Brian was born in Quantico, Virginia in 1948. He was the son of a career Marine, growing up in military environment. He attended high school in Hawaii, and graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in History.
In 1970 he joined the Air Force and attended pilot training, receiving his wings at Reese AFB, Texas. He was sent to the air war in Vietnam as a Foreign Air Advisor, flying close air support missions in conjunction with Air America. He flew 212 missions in fighter aircraft and near the very end of the war, was shot down near the Cambodian border.
Unable to eject, he was forces to ride the crippled aircraft into the jungle, and miraculously survived the crash. Severely injured in the ensuing fireball, he somehow was able himself from the burning wreckage and crawl from the downed plane. Badly burned in the process, he lay incapacitated in the jungle, thought to have perished in the crash by those who witnessed it. Several hours later he was found by special forces soldiers, who called a rescue helicopter to the site. He was flown back to Thailand, and then evacuated to a larger burn hospital on Okinawa, where he was expected to die. After 2 months in intensive care, he was stable enough to be moved to Ft Sam Houston, Texas, to the military burn center.
9Brian spent one year in the hospital. He underwent 15 major operations and was told his flying days were definitely over. Determined to return to flying, he began an accelerated physical program. He was able to pass a flight physical, and two days after his release from the hospital, he was back flying Air Force jets.
Brian went on to fly the A-7D, was a flight instructor and air show demonstration pilot in the A-10, and was a senior instructor at the Air Force’s Top Gun School in the F-5B. In his final flying assignment in the Air Force, he was selected to fly the super secret spy plane, the SR-71. Only 152 men have ever flown that jet, and Brian was able to pass an astronaut-type physical to qualify for that prestigious program. During his tour in the blackbird, he and his backseater flew the reconnaissance missions over Libya during the bombing of Kadaffy in 1986. After 20 years and 5000 hours of fighter jet time, Brian retired from the Air Force in 1990. He went on to pursue his writing and photographic interests.
Brian has since done four books on aviation. The first two are about flying the SR-71, entitled Sled Driver and The Untouchables. Non-technical in nature, these books give the reader a first hand pilot’s account of flying the worlds’ fastest jet, and takes the reader into the cockpit in a way that had not been done before. He then went on to do a book on the Air Force Thunderbirds, Summer Thunder, and followed with his most recent book on the Navy’s Blue Angels entitlled Blue Angels; A Portrait of Gold, commemorating that teams’ 50th Anniversary. Brian’s book are quite unique in that he writes all the text, flies the jets, and takes all the photographs which so beautifully illustrate his stories. His books are one of a kind in the aviation book world, and continue to sell well around the world. Brian is now the only man in America that has flown extensively with both the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels in the making of his books. He was the first SR-71 to do a book about what it was like to fly that remarkable plane, and his first book was awarded the prestigious literary honor of « Best New Aviation Book of the Year » by the Writer’s Foundation of America. He was also selected as an Honorary Thunderbird for his work with that team.
Brian’s remarkable comeback story of laying near dead in the jungle, to flying the worlds’ fastest jet, and more, has been the subject of numerous magazine articles and has led him to a busy schedule on the national speakers’ tour. His talks are very popular, in that all types of audiences can relate to his story and find it very motivating. He often shows some of his stunning aviation slides at these talks, intertwining them with an uplifting message of perseverance and an entertaining sense of humor.
Whether holding a camera in his hands, or securely gripping the stick in a fighter cockpit, Brian surrounds himself with equipment that is rugged, reliable, and precise. That is why he chooses to wear a NORTH EAGLES Watch. Whether on the trail, or at 30,000 feet pushing the Mach, NORTH EAGLES delivers the accuracy he demands in a durable yet elegant casing. A true fighter pilot would settle for nothing less.
FLYING THE WORLD'S FASTEST JET
I flew the SR-71 for four years, and was around the aircraft for an additional three years. You couldn’t work around this aircraft, and not find yourself falling involve with the jet. Not only magnificent in performance, the aircraft was a work of art in design. I never tired of seeing it each day as one of the lucky few who got to pilot her. I began carrying a camera around with me whenever it was feasible, and continued to photograph the Blackbird as often as possible. Carrying the camera in the cockpit was a bit of a chore, but I’m glad I did now, as I can never go back and get those pictures. None of us could have predicted the early retirement of the jet in 1990.
