Brain's Flight - About Us

Born 12/16/1968 in Morehead, Kentucky, raised mainly in Brooksville, Florida.

Brian enlisted in the Florida Air National Guard at 18 as a heavy equipment operator while attending the University of Florida. He married Priscilla Hettler and they later had their first daughter. In 1990 he graduated first in his Air Force ROTC class and their young family moved to Mather Air Force Base where he attended Air Force Navigator training. After earning his wings, he served in a variety of Special Operations assignments flying MC-130 E & H models around the world. After his initial 8-year active duty term he transitioned into the Air Force Reserves and was later mobilized after the events of 9-11. He served in Tajikistan and other locations overseas and stateside.

In 2003, while still on active duty at Scott Air Force Base, he was diagnosed with a stage II oligodendroglioma brain tumor and was medically retired in early 2005. He currently works for General Electric Healthcare.

Brian’s first solo was at the age of 19 in Gainesville, Florida where he washed and waxed airplanes in exchange for flight time. After leaving the active duty Air Force in 1998 he was able to save enough money to buy his first airplane, a 1946 Luscombe, and earned his commercial and certificated flight instructor ratings (single & multi-engine and instrument). Since then he has bought and sold a variety of airplanes and enjoyed every minute of being in the air and tinkering with airplanes.

Building and flying an airplane to raise money for brain tumor research is a natural extension of Brian’s love and fascination of aviation. It is also a great way to celebrate life, allowing him to define the disease instead of the other way around.

Brian’s lifetime goal is to raise over $1 million for brain tumor research and education. In 2004 he and his team raised more than $2,500 running the Air Force marathon. Please read the article from Airman Magazine: http://www.af.mil/news/airman/1104/world3.shtml

You can email Brian at brain@brainsflight.com.

Ken Chornopyski

Ken has helped out tremendously with the initial web site development and with other graphics materials. He started his career as a professional graphic designer at age 13 for a sportswear specialty company in Winnipeg, Canada and then later was professionally trained as an industrial artist. After graduating Ken started and ran several companies involving everything from screen-printing to sign manufacturing and eventually on to computer graphics. Today, some thirty years later, Ken is running a computer tech company, which specializes in custom CD-Rom - multi media software development.

Ken has been involved in general aviation for the past twenty years not only as a private pilot but getting chest deep in many aspects of it. He is on the board of directors of one of Canada's largest and oldest flying clubs, writes and publishes for a local flying magazine, and yes, runs another company specializing in aircraft painting and graphics. Ken is currently the president of the MUA (Manitoba Ultralight Assoc.). To say Ken has a fascination with aviation would be an understatement!

Ken got involved with "Brain's Flight" after purchasing an aircraft from Brian Kissinger. Though Brian and Ken have never met each other in person, email and aircraft have helped to form a bond. After learning of Brian's personal fight and of his intentions, Ken made another offer to jump in with both feet.

Todd Drenkhahn

Todd & Brian met early in 2006 at one of their local EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Chapter 64 meetings. They have form a close friendship and now co-own a 1946 Luscombe. Todd holds not only a FAA commercial pilot certificate but also a FAA Airframe/Powerplant rating (he can fly and fix ‘em). Todd’s is an aircraft systems technical instructor for Boeing (formally McDonnell Douglas in St Louis) so he can instruct “Brain” with confidence when he is messing something up on his project. Most importantly, Todd is a fellow survivor of a potentially deadly disease (cancer) and recently finished his chemo. You can email Todd at drenktee@yahoo.com.

Jennifer Neale - survivor and volunteer at the National Brain Tumor Foundation

The Strange Gifts of Boris …

Oscar Wilde said, "life is too important to be taken seriously", and I have to agree. On a damp day in Galway a few summers ago, I sat on his lap and said 'bravo to life' with a grin. This was my 50th birthday, or my 7th, depending upon how you look at is. I was diagnosed with brain cancer in the spring of 1997,and named the bugger Boris. Since then, just about everything has changed.

No longer do I trust my skills to take off on a 'personal flight' … so my license is now on the wall. In fact, I am so proud to learn of Brian's vision and strength! Business flights are finished for me also, which has a good side … no longer am I working 14 hour days, and on the road for three weeks out of four!

Now, high-heeled shoes and expensive suits have been tossed and so has my title. Instead, I do volunteer work at the National Brain Tumor Foundation and refuse to wear stockings! The best part is meeting other survivors like Brian Kissinger, tough-hearted people who know how to fight back. When ever I can offer help, my smiles seem so much brighter …

Life is art. It is what we make of it. Pour the paint. Wrap yourselves in fabric. Turn up the music and love more than you thought possible. Oscar Wilde said something else in one of his books that should matter to everyone else who has been touched by brain cancer.

"Harry", said Basil, looking him in the face, "every portrait that is painted with feeling is the portrait of the artist, not the sitter."

I agree with Basil.