story breaks we sometimes need help covering it quickly, and there's regular need for research, fact-checking and other support. None of it is required, and it's a good way in if you'd rather start by helping than by pitching.
What You Get
A published byline on every piece, with your name and bio on the site
Line-level editing from an editor, not a rubber stamp
Our style guide, a working document on writing for a general audience
Clips on a site with real traffic and a real audience
Flexibility, since this fits around your studies or other work
A team to be part of, including advisors across aviation and media
This role is unpaid. Contrail is a small independent publication, and contributors who write with us are first in line when paid commissions become possible.
Who We're Looking For
Clear writers who can explain something without jargon
Curiosity about how flying actually works, whether or not you know anything about aviation yet
Writers based in the US who know their local airports and airlines well
Writers based anywhere else, since coverage of most of the world's aviation is thin or nonexistent
Students at any level, in any major. Journalism experience helps but isn't required
How to Apply
Send two things to zach@thecontrail.org:
One pitch, two or three sentences on a story you'd want to write for us
A line about you and where you're based
We read everything and reply either way. The pitch matters most.

Work arrangement
Yes