Hometown Airport: KFLG

Occupation: Aviation Columnist / Author

Website: http://www.GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com

Education: BS, MFA, University of Illinois – Champaign

Pilot Certificates: ATP-MEL, COMM-ASEL,ASES,Glider, CFI-AIMG

Airplanes Flying/Flown: “Flying Carpet”

Education Specialty: Attracting new pilots to flying

What’s your favorite part of what you do in aviation education? Turn on new audiences to flying, and encourage those in the process of learning.

Any accomplishments in, or noteworthy contributions to aviation and/or aviation education you’d like to mention? 2000 National Flight Instructor of the Year, 1999 NATA Excellence in Pilot Training Award, first-ever Master CFI, “Flying Carpet” Columnist, “AOPA Flight Training” magazine, Author: “The Savvy Flight Instructor,” “Flying Carpet: The Soul of an Airplane,” “The Turbine Pilot’s Flight Manual,” “Job Hunting for Pilots,” and “You Can Fly!”

What would you like to see change in aviation? We need to reengage the public with the joys and magic of piloting, which all of us treasure so much. Put almost anyone behind the controls today, and their reaction is no different than when we learned to fly. “This is incredible!” So how do we get more people behind the controls?

Any suggestions on how the above might be accomplished? We need an ongoing new Sky King program to enthrall the public. Flying Wild Alaska is the first hint of a truly popular aviation program that we’ve seen for years. How can we as an industry entice that growing following of viewers out to the airport for a lesson? We know they will be hooked!

Who are your role models in aviation? Jim Hackman, aviation evangelist

Anything else you’d like to add? Aren’t we fortunate, getting to do this?!