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Benjamin Fouts, based in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, has served as an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner for approximately 25 years. First appointed in 2001, Fouts conducts Private, Commercial, