Meet this Central Florida EY Entrepreneur of the Year: A Top Gun pilot, astronaut and CEO of tech firm Aerodyne

When Andrew Allen watched “Top Gun: Maverick,” he recognized some of the mountain ranges visible in the film’s scenes of flying jets.

That’s because Allen flew in those same areas when he was a U.S. Marine Corps pilot who went through the Top Gun training program, he told Orlando Inno. "It was just another day in the office for me."

Allen later was a pilot and mission commander on three Space Shuttle missions from 1992-1996. Today, Allen is recognized as one of Florida’s top entrepreneurs as his firm helps NASA prepare to send humans to the moon and Mars.

Founder and CEO of Cape Canaveral-based Aerodyne Industries LLC, Allen on June 23 was named one of Florida’s entrepreneurs of the year by professional services giant Ernst & Young LLP, better known as EY.

Founded by Allen in 2006, Aerodyne today is a nearly 700-person company operating in nine states, providing engineering and information technology services to NASA and the defense industry.

Allen was one of seven winners of EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 Florida Award, though he was the only winner from metro Orlando or the Space Coast. The entrepreneurs are picked by an independent panel made up of CEOs, investors and regional business leaders. 

“Each of these entrepreneurs has persevered to make their visions become a reality, and I have no doubt that they will benefit from and serve as valuable members of our global Entrepreneur of the Year community,” EY Florida Program Co-Director Sylvain Dominici said in a prepared statement. 

Here, Allen shares with Orlando Inno what his company is up to in Central Florida and his advice for fellow entrepreneurs: 

What did you learn as a pilot and astronaut that prepared you for running a business? One is you've got to work harder than the competition. Like my father used to say, it’s 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but that work ethic is really a driver and a main player. Second one is, don’t be controlled by fear. We all have an aversion to risk. We build up fears. I’ve seen so many people who fall prey to the fear, and they have a hard time succeeding. Not falling prey means you accept the risk. 

What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs when it comes to hiring and building a team? If you take care of your people, your people will take care of you. Loyalty goes both ways. That’s how you build a good team. In the beginning, you have to show you can perform as an individual. You have to show you're a person who is reliable. Initially, what I tell young folks especially is focus on you to show the world you’re a high performer. Once you prove you can be an individual contributor at a high performance, then you learn how to build and lead teams. 

What big projects is Aerodyne working on in Central Florida? The big one locally is we’re part of the Jacobs Engineering team that is getting the new big rocket, Artemis, ready to launch to the moon and Mars. We have about 120 people or more attached to that program at Kennedy Space Center. We’re bidding on some other things in Florida. 

Andrew Allen,

Aerodyne Industries LLC 

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