Scott Germain was born and raised in Glendale, California. His father worked in commercial real estate development, and was also a commercial pilot. His father took him to airshows since he can remember, and took him flying – probably weeks after he was born. He remembers one time sitting on his mother’s lap in a Cessna watching the desert pass by. He played baseball volleyball, and golf - pretty typical upbringing - got a little better than average grades, and was always drawing airplanes in the margins of his school papers. Germain always loved airplanes, and always knew he would become a pilot. He started flying with father when he was around 9 years. He began flying lessons at the age of 15, and flew on his own on his 16th birthday.
He then decided to join Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona where he studied from 1987 to1990, and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Science. Sometime when he was still in junior high, his father bought him a Super 35mm camera (Pentax ME). He really loved taking photos, and would continuously hound his father for film before they went to airshows. In high school, Germain found himself in the classroom being used for the high school’s newspaper. He got involved with that the following year, and began as the photographer. While at the college, he resurrected the college’s newspaper, and started submitting stories to various small aviation publications. He thought it was pretty cool when he received checks in the mail for his photography and writing.