Alvin Guthery

Alvin "Rick" Guthery grew up in South Florida and around Fort Rucker, Alabama, inspired by his father, Al Guthery, who was also a helicopter pilot. In September 1982, Guthery entered the U.S. Army Warrant Officer flight program, graduating with Flight Class 83-43-1 and flying UH-1H "Huey" helicopters during his active-duty service until 1988. He then flew commercial AS350 helicopters for his father's company, International Helicopter Service, and survived a major offshore engine failure and emergency autorotation in March 1990. Guthery later joined the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department's Air Rescue Bureau, piloting Bell 412EP rescue helicopters and serving as the Training and Standardization Commander through late 2016. He also founded Helicopter Partners, Inc., a charter and flight training business based at Miami Executive Airport, and was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust in 2019 after serving on a county helicopter procurement committee. Operating out of Signature Flight Support in Miami, Guthery conducts private, commercial, instrument, ATP, and CFI practical tests in helicopters.