Steve "Stump" Schneider was bitten by the aviation bug after seeing the film "The Battle of Britain" as a child. Growing up in Europe, air shows and the occasional Avro Vulcan flyby served to further stoke the aviation fire in him. Steve began flying while in high school and received his commission after graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1985 where he was a glider instructor pilot. He served until his retirement in late 2006 as a Lieutenant Colonel. Graduating first in his pilot training class, Steve went on to fly F-15's at Bitburg AB, Germany, where he saw the end of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War. Steve spent time instructing at fighter lead-in flying AT-38's, and then returned to the F-15 at Kadena AB, Okinawa where he was part of the initial cadre for Night Vision Goggles. Unable to escape a staff tour, he spent time working classified programs at the Pentagon, then returned to fly the F-15 at Langley AFB. On September 11, 2001, having just returned from Operation Southern Watch, Steve went right back to work as the 1st Wing stood up 24-hour patrol over Washington D.C. in response to the attacks on that fateful day. From there, he moved to Tyndall AFB and the F-15 schoolhouse where he had the privilege of commanding a squadron. Steve spent his final year in the Air Force flying with the 33rd Wing at Eglin AFB. The writing was all over the wall, there would be no more flying in the Air Force, so Steve retired, flying his last flight in the very same F-15 he had first flown in 1987.

Unwilling to work a normal "desk" job, Steve continued to feed his aviation passion by flying for a major airline. He became involved in volunteering to share the joy and fun of aviation science with schoolchildren. He and his wife, Kim, bought a home on an airpark, added an airplane, and continue to spread the wonderful sound that is airplane noise every chance they get.