STEVE TAYLOR was raised on a farm in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. He is a 1960 graduate of The Citadel with a degree in civil engineering, and he served six years as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force with service in Vietnam. Following a long flying career, he retired as an international airline captain. Taylor has been a solo ocean sailor and holds a U.S. Coast Guard captain's license. He has owned and operated a commercial construction company and is a Coastal Master Naturalist.

      In addition to flying over most of the world, Taylor has lived in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and Okinawa. He has five grown children. With his wife, Nancy, he currently splits his time between Atlanta and Charleston.