Los Angeles producer, philanthropist, pilot, and activist Brian Pendleton lives a high-speed life.
He skipped Coachella to display his Lancair Evolution (N424SM) with its new paint scheme at the 2026 SUN ‘N FUN Aerospace Expo, before flying to Puerto Rico for the weekend, then back to Los Angeles. With full fuel, the Evolution can fly 1,000 to 1,200 miles.
The Lancair is Pendleton’s third aircraft after earning his pilot certificate at Santa Monica Airport (KSMO) in California.
“I got my pilot’s license because my parents moved from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and I didn’t want to have to drive to see them or hop on a Southwest flight,” he says. “I trained in Los Angeles in a Cessna 172, where it’s always 300-plus days of great weather.”
The first aircraft he owned was a Cirrus SR-22T, then he moved up to the Columbia 450. He praises the Evolution for its 285-knot airspeed and its reliable engine. He has applied for N-number 285X to celebrate the aircraft’s speed and is awaiting the FAA’s reply.
High-Tech Paint Scheme
The unique gold and black circuit board theme was designed by Scheme Designers of Cresskill, New Jersey, and painted by Cascade Customs and Design of Bend, Oregon, two weeks before SUN ‘N FUN. The aircraft served as a static display in Paradise City for Mankiewicz Coatings of Charleston, South Carolina.
“I wanted the outside to reflect the high tech on the inside,” Pendleton says. “I wanted you to have a different experience with my plane, no matter where you were. I was inspired by technology and everything aviation is today. I love technology, AI, sci-fi, and everything that comes with it.”
Not only is the design high tech, but the paint is state of the art as well.
“This is a composite aircraft and you don’t see a lot of black on composite aircraft, especially on the wings, because they heat up too much and compromise the structural integrity of the bond lines,” explains Ethan Birx, Sales and Marketing Manager-Aviation of Mankiewicz Coatings. “This aircraft utilizes an IR reflective coating that essentially dissipates heat. There are very few manufacturers who have this technology and we are one of them. That makes this airplane so special. You can feel how the heat dissipates. The fuel caps are painted in the normal Krylon black, which is not our material, and if you touch those, you could burn yourself.”
According to Pendleton, after changing the hydraulic system and the paint scheme, the newly painted Evolution is now 100 pounds lighter.
He has his engine in the MORE (Maintenance On Reliable Engines) program, which can extend the engine’s overhaul interval to 8,000 hours.
“It’s an STC,” he says. “It uses oil analysis and vibration analysis. It’s amazing because they put a vibration analysis machine on it, and they can tell by the vibration’s frequency where there’s an issue. They can tell by how much of that frequency they’re seeing if it’s out of tolerance. It’s an incredible program. I get my annual done at Flight Metrics in Redmond, Oregon. It’s sort of the birthplace of the Evolution and the Epics and a bunch of other planes like that.”
“We’re based in Van Nuys and moving to Burbank,” Pendleton adds. “I’ve been on the waiting list for a hangar since COVID and just got the word last week.”
Adventure
“This is a great adventure plane,” he continues. “Last year, we flew to the Bahamas and landed on a very short runway, and we were able to swim with the pigs. I’ve flown into Burning Man where you land on the desert. It has reverse. You can take off quickly and stop quickly, so I can do long-range adventures and short.”
“I bought it to fly around the world, but I need two stops in Russia, and that’s not an option right now. I did try to go to Paris two years ago because I had a wedding to go to and a concert. The weather was bad, and I had to get to the wedding, so I parked it in Boston and took a commercial flight. But for my 60th birthday next year, we’re going to take it to Europe.”
Pendleton has 1,540 total flight hours with 860 hours in the Lancair Evolution. So far, he’s had only one in-flight problem.
“It was my fault,” he admits.
He had the plane washed for a speed run from Las Vegas to Camarillo, California.
“We got on the plane, and as soon as we got to altitude, the autopilot tried to kill me,” he recalls. “My static ports froze over because we were over the freezing layer. So we descended and I realized I just didn’t read that page in the owner’s handbook that says never wash your plane with water. I have to dry wash it.”
Brian Pendleton shares his adventures on his YouTube channel, FlyinWithBrian. His latest video is all about his new paint scheme.
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