Public Hearing
February 3-6, 2009
Ira Blumen, M.D., Director, University of Chicago Hospitals, Chicago, Illinois
Dr. Blumen has been involved in air medical transport since 1985 and has been the program and medical director of the University of Chicago Aeromedical Network (UCAN) since 1987. Before that, he was the medical director of the MedStar helicopter program at St. Mary of Nazareth Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Blumen served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) and was a founding member, board member, and past-president of the Air Medical Physician Association (AMPA). He has received numerous awards, including the 2004 AAMS Jim Charlson Award, which recognizes an individual for significant contributions to the overall enhancement, development, or promotion of aviation and aviation safety within the air medical transport community. In October 2008, Dr. Blumen received two additional awards for his continued work and dedication to HEMS safety research: the 2008 AAMS President’s Award, and the 2nd Annual American Eurocopter Vision Zero Aviation Safety Award, for research.
Matthew Zuccaro, President, Helicopter Association International, Alexandria, Virginia
Mr. Zuccaro has been active in the helicopter industry for nearly 40 years. He was president of Zuccaro Industries, LLC, which provided aviation consultation services and specialized in helicopter-related issues. He holds airline transport pilot and instrument flight instructor certificates for both airplanes and helicopters. Mr. Zuccaro has also held several executive and operations management positions, with commercial, corporate, scheduled airlines, and public service helicopter operations in the northeastern United States. Mr. Zuccaro is a past president and chairman of the Eastern Region Helicopter Council. He received his initial helicopter flight training as a U.S. Army aviator and served with the 7/17 Air Calvary unit in Vietnam. During his tour, Mr. Zuccaro earned several commendations, including 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 3 Bronze Stars, and 19 Air Medals.
Sylvain Séguin, Vice President, Safety and Quality, Canadian Helicopters, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Mr. Séguin’s more than 27 years of experience in the helicopter industry include stints as a helicopter pilot, flight instructor, airline transport-rated captain in EMS operations, and safety officer. In 2004, he was appointed to his present position with Canadian Helicopters, the largest helicopter EMS operator in Canada. Mr. Séguin is the industry co-chair for the Canadian Joint Helicopter Safety Analysis Team (JHSAT) Committee under the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) umbrella, which has for its mandate the reduction of the helicopter accident rate by 80% by 2016.
Christine M. Zalar, Partner, Fitch & Associates, Platte City, Missouri
Ms. Zalar has led the air medical consulting division of Fitch & Associates since the firm opened 25 years ago. Her professional experience spans the full spectrum of prehospital care—from developing, implementing, and managing air medical and ground ambulance services to managing hospital emergency departments and trauma centers. Her key areas of expertise include operational and financial analysis of air medical services, aircraft procurements, aviation service agreements, and feasibility research for new programs or service expansions. Ms. Zalar also provides leadership to the firm’s affiliate, MedServ International, which provides management services for air medical transportation organizations. As a consultant, Ms. Zalar has designed medical transportation networks for healthcare systems, developed strategic linkages among healthcare facilities and air and ground service providers, consolidated medical transportation providers, and designed regional medical transportation systems, particularly those serving rural areas.
Kevin Hutton, M.D., CEO/Chairman, Golden Hour Data Systems, Inc., San Diego, California
Dr. Hutton is a practicing board-certified emergency physician and is the founder, CEO, and chairman of Golden Hour Data Systems, Inc., which provides air medical and ground transport services, integrated computer-aided dispatch, clinical charting, and other services. U.S. Golden Hour has documented over a half million patient transports, operates 180 aircraft, and provides ground critical care services in 35 U.S. states and territories. Dr. Hutton began his career in 1980 as an ambulance driver before becoming an academic emergency physician, flight physician, air medical researcher, air medical operational medical director, and EMS system quality assurance committee chairman. He is a founding and past board member of the Air Medical Physicians Association (AMPA). He has also been active in the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) and the Foundation of Air Medical Research and Education. In 2008, Dr. Hutton received the Marriott-Carlson Award, the air medical industry’s highest award for individual contribution.
