John Fodermaier was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was a Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (AFROTC) at Michigan Technological University where he received a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1974.
John served as a combat qualified Aircraft Commander in the C-130 Hercules during the Cold War in Europe flying missions in the Berlin Corridor and East German Buffer Zone along with Special Operations Low Level (SOLL) and Primary Nuclear Airlift.
Following his tour in Europe, John was a USAF Flight Instructor in the T-38 Talon supersonic trainer flying over 3,000 training sorties at both USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) and Pilot Instructor Training (PIT). He was designated an Air Training Command Master of Flying Training and was a Runway Supervisory Unit (RSU) Upgrade Controller.
After marrying the love of his life in 1985, John left the Air Force for more stable home life as an Aviation Safety Inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration where he pursued a 30 year career before retiring in 2013. John holds an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (ATP) with several transport category type ratings along with Flight Instructor and Flight Engineer certificates. He is also qualified to fly Helicopters, Seaplanes, and Gliders.
John’s hobbies include astronomy, kayaking, and writing.