Flying the aircraft was not like anything else, Cruising routinely at 2000 miles per hour and 80,000 feet was a rush, and the plane demanded your full attention. The missions were intense also, as we were often flying over hostile territories around the globe. Stories of flying the jet are abundant amongst those who flew her, and I included a few of my favorites in Sled Driver. I often tell people that I’ve done Nebraska in 7 minutes ... and I think that’s the best way to do Nebraska ! The jet burned fuel voraciously, and we would often hook up to an airborne tanker three of four times in a mission. These aerial refuelings were very physical for the guy in front, as controlling that beast at the relatively slow speed of 300 knots, while changing its gross weight by 65,000 pounds, was a handful in close formation with the tanker. Doing at night, or in the weather, was no fun at all, but often necessary. It was a unique flying experice that those of us who have done it cherish more as time goes by. More people now have stood on Mt Everest than have flown the SR-71.
THE ONLY MAN THAT HAS FLOWN WITH THE THUNDERBRIDS AND THE BLUE ANGELS
I was fortunate enough to get to spend an entire winter season with the team. I flew with them, attended their briefings, and generally watched as a team came together during a very difficult three month trial. I was able to see the behind-the-scenes story of what it takes to make that show happen, and it was phenomenal. I was faced with new photographic challenges also, as the intense maneuvering and high G forces of the Thunderbird routine brought new meaning to the word concentration. One of the quickest ways to a severe headache I know, is to be staring sideways out the cockpit, looking through a small viewfinder, trying to focus, pulling Gs, and maneuvering violently in ways you have no control over. But, like the fledgling Thunderbird pilots, I too became more competent with each flight and was able to produce enough shots that met my standards, for the book. It was the first book of its kind done on the team, and after reviewing it, the team was so impressed, they made me an Honorary Thunderbird, an honor bestowed on only few in the team’s 40 year history. I was very proud of that, and felt like I had enjoyed the experience of a lifetime in the making of that book. But little did I know that just a year later, I would be involved in an even bigger project.
I knew the Navy Blue Angels were coming up on their 50th Anniversary year, and really didn’t have a good book about the team. I pursued the idea and was told no, each time I contacted the team about flying with them. Finally, I went to team headquarters in person and showed them the Thunderbird book. That did it. They wanted one too, but said theirs had to be even better. I informed them that in order to do that, they would have to let me fly with them for an entire air show season, to give the reader an inside account of what it is like to be a member of the Blue Angels. They approved all my requests, and I spent an entire year on the road with the team. I shot over 20,000 images during that time, and put the best 200 in the book. I was able to fly in every position except leader, and was allowed to sit in during debriefing sessions that are normally closed to any outsiders. The team entrusted me to tell their story in a professional manner, and I think my background helped put them at ease around me. Being a fighter pilot enabled me to not only be comfortable in the cockpit with the cameras, but gave me an insight to the pilots’moods that made my task easier.
I spent many a memorable flight in the back seat of that Number 7 jet, and never felt more worn out than after each flight. When I strapped in for the first flight, the crew chief informed me that, « .... if you cry, throw-up, or die, in the next 40 minutes, they are not stopping the routine. You’ll be attended to upon landing. » I knew he was kidding, but I think I felt a little of all three on that first flight. Nothing I had done in 20 years of flying fighters adequately prepared me for the body-crunching experience of flying in the Blue Angle routine. I would not describe it as fun. Brutal, physical, dynamic, dizzying maybe, but not fun. The more I flew with them, the more my body was able to tolerate the sequence and somehow throughout it all, I was able to get the photos I truly wanted in order to tell their story.
I now have the distinction of being the only man in America to have flown extensively with both the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angles, and am proud to have produced original works on those teams that have given people everywhere, a deeper understanding and appreciation of what it takes to fly those marvelous, and dangerous, formations.
I have been extremely lucky in having done all that I have. After laying in a hospital for over a year after being shot down in Southeast Asia, I could have never imagined flying the SR-71, and spending seasons with America’s major air show teams. I do enjoy combining my love of aviation and photography, and then having the opportunity to write about it. It has led to a very busy speaking career and the opportunity to meet so many enthusiastic people across the country and around the world. In my talks, I always tell people that life should not be measured by mere moments of breath, but in breathtaking moments. I’ve had more than my share, and have always been happy to share my experiences with others whether through speaking or writing.
I know quality when I see it and was immediately drawn to the new line of NORTH EAGLES watches. I have worn mine during a variety of demanding activities, from photographing the desert in blistering heat, to hanging in my straps at 150 feet inverted with the Blue Angels. For a fighter pilot, good looks alone in a watch are not enough, it has to perform, and my NORTH EAGLES has. Accurate, rugged, and precision built. Goes rather well with the type of jets I like to fly.