Thomas P. Judge, Executive Director, LifeFlight of Maine, Bangor, Maine Mr. Judge, a practicing paramedic, has worked for 30 years in pre-hospital emergency medical services in roles ranging from provider to system planner/regulator, in both public and non-government sectors. He is particularly interested in the effects of health care policy and the issues of access and equity in the provision of rural medical care. In addition to serving as Executive Director of LifeFlight of Maine, a non-profit, helicopter‑based critical care system serving the entire state of Maine and providing primary response to remote areas, Mr. Judge serves as the Executive Director of the LifeFlight Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization that funds aviation infrastructure and outreach education services to hospital and EMS providers in Maine. Mr. Judge is active in a number of organizations including the Foundation for Air Medical Research and Education; the Association of Air Medical Services; the Vision Zero aeromedical work group; the Joint Helicopter Safety Implementation Team, one of two work groups of the International Helicopter Safety Symposium; the Air Medical Safety Advisory Council; the DOT National EMS Advisory Council; and the Air Medical Advisory Council. His contributions to air medical safety at the local, regional, and national level won him the 2003 Jim Charlson Award.
Robert Bass, M.D., Executive Director, Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, Baltimore, Maryland
Dr. Bass began his EMS career in 1979 as Director of Emergency Services at the U.S. Naval Regional Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina, a post he held until 1982. In the years since, Dr. Bass has held positions as the Director of the Emergency Department and Trauma Center at the Medical University of South Carolina; Director of the Emergency Department at Beaufort Memorial Hospital in Beaufort, South Carolina; Associate Director of Emergency Medical Services in Houston, Texas; and Director of Emergency Medical Services for the Government of the District of Columbia. He has also been in private practice in emergency medicine in South Carolina and Virginia. In addition to his current position, Dr. Bass is Associate Professor of Surgery (Emergency Medicine) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is a Fellow at the American College of Emergency Physicians and a member of the National Association of Emergency Medical Service Physicians and the National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Directors.
Marc Hartstein, Deputy Director, Hospital and Ambulatory Policy Group, Medicare and Medicaid Services, Baltimore, Maryland
Mr. Hartstein has been with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (formerly the Health Care Financing Administration) for 19 years and worked on the Medicare physician fee schedule at its inception in 1990 and through 1994. He spent several years working on Medicare payment for inpatient hospital services and was a key member of the defense team (and the only non-lawyer) in successfully defending Medicare graduate medical education payment policy in Regions Hospital v. Shalala before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1997. He continued working on the physician fee schedule between 1999 and 2004, and was instrumental in reforming Medicare payment for drugs and drug administration. From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Hartstein was Deputy Director of the Division of Acute Care, where he led major reforms of Medicare’s inpatient prospective payment system. In his current position, he manages four divisions that set payments for approximately $200 billion of Medicare expenditures that affect over 900,000 Medicare providers of hospital care, physician care, and other services.
Suzanne K. Wedel, M.D., Medical Director/Chief Executive Officer, Boston MedFlight, Bedford, Massachusetts
Dr. Wedel is a physician board-certified in both critical care and internal medicine. Since 1989, she has served in her current post at Boston MedFlight, a non-profit critical care transport service supported by a consortium of institutions. Dr. Wedel is a fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine, American College of Chest Physicians, and American College of Physicians. She is also a faculty member in the Department of Surgery at Boston University School of Medicine. Her specific interest is critical care transport, and she is involved in local, regional, and national critical care transport organizations.
Dan Manz, Director of Emergency Medical Services, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington, Vermont
Mr. Manz has been actively involved in EMS for more than 30 years and has worked as an EMT, volunteer squad leader, hospital communications technician, EMS regional coordinator, EMS trainer, and state EMS director. Much of his work has been in rural areas, including Maine and Saudi Arabia. Mr. Manz has been active in the National Association of State EMS Directors, serving as its president for 2 years, representing the association in the HCFA Negotiated Rule Making process, and implementing the EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach. Mr. Manz remains active as a volunteer EMT-Intermediate with the local ambulance service in his community.
Bryan Bledsoe, D.O., Emergency Physician, Midlothian, Texas
Dr. Bledsoe is an emergency physician who began his work in EMS in 1974 as an EMT and attended one of the first paramedic programs in north Texas. He worked for several years in Fort Worth as a paramedic and went on to become an EMS instructor and coordinator. Dr. Bledsoe is board-certified in emergency medicine and has served as the medical director for two hospital emergency departments as well as for numerous EMS agencies in north Texas. He is Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, at the University of Nevada School of Medicine and the Department of Emergency Medicine at University Medical Center in Las Vegas. Dr. Bledsoe was recently named a “Hero of Emergency Medicine” by the American College of Emergency Physicians as part of its 40th anniversary celebration.
