From Fighter Jets to Fiction: An Interview with George Tymitz, author of Key Number 17
George Tymitz was born and raised in Chicago. While he attended the University of Illinois and earned a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, he never spent a single day as an engineer. Instead, he spent forty-five happy, fulfilling years living his dream of flying—rather than designing—airplanes. As a United States Air Force pilot, he flew F4 Phantom and F15 Eagle fighter planes, followed by commercial passenger and freight aircraft with several airlines. Upon retirement in 2011, he started writing his first novel, Key Number 17: A Ukrainian Grandfather’s Odyssey of Courage, to honor his Ukrainian heritage through a fictional tale. It was published in 2023.



















