A North East pilot has spoken of his trajectory from humble beginnings to navigating the skies in private jets for the ultrawealthy as he releases his first novel.
Dean Corbyn of Sunderland, who now lives in Texas, wrote his debut novel The Jorvik Prophecy while he was grounded during the Covid pandemic.
His aviation ambitions first took flight one Christmas when his parents gifted him flying lessons at the Royal Newcastle Aeroclub—igniting a passion that would propel him far beyond life running a modest Roker Sea Front guesthouse.
“If they hadn’t done that, this incredible life would never have taken off,” Dean acknowledges.
“That first lesson awoke a passion I never knew existed. I was instantly hooked.”
However, Dean’s ascent hasn’t been without turbulence. His aviation dreams encountered major headwinds early on—he and his new bride Amy made headlines in 1998 after being detained and separated at a Dallas airport over visa issues during their honeymoon.
“It was like a scene from Locked Up Abroad,” he recalls of their traumatic nine-month separation and eighteen-month legal battle.
Then, after returning to the US armed with both UK and American airline pilot licenses, Dean’s job offer from American Airlines was rescinded amid the industry chaos following 9/11.
“Tens of thousands were furloughed,” Dean said. “It was literally the worst time to be a pilot.
But he remained determined, deftly navigating his way into the prestigious world of private/corporate aviation.
He said: “My goal was always the airlines. Private aviation was so niche it hadn’t come across my radar. I don’t know why I never considered it, but I am so glad I did. The life has taken me far beyond what I ever could have imagined growing up workingclass in Sunderland.
“Back then, I bounced between odd jobs like bartender, security driver, and picture framer, never dreaming I’d one day pilot luxury jets for the ultrawealthy.”
Today, the Texas-based aviator operates two modern jets for a philanthropic family— the $65 million Gulfstream G650, the fastest and arguably most prestigious private jet in the world, and the single-pilot Pilatus PC-24 Swiss jet.
It was when the Covid-19 pandemic grounded global travel, Dean seized the opportunity to craft his first novel, The Jorvik Prophecy.
This supernatural mystery follows a paranoid New York dentist’s journey to York, England to unravel her ancestral mysteries—and save an innocent child’s life. Danger lurks around every corner, and nobody is who they seem, least of all her allies.
“I included my favorite local spots like Sunderland’s St. Peter’s Church, Durham’s Lumley Castle, and York’s Guy Fawkes Inn,” Dean said.
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“Plus a funny take on the fierce Sunderland-Newcastle football rivalry.” The book was adapted from his early screenplay, The Maiden of Jorvik, and blends real North-East’s historical facts with fictional supernatural elements.
An audiobook production narrated by acclaimed voice artist Leslie Howard is expected by June.
The Jorvik Prophecy’ released on Amazon April 29th, coinciding with Dean’s mother’s 81st birthday: click here for more information.
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