David P. Thomson, M.S., M.D., FACEP, CMTE, CHC, National Medical Advisor for PHI Air Medical, Manlius, New York
Dr. Thomson is the National Medical Advisor for PHI Air Medical. He has been a flight physician and a medical director for several air medical services. He is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and is a Certified Medical Transport Executive. He has been a member of the Air Medical Physician Association Board and is currently on the Board of the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems. He is the co-author the NAEMSP position paper, “Guidelines for Air Medical Dispatch.” He holds a private pilot helicopter and an instrument airplane rating.
Carlton G. Burkhammer, Battalion Chief, Emergency Medical Services, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Fairfax, Virginia Chief Burkhammer has been a paramedic/firefighter for over 20 years and has worked as a field paramedic, company officer, EMS supervisor, and battalion chief. He has been a member of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department Special Operations Team since 1989, including assignments to the Urban Search and Rescue Team, Hazardous Materials Response Team, and Technical Rescue Operations Team. Chief Burkhammer also worked as a part-time flight paramedic with Inova AirCare from 1991-2007. Inova AirCare, established in 1991 as a hospital-based single-helicopter program, expanded into a multiple-helicopter program in 2002. During this time, Chief Burkhammer served as a provider, preceptor, and outreach coordinator and developed and delivered the program’s Landing Zone (LZ) Safety Course to hundreds of first responders.
Daniel G. Hankins, M.D., Co-Medical Director, Mayo One Helicopter, Mayo Clinic Medical Transport, Rochester, Minnesota Dr. Hankins has been board-certified in emergency medicine since 1983, and has been involved in air medical direction since 1985. He is a founding member of the Air Medical Physicians Association (AMPA), previous chair of the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services Board, and current executive committee member of the Association of Air Medical Services. Dr. Hankins has been with Mayo Clinic Medical Transport for over 15 years.
Jack B. Davidoff, M.D., BCEM, BCDM, EMT-P, President, Air Medical Physicians Association, Salt Lake City, Utah
Dr. Davidoff has 32 years of experience in EMS, and has served as an active paramedic, firefighter, and emergency physician. He has 18 years of experience in air medical transport, serving as the Chief Medical Director for Mercy Flight Central in Canandaigua, New York. He is a member of the Air Medical Physicians Association (AMPA), serving as the past Educational Committee Chair and as the current president. Dr. Davidoff is also a member of New York State Air Medical Technical Advisory Group.
Garet Hickman, NAACS Board Member and CAMTS Representative, National Association of Air-Medical Communication Specialists, Nashville, Tennessee Mr. Hickman has served in his current role since 2003. He is also the communications center manager for Flight For Life Colorado, based in Denver, where he has served since late 2001. Mr. Hickman’s background is EMS. He has been a paramedic in the Denver area since 1992 and flew as a flight paramedic for Flight For Life Colorado from March 1999 through September 2001.
Dennis McCall, Manager, Aviation Compliance & Operational Control Center, Air Methods Corporation, Englewood, Colorado Mr. McCall has over 14,000 hours as a helicopter pilot with 20 years aviation experience and 6 years in HEMS. Mr. McCall was a training captain in the Bell 412.
Raymond Dauphinais, Vice President, Flight Operations, CareFlite, Grand Prairie, Texas Mr. Dauphinais has more than 3 decades of aviation experience, including 25 years in Part 135 operations. He began his military career in 1972 as an Army air traffic controller and attended Army flight school in 1976. Beginning in 1977, he served as aviation safety officer for a 23-aircraft assault company, moving on to the Georgia National Guard in 1981. After completing his military career in 1988, Mr. Dauphinais worked in the private sector as a pilot for PHI. He first came to CareFlite in 1996 and served as a line pilot for 4 years. Mr. Dauphinais then became director of operations for a stand-alone FAR Part 135 air medical program in upstate New York. In 2003, Mr. Dauphinais was asked to return to CareFlite as Director of Operations and by 2005, was both Director of Operations and Vice President of Flight Operations.
