Health and Science Editor John Fowler is a veteran of the KTVU Newsroom, having been with the station since 1975. He began as a writer, assignment editor, and producer before beginning full-time reporting duties in 1978.

The San Diego product didn't start out in journalism; he opened his own business in computer project planning after graduating from UC-Santa Barbara and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. His post-graduate specialties were Experimental Psychology and Physics.

But his first real love was flying. He spent 10 years as a commercial pilot in San Diego, flying single- and twin-engine charter planes and teaching as a flight instructor.

A decade later, Fowler said he was ready for a new challenge. A college roommate knew of a job at KTVU, so Fowler moved to the Bay Area and a new career in television news.

Fowler has won several Emmys and an International Gold Medal from the New York International Film and Television Festival (for a Segment Two series about the Coast Guard's Training School in Oregon.)

Fowler is married and has two children. His hobbies include scuba diving and soaring.

In fact, in July 2000, the FAA certified John as a Glider Flight Instructor.

For more than 20 years, John has been a Certificated Flight Instructor for Airplanes, Instruments and Multi-Engine Airplanes, as well as a commercial pilot. He's amassed more than 3,000 hours of flight time and is qualified to teach and evaluate pilots of most of the world's aircraft.

So when you see a report from John on an aviation subject, you'll know he knows the subject first-hand. It's just another example of the depth of experience and knowledge KTVU's specialists bring to reporting the news.

Send e-mail to John.