EAA Chapter 713

Big Horn Basin Chapter - Cody, WY

John Brouillette

John was exposed to aviation at age 5. The family moved to a new
house that was ¼ mile from the airport. Watching all manner of aircraft
land and takeoff and then watching his father in his airplane pretty
much set the hook. He was seven years old when he built his first
airplane. It was two saw horses connected by a 2”x 6” X 72” fuselage
and 2” X 4” wings and horizontal stab. No rudder. Then came model
aircraft. First it was the plastic WW2 fighters and bombers and then
balsa and fabric covering followed by glow plug engines and “U” control
flying. In the 7 th grade, he joined the Civil Air Patrol. He won a ground
school course for private pilots by selling the most candy bars in the
squadron. He was a mediocre student but managed to finish with the
highest grade on the final test. Several of the adult WW2 vets in the
class were embarrassed that he had bested them. John had his first
solo flight at 13 years old using his father’s airplane. He took flying
lessons in high school and passed his private pilot check ride his senior
year. On February 2nd 1965, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy as an Airman
Recruit. Ten months later, he graduated from “A” School as an “Anti-
Submarine electronics Technician” with orders to join VS-38 with a
short course with VS-41 the “RAG” for S-2 aircraft. Three trips to
Vietnam and his enlistment completed, he was assigned a reserve
squadron while attending college. In 1969, he purchased his first
aircraft. After college graduation, he became a Naval Aviator and
retired at 20 plus years of active service. He worked for two different
aviation companies in Wyoming as a pilot, chief pilot, and director of
operations. After thirty years flying in Wyoming, he’s about to
complete his last build, a RV-14A. 1986 QB 26205 in the following
hangars: LIT, HNL, JAC, BIL and COD.
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