T.K. Kallenbach, Vice President, Marketing and Product Management, Honeywell Aerospace, Phoenix, Arizona Mr. Kallenbach began his career at Honeywell (formerly AlliedSignal) in 1981, where he has held a variety of senior technical leadership positions, including Vice President of Engineering and Technology for Aerospace Electronics, Defense & Space Electronic Systems, and Propulsion Engines and Systems, and senior business leadership positions including Vice President of Business Aviation, Director HTF7000 Propulsion System, and Director of Helicopter Engines. In his current position, Mr. Kallenbach and his team are responsible for Aerospace strategic planning, product marketing, product management, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing communications.
Scott Baxter, Assistant Chief Flight Instructor, Bell Helicopter Training Academy, Fort Worth, Texas Mr. Baxter learned to fly helicopters during his 13 years in the Army, where he was an OH-58D model instructor. Since leaving the Army, he has worked for 11 years at Bell Helicopter as a production test pilot and flight instructor. He developed the nation’s first FAR 141 Night Vision Goggle Training Program, and his flight certificates include commercial, instrument, and certified flight instructor rotorcraft. In 2006, he was awarded HAI’s Joe Mashman safety award for his contributions to the field of NVG use in the civilian arena. He currently teaches and flies multiple models of Bell helicopters for the Bell Training Academy.
Dave Downey, Vice President of Flight Safety, Bell Helicopter, Fort Worth, Texas Mr. Downey is responsible for flight safety and all flight test operations at Bell Helicopter, and he advises on certification activities with all of Bell’s internal, government, and external customers and agencies. Previously, Mr. Downey was manager for the FAA Rotorcraft Directorate in Fort Worth, Texas. He provided strategic direction on rotorcraft and tilt-rotor policy/certification, as well as oversight to the Directorates’ eight subordinate offices. In addition, he was responsible for all FAA experimental flight test policy, training, and administration. As co-chair of the International Helicopter Safety Team, Mr. Downey achieved a 33% reduction in the number of U.S. fatal helicopter accidents through comprehensive analysis and outreach to different business segments. His accident reduction methodology has been shared with several foreign authorities for implementation. Mr. Downey was a pilot in the U.S. Army and served as an instructor pilot, instrument flight examiner, maintenance test pilot, and experimental test pilot. He has more than 4,000 hours of fixed and rotary wing accident-free flying on 125 different models. He holds an FAA airline transport pilot rating as well as single/multi-engine land/seaplane and helicopter commercial pilot, and CFI ground.
David Batcheller, Director of Quality, Process and Program Management, Appareo, Fargo, North Dakota In his current position, Mr. Batcheller is responsible for product development and ensures that the company, both in product design and business processes, complies with aerospace regulations. Product development activities include beta testing of software applications, oversight of hardware and software usability testing, oversight and execution of environmental testing, iterative product design reviews to ensure compliance with industry requirements, and oversight of initial product implementations. Appareo has been recognized with three international aerospace awards for its ALERTS product line, which was developed with oversight by Mr. Batcheller’s group.
Tim Shaver, Assistant Manager, Avionics Systems Branch (AIR-130), FAA, Washington, DC Mr. Shaver joined the FAA in 2003 as a transportation industry analyst in AIR-130 and was responsible for development of the FAA’s technical standards, policy, and rulemaking on flight data recorder systems. Before joining the FAA, Mr. Shaver worked for United Airlines for 14 years, where he held several positions that included radio/electrical mechanic, fleet avionics engineer, liaison engineer, lead avionics engineer and manager of flight avionics engineering. Mr. Shaver served in the Air Force for 8 years as a guidance and control technician.
Neil Weink, Chief Pilot, Safety Operations Base Manager, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota Mr. Weink has been an HEMS pilot with Mayo Clinic for several years and has extensive experience with IFR and night operations.
Kevin High, R.N., President, ASTNA, Nashville, Tennessee Mr. High is a registered nurse with more than 23 years experience in acute care. He has 13 years experience as a flight nurse with Vanderbilt LifeFlight, a leading academic medical center flight program. Currently, he serves the air medical community as an educator. He is the Trauma Program Manager for Vanderbilt and works as a liaison and educator with the myriad EMS and air medical agencies that serve Vanderbilt. As a Vanderbilt faculty member, he focuses on issues related to trauma care, airway management, EMS, and air medical transport. In 2003, Mr. High was the AAMS Medical Crew Member of the Year and he is a past recipient of Vanderbilt’s Rosamond Gabrielson Staff Nurse of the Year Award. Mr. High is currently President of the Air/Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA), an international association representing flight/transport nurses.
