James Collins

Born in Warren, Ohio, in 1904, James H. "Jimmy" Collins became known as an American test pilot during a period when flying was still new, fast-changing, and often deadly. Reliable sources connected with his book Test Pilot identify him as the author behind the listing "James Collins (1904–1935)," and note that he died in 1935 after a crash while test-flying a Grumman fighter.

Collins is best remembered for Test Pilot, a memoir published after his death. The book grew out of his experiences in aviation and helped preserve a personal view of early flight testing—its excitement, technical challenge, and constant risk. Even with a small body of published work, his name remains closely tied to that era of American flying.

Because the available sources focus much more on his flying career than on his private life, many biographical details are hard to confirm. What does come through clearly is the sense of a skilled, adventurous pilot whose writing gives readers a direct feel for one of aviation's most hazardous professions.