Captain John Dyer was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1949. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he joined the United States Air Force Flight School after graduating from North Carolina A&T University in 1971. Dyer served as the top flight instructor and was the face of the U.S. Air Force recruiting efforts during the Vietnam War. As part of the 89th Airlift Wing, he flew high-ranking members of the U.S. Government.
Dyer has logged more than 21,000 flight hours, which included flying for Continental Airlines and Fed Ex. He was a pioneer in the Ultralight movement. He retired from commercial aviation in 2009.
A lifetime and dedicated member of the EAA and OBAP, Dyer has remained deeply committed to aviation education and mentorship. In 2022 he received the prestigious FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award recognizing fifty or more years of safe civil and military flying. On November 15, 2025, the City of Houston proclaimed “John Dyer Day”, recognizing his achievements and contributions to the Houston community through aviation. Dyer is an accomplished jazz musician, avid golfer, and longtime resident of Spring, Texas.
“Nothing worthwhile in life is ever easy.”