Bruce A. Webb, Chief Flight Instructor, American Eurocopter, Grand Prairie, Texas Mr. Webb has been with American Eurocopter for 10 years, serving as Chief Pilot for more than 8 years and before that, as a production test/instructor pilot. His aviation experience consists of more than 7,500 hours in over 25 different helicopter models. Before joining American Eurocopter, Mr. Webb was the co-owner/operator of a Part 135, 137, 141, and 145 helicopter operation in the Chicago area and then flew IFR and VFR EMS helicopters for 5 years in Nebraska, Ohio, and North Carolina. He has flown more than 1,200 hours as a line pilot or base manager at both traditional hospital-based programs and also at one of the first remotely based helicopter programs in the United States. Mr. Webb has also served as co-chairman of the RTCA-212 Committee, which developed the Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for the Helicopter Terrain Awareness & Warning System (HTAWS). As Chief Pilot for American Eurocopter, he often reviews helicopter accident and incident reports and data in an attempt to determine root causal factors.
Terry Palmer, Manager, Rotorcraft Programs, FlightSafety International, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas Ms. Palmer is both a program manager and instructor at FlightSafety International and instructed in Falcon jet programs before moving to the rotorcraft division. She is certified as an instructor/facilitator in human factors, crew resource management, maintenance resource management, and approach and landing accident reduction. Her expertise focuses on air medical safety programs for helicopter pilots and medical crew including air medical resource management. Ms. Palmer serves in the Joint Helicopter Safety Implementation Team as leader of the training work group. She is also an active member of the HAI Safety Committee. She has organized and implemented a number of large industry safety meetings including the annual Helicopter Safety Forum hosted by FlightSafety and Rotor & Wing. Ms. Palmer has also been instrumental in implementing new simulator-based programs for helicopter training including new single-engine flight-training devices. Before joining FlightSafety, Ms. Palmer was the training coordinator and CRM program manager at Omniflight Helicopters, and before that, owned and managed a Part 141 flight school and aircraft maintenance shop.
Tony Bonham, Chief Pilot, Air Evac EMS, Inc., West Plaines, Missouri Mr. Bonham has been Chief Pilot for Air Evac EMS, Inc. for 3 years. Prior to that he was the Assistant Chief Pilot and has been employed with Air Evac since 2001. He has flown a total of 20-years as an EMS helicopter pilot and worked for 3 different operators. He has an Airline Transport Pilot certificate in both helicopters and airplane multiengine land, and a commercial certificate in airplane single-engine land. He is also type rated in a Lear Jet, and a Certified Flight Instructor-Instrument in both helicopters and airplanes. Mr. Bonham has amassed over 12,000 hours in his career. He has also been an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner in helicopters for 20 years and holds a BS degree in Aviation Management.
Larry Buehler, Aviation Safety Inspector, Flight Standards Service, FAA, Washington, DC Mr. Buehler began his career with the FAA 17 years ago as a program analyst for rulemaking, before becoming a program manager for the Flight Standards Service and finally, an aviation safety inspector for air carrier operations. He currently works in AFS‑250, which is the Part 135 Air Carrier Operations Branch of the Air Transportation Division. For the past 3 years, Mr. Buehler has been actively involved in HEMS policies at the FAA. He holds a commercial pilot certificate in airplane single and multiengine land and rotorcraft helicopters, with ratings in instrument airplane and instrument helicopter.
James P. Riley, President, International Association of Flight Paramedics, Snellville, Georgia Mr. Riley is an EMS helicopter flight paramedic for the Mayo Clinic and has a total of 15 years as an EMS paramedic, 9 of which were conducted as a flight paramedic. Previously, Mr. Riley worked in air medical for profit and not-for-profit organizations.
Christopher Bassett, Chief Pilot, Air Methods, Englewood, Colorado Christopher Bassett began flying in 1986 and now holds an airline transport pilot certificate with rotorcraft/helicopter, airplane/single-engine land and sea ratings, and commercial privileges for airplane multi-engine land. He also holds a flight instructor certificate with rotorcraft/helicopter and helicopter/instrument ratings, and a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings. Mr. Bassett has amassed over 7,000 hours of flight experience and has served as a line pilot, training captain, check airman, chief pilot, director of operations, and Vice President of Part 135 Air Carriers. He was the founder and president of a Part 133 helicopter external-load company. Mr. Bassett joined Air Methods Corporation as a line pilot in 2002 and currently serves as Chief Pilot at the company’s main offices in Colorado.
