Fly By Night

In this second of four episodes covering the story of Drew Thornton, we focus on how Thornton and his military school classmate Bradley Bryant  built a major marijuana and cocaine smuggling operation known as “The Company” based in Lexington, Kentucky. And how they did so while hiding that business in plain sight with help from corrupt officials, including a DEA Agent who provided cover for what became the largest aerial smuggling operation in Kentucky.

Featuring interviews with Retired FBI Special Agent Jim Huggins, and retired DEA Agents Kelly Snyder and Rick Sanders.

Fly By Night begins with the  story of Andrew Carter Thornton III:  a Kentucky pilot and skydiver who was a privileged son of the Bluegrass state. Thornton's long strange trip went from growing up as a child of a hard working and successful family to becoming a soldier, and then a detective in the newly created narcotics squad in Lexington, Kentucky. 

With stories of suspected corruption hanging over him, he left the police department for a short-lived stint as a lawyer, and then, using his skills as a pilot,  and with the help of other corrupt former cops and a DEA agent, Drew Thornton became one of the biggest drug smugglers in Kentucky history. This episode features interviews with retired FBI Special Agent Jim Huggins and retired DEA Agent Rick Sanders.

Introducing “Fly By Night”, with stories of pilots who used their skills to smuggle drugs in the 70’s and 80’s, and the people who chased them. The series begins with the story of a pilot who had been a corrupt cop and helped build one of the largest aerial smuggling rings in the country.

On the night of September 10th, 1985, Drew Thornton strapped cocaine and weapons to his body, turned on the autopilot, and jumped to his death. His body was found the next morning in a driveway in Knoxville, TN, and his pilot less plane crashed in the mountains of NC.

It was a case that set in motion investigations and media coverage that exists to this day.