Embry-Riddle Degrees Help USAF Thunderbird Pilot Chart his Own Course

Maj. Michael Brewer (’05, ’20) has made a habit out of making the most of whatever opportunities aviation has presented him.

He set his sights on becoming a pilot at age 9 after visiting the flight deck of a United Airlines Boeing 727. Today, the boy dazzled by all those “dials and switches” flies with the U.S. Air Force Flight Demonstration team, better known as the Thunderbirds.

Along the way, Brewer has also been a flight instructor, airline pilot, aviation entrepreneur, and earned two degrees from the school that helped him start it all, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

“Embry-Riddle helped teach me the value of investing in myself,” said Brewer, 37, who flies the No. 4 F-16 for the Thunderbirds and serves as the squadron’s training officer. “My education has been a foundation for growth, and it’s allowed me to be prepared.”

“Michael is a great example of how a graduate can immediately apply what they’ve learned at Embry-Riddle to an aviation/aerospace organization, making it better,” said Dr. Ken Witcher, Dean of the Worldwide College of Aeronautics, who is a former member of the Thunderbirds team himself. “In this case, that organization is one of the most prestigious flight demonstration teams in the world.”

Born in Chicago, Brewer pursued his flying passion at a Prescott Campus summer camp between his junior and senior years in high school — and that was that. He decided to be an Eagle.

While earning his Bachelor’s in Aeronautical Science, he also flew with the Golden Eagles Flight Team, helping them compile a record which today stands at 34 consecutive regional championships and 12 national championships.

After graduating in 2005, Brewer worked as a flight instructor and flew for an air ambulance company. Soon, he joined Mesa Airlines where he became a Dash-8 captain and instructor and flew the Canadair Regional Jet.

But the 2008 financial crisis hit the industry hard and limited Brewer’s flying. It was during that difficult period that he started his own company, managing, brokering, and ferrying general aviation aircraft for clients around the U.S.

He and his wife also started talking about the military as an option.

“I loved being an airline pilot, but I met so many ex-military pilots and they had so many cool stories,” Brewer said. “It also seemed like a chance to make a difference in things that were going on in the world.”

What started as a plan to join the reserves quickly morphed into an active-duty commitment. Learning formation flight during his initial training also shifted his focus to flying fighters.

;Since joining the Air Force in 2010, Brewer has amassed 1,300 hours in the F-15 Strike Eagle, including 315 hours of combat flying in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, ultimately becoming an F- l5E Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander with the 334th Fighter Squadron.

“Aviation is always evolving and there is always something new to explore,” Brewer said. “And every day that you get paid to do something you love – you’re winning.”

Brewer was selected for the Thunderbirds in 2018 and is spending a bonus third year with the team since the pandemic curtailed most air show flying in 2020. Brewer has also taken advantage of Embry-Riddle Worldwide’s flexible online programs and earned his Master’s in Aeronautics.

Brewer believes his latest degree will help him be ready for the next opportunity, which could include a return to his alma mater.

“I love teaching and I love aviation,” Brewer said. “And that’s what I saw in the professors I had at Embry-Riddle. They enjoyed the industry and enjoyed sharing their knowledge about it. That made a lasting impression on me – and it’s something I could see myself doing one day.”