Thomas P. Judge, Executive Director, LifeFlight of Maine, Bangor, Maine Mr. Judge, a practicing paramedic, has worked for 30 years in pre-hospital emergency medical services in roles ranging from provider to system planner/regulator, in both public and non-government sectors. He is particularly interested in the effects of health care policy and the issues of access and equity in the provision of rural medical care. In addition to serving as Executive Director of LifeFlight of Maine, a non-profit, helicopter‑based critical care system serving the entire state of Maine and providing primary response to remote areas, Mr. Judge serves as the Executive Director of the LifeFlight Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization that funds aviation infrastructure and outreach education services to hospital and EMS providers in Maine. Mr. Judge is active in a number of organizations including the Foundation for Air Medical Research and Education; the Association of Air Medical Services; the Vision Zero aeromedical work group; the Joint Helicopter Safety Implementation Team, one of two work groups of the International Helicopter Safety Symposium; the Air Medical Safety Advisory Council; the DOT National EMS Advisory Council; and the Air Medical Advisory Council. His contributions to air medical safety at the local, regional, and national level won him the 2003 Jim Charlson Award.
Eileen Frazier, Executive Director, CAMTS, Anderson, South Carolina Ms. Frazier has been a flight nurse for more than 20 years and has been instrumental in developing safety policy for the EMS industry. While working for MedEvac at the Lehigh Valley Medical Center Emergency Department, Ms. Frazier became the Chief Flight Nurse and developed the department’s policies after visiting with Hermann Life Flight in Houston. In 1982, MedEvac had a fatal accident, and it was reported that the patient was combative. After that accident, Ms. Frazier and the lead pilot visited several flight programs in the U.S. to urge that a barrier be placed in medical helicopters and that policies be developed for combative patients. Ms. Frazier became the Safety Committee Chair for ASHBEAMS (now Association of Air Medical Services) in 1986 at the height of an increase in the number of air medical accidents. She and her committee developed Priority One, a safety audit for medical services, and trialed it at three universities. As a result of this testing, ASHBEAMS decided to explore accreditation and in 1990, the Commission on Accreditation of Air Ambulance (CAAMS) was established. Ms. Frazier became the Executive Director and continues in that role today.
Don Arendt, Ph.D., Manager, FAA Flight Standards SMS Program Office, Dulles Airport, Virginia Dr. Arendt and his office are responsible for developing policy and guidance, training requirements, and oversight of SMS voluntary implementation and rulemaking for air operators, aviation maintenance organizations, and flight training organizations. Dr. Arendt was instrumental in developing the FAA’s Air Transportation Oversight System (ATOS) and key modules of the FAA’s Safety Performance Analysis System (SPAS). Before joining the FAA, he led a support team that conducted test, evaluation, and analysis activities for reliability, maintainability, maintenance logistical support, and human factors for a variety of aviation and air defense systems for the U.S. Army. Dr. Arendt also holds airline transport pilot and flight instructor certificates and has more than 5,000 hours of flight time.
Keith Johnson, Safety Program Manager, ALEA, Los Angeles, California Mr. Johnson has worked for the Los Angeles Police Department for 32 years, and has managed the Air Support Division for the last 20. He is the Safety Program Manager for the Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) and the Lead Assessor for the ALEA Accreditation Program. He is lead for the International Helicopter Safety Team Safety Management System Industry Working Group. Mr. Johnson holds commercial rotorcraft and airplane pilot certificates with more than 4,000 hours of flight time.
Ed Stockhausen, Director of Safety, Air Methods Corporation, Englewood, Colorado Mr. Stockhausen started flying EMS in 1982 for Norfolk General Hospital (Sentera) and has also flown for Geisinger Medical Center and Cleveland Metro as a line pilot. As a relief pilot, he has flown at over 20 different programs, and he has accumulated over 10,000 accident/incident-free flight hours. During his career in EMS, Mr. Stockhausen has held positions as an IFR captain, instructor pilot, check airman, regional manager, chief pilot, and director of operations. He is also a certified medical transport executive. He has been in his current position for the last 3 years. Mr. Stockhausen is a founding member of the Air Medical Services Safety Advisory Council and a voting member of the Helicopter Association International Safety committee. As part of the International Helicopter Safety Team, Mr. Stockhausen was on the first Joint Helicopter Safety Analysis Team. He began his aviation career in 1976, and served 3 years with the Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights, as crew chief and loadmaster.
