Tim Brune
Director of Maintenance
Tim Brune is not new to aviation. In fact, his father was an Air Force pilot who later went to work for Aerojet and ultimately ran the bombing range at NAS Fallon. As a kid, Brune spent countless hours with his father observing Navy air craft at the ranges in and around NAS Fallon. Brune looks back kindly on these memories. This was a special time for him.
Proud of his father’s accomplishments, Brune decided to serve in the US Marine Corp. He joined for six years, where he received extensive training in aviation fundamentals, ordnance and countless weaponry systems. He started in Air Traffic Control, ultimately becoming an aviation ordnance/special weapons technician. Tim Brune has continued his aviation maintenance training through the Aviation Electronic Schools of America, where he was licensed in Airframes and Power Plants in 2003, as well as H-60 Airframe School (2007) and US Navy Maintenance Control School (2009).
Brune spent time working with Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon, VFA-127 and later Pacific Fleet Adversary working for Lockheed running ordnance special projects. He then went on to NASA working on the T-38N in El Paso, Texas. He returned to Fallon in 1998 working as a Navy Quality Assurance Representative at NAS Fallon Search and Rescue, where he gained extensive experience with helicopter maintenance and repair. During this time, he worked with the FAA in joint efforts. His hard work and extensive knowledge of various aircraft including past helicopter repair/maintenance experience received him accolades by the FAA, who recommended him Cactus Air Force (CAF) to work on their challenging AH-1 Cobra restoration project. Deciding that CAF was an excellent opportunity to continue his passion of aviation repair, Brune became the Director of Maintenance for CAF in 2011. Brune still carries on his duties for Washoe County Sheriff Department RAVEN Unit.
Tim Brune brings over 29 years of aviation experience to Cactus Air Force. Most recently, Brune has focused his aviation maintenance skills on helicopter mechanics. He currently maintains the HH-1H Huey and multiple OH-58 Kiowa helicopters for the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department RAVEN unit. In addition to the traditional avionic repairs, Brune is responsible for special system repairs including: firefighting, video surveillance, technical rescue and airborne SWAT applications.
Brune is dedicated to the restoration and flying maintenance of all aircraft owned by Cactus Air Force, enabling it to be truly a “Flying Museum.” Brune envisions a perfect day for CAF when all aircraft fly in a massive alpha-strike formation and land at an airfield for visitors to view up close and personal. Brune relishes watching an aircraft fly after all of the hours he has spent working on it, knowing that all systems are functioning properly and that the safety of the pilots and passengers is ensured.
