Ken Mellott
About Ken
Ken Mellott is a United States Air Force Academy graduate, former Air Force pilot and intelligence officer, stockbroker, professional photographer, and editor of Veterans Life Magazine. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and volunteers at a local food bank.
His debut memoir, On Broken Wings: The Flight That Tested My Faith and The Journey That Restored It, chronicles a harrowing 1979 dual engine failure and ejection over Mississippi, the grueling Flying Evaluation Board investigation that followed, Cold War intelligence operations in Berlin, and a decades-long journey through invisible wounds to faith-based restoration.
Ken's story is equal parts aviation thriller, father-son legacy narrative, and spiritual memoir — a testament to the truth that even on broken wings, we can rise again.
"Ken Mellott takes you on a gut-wrenching, furious page-turning story… you will race through On Broken Wings as you share Ken's hopes, dreams, thrills, horror, fear, faith, joy, and love."— Maj. Gen. John Weida, USAF (Ret.), Foreword
Conversation Topics
The Ejection & Its Aftermath
A 1979 T-38 dual engine failure — and the military investigation that nearly ended a career. What accountability looks like when the system turns against you.
Invisible Wounds: Living with PTSD
How trauma leaves a "before" and "after" — and how decades of silence eventually gave way to healing, faith, and purpose.
Cold War Berlin
Intelligence operations on the front lines of the Cold War — what it felt like to operate in a city of spies and stand watch against Soviet expansion.
Faith, Identity & Redemption
How a shattered sense of self — stripped by a military verdict — can be rebuilt through faith, community, and the courage to face your lions.
Father-Son Legacy
Growing up in the shadow of a military father, chasing a dream of silver wings, and discovering what it means to pass courage across generations.
Leadership Under Fire
Lessons from the cockpit and the intelligence world — how the decisions made in crisis define character long after the emergency is over.
Sample Interview Questions
Take us into the cockpit. What was going through your mind when both engines failed?
Ken shares the sensory detail of that silence — 12,000 feet and falling — and the weight of being the instructor responsible for his student's life.
What did the Flying Evaluation Board do to your sense of identity?
The investigation stripped away everything Ken had built. He explains how the military culture of accountability can become a weapon — and how he found his way back.
You carried PTSD for decades before getting help. What finally changed?
Ken discusses the stigma, the silence, and the single conversation with a trusted friend that cracked the door open to healing.
How did your faith survive — and eventually restore — what the military couldn't?
A candid conversation about what it means to lose faith in yourself and in God, and how both can be found again in unexpected moments.
What do you want veterans and their families to take away from this book?
Ken speaks to the reader who has been living with invisible wounds — and the family members who love them and don't know how to help.
Endorsements
"I have not been this captivated by a book in a long time. On Broken Wings will not disappoint. You will race through it as you share Ken's hopes, dreams, thrills, horror, fear, faith, joy, and love."
Maj. Gen. John Weida, USAF (Ret.) — Foreword author; former Commandant of Cadets, USAF Academy
"I sweated right along with him as he agonized over making a life-altering decision compressed into seconds."
Col. Steven Cornelius, USAF (Ret.) — Endorser
What Readers Are Saying
Hit me harder than I expected. Ken Mellott captures the intensity of Air Force flight training with absolute authenticity. But it's his honesty about what came after the crash that makes this book exceptional. His journey through trauma, faith, and rebuilding his life is powerful, relatable, and deeply human. This isn't just a flying story — it's a story of resilience.
★★★★★
Verified Amazon Review
PTSD is an invisible wound affecting so many and he pulled back its curtain with his raw, honest, and intimate accounting of its toll on him. A real lesson in resilience in the face of life-altering circumstances.
★★★★★
Verified Amazon Review
Amazon Bestseller Rankings
Amazon Bestseller Rankings
Peak Amazon Kindle Rankings
Air Force Biographies
Aviation & Nautical Biographies
Spiritual Biography
The Book
- Available on Amazon — Kindle $8.99 · Paperback $14.99 · Kindle Unlimited
- Audiobook Coming Soon
- 4.7 stars · 46+ reviews · Peak: #1 Air Force Biographies (Kindle)
- Categories: Military Memoir · Aviation Biography · Spiritual Biography · PTSD Recovery
Guest Logistics
- Available for remote recording (audio & video)
- Flexible on episode length — comfortable from 20-minute shorts to 90-minute deep dives
- Best fit: military, veteran, faith, resilience, leadership, and memoir-focused shows
- Can provide advance reading copy for host prep upon request
Contact & Links