Jon Prater, Operations Supervisor, Air Methods Certificate Management Team, FAA, Denver, Colorado Mr. Prater has 32 years of aviation experience, which includes more than 9,000 flight hours under FAR Parts 91, 121, 125, and 135, as well as military and airborne law enforcement flight. His helicopter-specific experience includes maintenance, medivac, and night vision goggle, including training. Mr. Prater’s pilot certifications for airline transport pilot include both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. He is also a certified flight instructor and instrument flight instructor in both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Prior to his current position, Mr. Prater was the Air Methods Principal Operations Inspector (POI). He began his career at the FAA as a general aviation POI in the San Antonio Flight Standards District Office.
Kent Gibbons, Hawker Program Manager, SimuFlite, and Principal Operations Inspector, CareFlite, FAA, Fort Worth Mr. Gibbons flew Bell 205 Helicopters (Huey) in the Air Force, receiving training by the Army and Air Force, and served nearly 7 years as an aircraft commander and instructor pilot in missile support and medical evacuations operations. He then became a helicopter and airplane instructor pilot for FlightSafety International, using both simulators and aircraft with customers from across the world. He joined FAA as a general aviation inspector in the FAA’s Honolulu and Fort Worth (AFW) Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), before assuming his current position, working in Part 121 air carrier operations. Mr. Gibbons holds multiple pilot and instructor ratings.
Dennis Pratte, Manager, Part 135 Air Carrier Operations Branch, FAA, Washington, DC Mr. Pratte is currently responsible for managing, developing, and evaluating national standards and policies and processing or amending rules or exemptions related to Part 135 fixed wing and helicopter operations, including helicopter emergency medical service. In other FAA positions, he has served as manager of the Central Region FAA Safety Team, has been assigned to the FAA’s Air Carrier Training and Air Carrier Operations branches in Washington, DC, and has served as Assistant Principle Operations Inspector for Trans States Airlines. Before joining the FAA in 2000, Mr. Pratte was a pilot for several airlines. He has extensive Part 135 experience and has conducted passenger on-demand and fractional ownership operations. Mr. Pratte holds an airline transport pilot certificate and a number of type ratings, as well as several flight and ground instructor certificates. In 2003, Mr. Pratte received the DOT Secretary’s Award for Partnering for Excellence after participating in the development of an interagency memorandum of understanding between the FAA and the Transportation Security Administration. He has also been recognized for his participation in the development of several major rulemaking initiatives.
Bradley D. Pearson, Manager, Flight Standards Division, Northwest Mountain Region, FAA, Renton, Washington Mr. Pearson is the Manager of the Flight Standards Division in the FAA’s Northwest Mountain Region. He is accountable for the execution of the programs that are developed at FAA Headquarters. Mr. Pearson’s span of control covers 14 FAA field offices in Northwest Mountain Region, consisting of 450 employees. He holds an airline transport pilot certificate with class ratings in Airplane Single Engine Land, and Airplane Multiengine Land. He also holds type ratings in the Lear Jet, DC-9 and N-265 airplanes.
John Allen, Director, Flight Standards Service, FAA, Washington, DC Mr. Allen joined the FAA in November 1991, and was appointed as the Director, Flight Standards Service in December 2008. He leads an organization of more than 4,800 FAA aviation professionals responsible for promoting the safety of flight for civil aircraft by setting regulations and standards for air carriers, air agencies, general aviation, airman and designees. Before his appointment as Director, Mr. Allen served as the Deputy Director beginning in March 2003. Mr. Allen is also a Brigadier General with the Air Force Reserves. He has held various command positions during his 31-year active duty and reserve military career to include vice wing commander and squadron commander. Mr. Allen has over 4,800 flying hours. He has been an instructor and examiner pilot in the Air Force, and has an airline transport pilot certificate with type ratings in the Airbus A-320 and Lockheed C-141 airplanes. Mr. Allen received his Bachelor of Science degrees in computer and information sciences from the University of Florida, and a Masters of Science degree in aeronautical technology from Arizona State University.
