When you look at Dylan Brown’s impressive aviation career, it’s truly remarkable to see everything he has accomplished by the relatively young age of 30.
Brown has worked in commercial, military and business aviation while holding jobs as a baggage handler, aviation maintenance technician, aviation supervisor, aircraft design engineer, flight test engineer and business aviation pilot.
He also has had the unique opportunity to work for Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, the company’s iconic, advanced development program responsible for highly classified research and development programs and some of the fastest airplanes in the world.
Brown’s passion for aviation and continuous thirst for learning have placed him at the forefront of what many of those who know him believe will be an impressive career in aviation. “He is very mature, and he has been able to sift out the noise and get focused on what he needs to be focused on,” said Dan Brunskole, a retired commander of the U.S. Air Force 89th Operations Support Squadron.
After Brunskole founded the Aviation Scholar Foundation (ASF), a nonprofit dedicated to involving underrepresented communities and minority candidates in aviation, Brown was brought into the program, with Brunskole personally mentoring him over much of his flying career.
“He’s a doer,” said Brunskole, a former Gulfstream G-550/G-200 pilot for The Coca-Cola Co., who also piloted Air Force One and Air Force Two. “Anytime I send something to him, he gets back to me right away. So, I have nothing but high praise for the guy. He learns fast, he’s smart, he’s cordial. He is the real deal.”
“He has had a lot of opportunities, and he’s never failed to make the most of them,” said Russell Crosby, a retired U.S. Air Force aviation maintenance supervisor. Crosby also began mentoring Brown early on and saw him progress in rank as a maintenance supervisor, eventually becoming Crosby’s boss. “Some guys come in the gate ready to rock. You can see it in their eyes. They know what they want, but they don’t know what it is yet,” Crosby said. “The first thing we did was get him started in school, and we got him through college, and he did excellently there.”
You Don’t Have to Be a Pilot
Brown’s inspiring story serves as a reminder that you don’t have to be a pilot to work and succeed in business aviation. He didn’t start taking flying lessons until his college years, earning his private pilot license and instrument rating in his mid-20s. Although Brown eventually went on to earn multi-engine and commercial pilot ratings, as well as certification on the Gulfstream GV, he started in engineering – a profession that includes many skillsets that apply to aviation.
In fact, many people who thrive in business aviation hold non-flying positions and work in areas like project management, communications, graphic design, accounting, aircraft maintenance, management and many others. Around the world, there are hundreds of thousands of professionals who’ve turned their passion for aviation into exciting and satisfying careers that support the use of aircraft for business-related activities.
“I started in aircraft maintenance,” said Brown. “Eventually, I worked my way up to become a maintenance officer, which is an aircraft supervisor.”
These days, Brown works as a flight test engineer for Lockheed Martin, flying on huge C-130s and C-5 transport airplanes, and other aircraft he can’t discuss for confidentiality reasons. Brown also serves as a maintenance officer in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and flies a Gulfstream GV as a business aviation pilot.
Those who know Brown are blown away by the flight experience he has accumulated so early in his flying career.
“Imagine a guy that only has 500 flight hours, but he’s been flying at 45,000 feet doing en route descents, handling jet speed, knowing what flight levels are, handling radio calls that are crisp and sound, using the correct terminology with all of the checks and balances and crew coordination,” said Brunskole. “He’s experienced all that now for 200 some hours in the [Gulfstream] G-550.”
“I knew that I wanted to do something touching an airplane, which led to me going to college for engineering to learn how to design airplanes.”
A Remarkable Journey Fueled by Fascination
Brown fell in love with aviation as a child. The son of immigrants, he’s a first-generation American pursuing the American Dream. “I was raised by a single mother,” Brown said. “As a kid, I always had a love for aviation. I knew that I wanted to do something touching an airplane, which led to me going to college for engineering to learn how to design airplanes.”
He graduated with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Georgia, after working at Delta Air Lines in propulsion engineering to earn his tuition. Later, Brown joined the military as an aviation mechanic.
“The recruiter sat me down and said, ‘Hey, what do you want to do in the Air Force?’,” said Brown. “I said, I don’t care as long as I’m touching the airplane. I wanted to turn a wrench and get some actual hands-on experience since college was giving me the technical aspect of it.”
That experience has presented Brown with some unique professional opportunities.
“I’ve been able to travel with the Air Force and work on airplanes and fix airplanes and really get the knowledge of what mechanics go through,” Brown said. “And, at Delta working in propulsion engineering, I learned more about jet engines and how they operate, while helping Delta maintain its fleet.”
It was at this point in his young career, while still in school, that he decided to learn to fly.
Opening the Door to a New Career
One day, when Brunskole saw Brown at school with another student, he approached them.
“We were getting ready to go on a trip,” Brunskole said. “I asked them if they’d ever thought about business aviation, and if they would be interested in looking at our aircraft and maybe flying with us.”
At first, Brown was stunned by Brunskole’s offer and he immediately wanted to learn more about it.
“You don’t know what you don’t know, but the best way to find out is by speaking to someone who does.”
Advice for Students Interested in Business Aviation
For young people interested in bizav careers, Brown said the first step is to meet aviation professionals and ask them questions.
“There’s no reason to be scared in aviation because it is a very open-arms environment. If you simply just ask someone, ‘Hey, I’d like to know more about this, are you willing to show me or teach me?’ I’d say nine times out of 10, the person’s going to say ‘yes.’”
Someday, Brown hopes to manage a flight department. “I love business aviation, and I want to bring more people into it.”
Learn more about careers in business aviation at nbaa.org/careers.
