Collins has spent his life in aviation, logging over 20,000 flight hours in almost every type of aircraft, including Concorde, and writing about it in over 1,000 articles and 11 books for pilots. He was associated with Flying Magazine for 30 years, as editor and then editor-in-chief. Collins has served on many government advisory committees, has won numerous aviation awards, and continues to do extensive research in aviation safety. He is currently editor at large for Flying Magazine and a consultant to a number of aviation organizations.