As a young man, Philip Donlay's life was shaped by two distinct events. At the age of seventeen, he earned his pilot's license, and at eighteen was published in a national aviation magazine. The combination of these two passions: flying and writing, has led to successful careers as both a professional pilot and novelist.

Licensed to fly six different jets and having logged nearly 14,000 hours, his travels have taken him to over forty countries on five continents. No longer flying, Donlay now divides his time between Minneapolis and the San Juan Islands.