Brian Smith:  

Life After high school I attended Monroe Community College in pursuit of a Civil Engineering degree. That was a very busy time. I was working two part time jobs and going full time to college. I worked two days a week for 4 hrs as a draftsman for a company named Edmac and Associates. Evenings I worked for pumping gas for a Sunoco station. (That was before the days of self-service gas stations.) And I still was carrying a full course load at college during the day. I met an engineer at Edmac that was a Private Pilot and he introduced me to the world of aviation. He hooked me up with Key Aviation at the Monroe County Airport and I began taking flying lessons. My first solo flight was in the summer of 1974. I passed the practical exam in early 1975 and officially became a Private Pilot. My career path was starting change. I now knew I want to fly for a living if at all possible. I took a year off from college to evaluate and work. Edmac took me on full time and I continued to work at the gas station in the evening. I build up some savings and spent the rest on flying lessons. The following year I returned to the Monroe Community College and finished up in 1976 with an Associates Degree in Civil Engineering. That summer I moved to Daytona Beach Florida to attend the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. In the interest of getting out of school as fast as possible, I did not take off over the summer and completed 3 years of college in 2 years. I received my BS in Aviation Science in 1978. Leaving school I also I had a Commercial Pilot Certificate, a Flight Instructor Certificate and was also Instrument Rated and Multi-Engine rated. I had lined up a job before graduation at a small airport near Orlando, FL. They were looking for a flight instructor and I was more than willing to help out. I ...Expand for more