Music at 30,000 Feet

From cockpit to studio, pilot/pianist turns aviation into music.

A passion for both aviation and music has helped Peter Buffington, ’96, carve out a unique niche. Through his aviation-themed band, Speed Brake Armed, the airline pilot recently released his ninth album.

“I do this because I love aviation, and I love music,” Peter said.

Taking Flight

Peter’s dream of becoming a pilot began at age 3 during a family trip to Hawaii. His love of music developed just as early. His father, a piano tuner for Wurlitzer, worked with musicians like Chubby Checker and Duke Ellington. 

“I picked up the technical side of rebuilding pianos from my dad,” Peter said. “I learned piano tuning as a teenager. I’ve always tuned pianos on the side.”

His aviation journey accelerated during his teenage years. He took his first flying lesson at age 15 at the Iowa City Municipal Airport.

“I soloed on my 16th birthday before I got my driver’s license, and I got my private pilot license on the day of my 17th birthday,” he said.

Years later, after building his career as an airline pilot, Peter found a way to merge his two lifelong passions.

Many of Peter’s songs draw from experiences in the cockpit. A thunderstorm diversion on a flight from Chicago to Orlando inspired a country song. His wife, Julie (Hansen), ..’96, lends vocals under the stage name Aurora Flare, adding a female perspective.

Squawk 7700

In 2001, Peter published his aviation memoir, “Squawk 7700,” chronicling the challenges of building an airline career at a time when pay was low and advancement opportunities were limited.

“I thought those experiences needed to be discussed,” he said. “So I sat down and wrote the autobiography.”

The book led to appearances as a featured author at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Several years later, a new edition received an unexpected boost when Jeff Skiles, first officer on US Airways Flight 1549 — the “Miracle on the Hudson” flight — contacted Peter and offered to write a new foreword.