Flight Plan by Lee Burns and Braxton Brady

In today’s culture, teenage boys are faced with navigating the turbulent journey to manhood, often without an inkling of what that really means or any direction of how to get there. What does it mean to be a man? Flight Plan: Your Mission to Become a Man offers a vision of godly manhood and a complete and honest guide into the adventures ahead.



Flight Plan, written by Lee Burns and Braxton Brady, is a natural evolution of their original program, Building Boys, Making Men, a curriculum created by the authors for the 630 boys who attend Presbyterian Day School (PDS) in Memphis, Tennessee. Over the years, Burns and Brady, colleagues at PDS, have received numerous requests from youth leaders, pastors, parents, and teachers for access to the curriculum that was only available to the boys at PDS. Flight Plan is the answer to those many requests and the culmination of sixty years of research, mentoring, and ministry to more than 3,000 boys.

My review:
This book is for teenage boys, which I am way past being, but it looked like a good book to review, so here I am reviewing it. And it is a very neat book.

The title is Flight Plan, and the authors liken flying a plane to a teenage boy getting ready for life. Each chapter has something to do with flying, and then the authors take a topic and liken it to something to do with flying a plane. The chapter ends with several questions for thought.

Topics covered include dealing with family/parents, sex and the consequences of sex outside of marriage, friends, getting of course, and many more.

I haven't read many books like this geared for teenagers - at least not lately, but I am impressed with this one. They have a really interesting way of presenting their ideas, and coupled with talk of flying a plane, it is a great combination. This book would be great for individual reading for a teenage boy, or used as a group study for teenage boys. I highly recommend it. Easy reading style, interesting, and very important topics for teenage boys.

About the authors:
Braxton Brady was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He graduated from Memphis University School and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Memphis. He loves both the city of Memphis and the University of Memphis. Before coming to Presbyterian Day School (PDS) in 2004, he worked as Bible teacher, athletic director, and assistant principal at Central Day School in Collierville, Tennessee. Presently, Brady is chaplain of PDS, an independent school serving over 630 boys in grades PK-6 in Memphis.



Brady has served on the boards of various inner city ministries in Memphis. He is a graduate of the Emerging Leaders Program, a program that helps disciple and develop spiritual leaders in the city of Memphis, and founder of Strategic Dads, a ministry that seeks to provide fathers with practical ways to disciple their sons and lead their families.

Serving and living in the inner city of Memphis has given Brady a unique perspective on the challenges all young men face in their journeys to manhood, no matter their social or economic status. “I’ve learned that there is a void for young men that is not being taught,” says Brady. That void inspired him to develop Flight Plan with co-author and colleague Lee Burns. “I hope to help dads navigate their sons through middle school and high school on their way to adulthood.”

Brady enjoys spending time with his family, serving in the inner city, watching the Tigers football and basketball teams, and playing golf. He is currently completing his master’s degree in theological studies from Covenant Theological Seminary. Brady is married to Carrie, and they have three children. They are members of Fellowship Memphis Church.

Lee Burns is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee. An avid tennis player, he won six championships as a junior player and was an All-American. Raised in a family of seven children, he learned early on the importance of personal growth and development. Burns discovered a passion for youth while working as a camp counsellor and decided to pursue a career in education. He received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College, graduating cum laude, and went on to receive a master’s degree in educational administration from Harvard University. Burns also studied at the London School of Economics.



Burns worked as a teacher, coach, and administrator at Christ School in North Carolina and then as the director of day student admission at the McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 2000, he was appointed to headmaster at Presbyterian Day School, an independent school serving over 630 boys in grades PK-6 in Memphis.

In addition, Burns is vice-president and on the executive committee of the Elementary School Headmasters Association (a group of approximately 200 headmasters around the country) and is a member of the Country Day School Headmasters Association and the Visionary Heads Group. He served as a task force member to help the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) develop Principles of Good Practice for Middle School Educators. In addition, he has been a presenter at annual conferences of the National Association of Independent Schools, the International Boys’ School Coalition, and the Elementary School Headmasters Association.

Burns still plays tennis and enjoys squash and most any sport, as well as reading and writing. He co-authored the book on a boy’s journey to manhood, Flight Plan: Your Mission to Become a Man, with a vision to “mentor boys not just academically, but from a life perspective.” “It’s important to know the person God wants us to be,” Burns says. “I believe God calls us into authentic manhood as we pursue His purpose and passion for our lives.”


Lee is married to Sarah, and they have three children. They are members of Second Presbyterian Church, where he serves as a deacon.


Flight Plan is available from PDS Publishing.

Check out the website: http://www.theflightplanbook.com/

Read a sample here.

Thanks to B&B Media for the review copy