Brian Shul, Maj, USAF (Retired)
12:00 p.m. (Lunch Speaker)
Friday, June 28, 2019
International Academy of Endodontics, Annual Meeting
The Scottsdale Princess Resort
Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
“The Speed of Life"
Brian Shul is one of the most popular and dynamic keynote speakers in America today. His compelling story of living fearlessly and embracing the opportunities each day brings, resonates with men and woman of all ages. As an Air Force fighter pilot, Brian was shot down in the Vietnam War and severely burned in the ensuing crash. Initially given up for dead, he was finally rescued and spent one year in hospitals, endured 15 surgeries and was told his flying days were over. Amazingly, Brian returned to active duty flying and became one of only 93 men in history to fly the SR-71 spy plane, the fastest jet ever built.
Brian masterfully uses his aviation slides and stories as a vehicle to tell a broader inspired story of hope, overcoming obstacles and daring to dream. From lying near death in the jungles of Southeast Asia to flying the world’s fastest jet, Brian shares his amazing story in this most unforgettable one-of-a-kind presentation that both inspires and educates.
About the Presenter:
Brian Shul graduated from East Carolina University in 1970 with a degree in History and Anthropology. For the next 20 years, he served as an Air Force fighter pilot. During the Viet Nam War, he flew 212 close air support missions. Shot down near the Cambodian border, he was unable to eject and forced to ride his plane into the jungle. Severely burned in the ensuing crash, he was given up for dead. Rescued by Special Forces, Brian endured one year in military hospitals where he underwent 15 surgical procedures and was told he would never fly again.
After much physical therapy, Brian miraculously returned to active duty flying. He flew the A-7D, was an instructor in the A-10, and went on to teach at the Air Force’s TopGun School. He culminated his Air Force career by flying our nation’s Top Secret spy plane, the SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest aircraft ever built. Brian flew covert missions in the Blackbird for 4 years and was the pilot who provided President Reagan with detailed photos of Libyan terrorist camps in 1986. During that time he became the only SR-71 pilot in history to fly 3 missions on 3 consecutive days.
Retiring from the Air Force in1990, Brian pursued his writing and photography interests. He was the first pilot to write a book about flying the Blackbird, completely illustrated with his own photography. This book won Aviation Book of the Year honors and is today the single most popular book on that plane worldwide. He is also the only man to fly extensively with both the Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds as a photo-journalist.
Brian’s remarkable comeback story has inspired audiences nationwide as he is in high demand as a keynote speaker. Brian is a Spirit of Freedom Award winner, a Paul Harris Fellow, has appeared on the History Channel, and in 2011 was inducted into the Air Force Legends Hall of Fame. Brian owns Gallery One in California where his nationally acclaimed nature photography is on display.