TAPPAHANNOCK, Va. — A childhood dream of flying airplanes turned into a lifelong career for Dave Brubaker.
“I enlisted in the military, the Air National Guard at the time, and eventually finished college and went to pilot training with the Air Force and flew with the Air Force. I was there for 34 years flying some great equipment — [I was a] fighter pilot and loved flying,” Brubaker explained.
He rose through the ranks, becoming a brigadier general, taking the job a few days after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
“When I landed at Reagan Airport, one of the early flights, I could still smell the burning Pentagon,” Brubaker recalled.
Watch: Dave Brubaker discusses his life and STEM Flights
After retiring in 2005 and continuing his love of flying, trips with his children inspired him to go bigger. He founded the nonprofit STEM Flights in 2018 in Virginia with a handful of volunteer pilots.
His program has now grown to dozens of pilot mentors flying more than 1,000 students in 49 states.
“We're not trying to make everybody that flies with us a pilot. We're trying to inspire them to do more than they may have otherwise thought they could do. It just turns out a lot of them are inspired about being a pilot,” Brubaker said.
To earn a trip in the sky, a student must apply, get a letter of recommendation, and complete some STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) related homework.
“I'm looking for the student that wouldn't have this opportunity otherwise,” he said. “We want to get kids that put some skin in the game. We want kids that are a little bit invested in it.”
CBS 6 caught up with Brubaker and 12-year-old Amana Bryan at the Tappahannock-Essex County Airport for a firsthand look at what goes into a free STEM Flight.
The student first chooses a STEM topic, including aerial mapping, navigation, climate and weather, and engineering and design.
Once inside the plane, Brubaker took Bryan through a list of tasks and checks to ensure safety and efficiency.
They then soared a mile into the sky before he turned the controls over to Bryan as he guided her to the Chesapeake Bay.
While in the air, she admitted, “I’m scared,” and Brubaker replied, “You have the best pilot in the world sitting next to you.”
Watch: Amana Bryan discusses her STEM Flight experience
During the flight, Brubaker taught several STEM lessons, including the four forces of flight.
Once back on the ground, Bryan shouted, “I did it!”
“I would 10 out of 10 do it again and I would 10 out of 10 recommend it for someone to do this. It’s not hard or pressure-some. It’s amazing,” she said.
After an illustrious career serving his country, Brubaker sees STEM Flights as his lasting legacy.
“I love to fly, and so this was a natural give-back for me. I'm happily donating my time and aircraft and fuel and all that to try to, you know, leave the world a little bit better when I’m not around,” he said.
STEM Flights is looking for donors and experienced pilots to offer their time and planes to the cause.
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