News

HAI Announces Recipient of the 2009 Outstanding Certified Flight Instructor Award

December 11, 2008

HAI is proud to announce the 2009 Outstanding Certified Flight Instructor Award recipient, Kevin C. Brandt; Senior Flight Instructor, Bell Helicopter, Fort Worth, Texas.

Since 1996 Brandt has been Senior Flight Instructor at the Bell Flight Training Academy, where his specialty is transition and recurrent training for standard flight maneuvers and emergency procedures. His calm and confident demeanor in the demanding environment of helicopter flight instruction creates an atmosphere of trust, allowing for a most productive learning experience. His challenging yet carefully structured lessons motivate his students to strive for their best performance.

In addition to flight proficiency, Brandt fosters an attitude of safety during each flight, and in all aspects of flying. His students complete their training as more competent and safer pilots. As testimony to this, Brandt was awarded an HAI Pilot Safety Award upon logging 5,000 consecutive accident and violation-free helicopter flight hours.

Brandt continually expands his knowledge of equipment and teaching techniques. As a licensed A&P mechanic, he incorporates knowledge from that perspective into his flight instruction by teaching students about the entire aircraft. He currently has more than 10,000 accident and violation-free flight hours; over 4,450 hours of flight instruction with more than 2,000 students; and over 70,000 touchdown autorotations with zero accidents, specializing in day and night touchdown autorotations, and precision autorotations. He also has more than 15 years of aero medical flying, and five years of offshore flying experience, and was acknowledged for his humanitarian efforts during the Hurricane Katrina relief operation.

Brandt's rapport with students makes him one of the most requested instructors for recurrent training at the Bell Flight Training Academy. Brandt's abilities as a helicopter flight instructor, his sense of humor and quick wit, and a genuine concern for his students, have earned him the widespread respect of students and peers alike. HAI congratulates Kevin Brandt for his contributions to the helicopter industry.

All winners will be recognized at HELI-EXPO 2009's annual "Salute to Excellence" Awards Banquet on February 23, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. in Anaheim, California. For more information about the 2009 "Salute to Excellence" Awards Banquet, contact HAI's Communications Department at 703-683-4646, fax: 703-683-4745, or email: rotor@rotor.com. For more information on HELI-EXPO 2009, visit www.heliexpo.com.