Brian Thompson grew up on a family apple orchard near Yakima, Washington.  In 1967 at the age of 16 he began taking flying lessons under Ginny Richardson, Charlie McAllister and other pilots at the Yakima Airport, earning both private and commercial credentials by age 20.  In 1973 he bought N32815, a 1940 Piper Cub, and flew it to Alaska.  He qualified as an Airline Transport Pilot in 1982 and flew chartered and scheduled air service from Fairbanks, Alaska in all models of single engine Cessnas, Piper Cherokee Six, Piper Chieftan and DeHavilland DHC3.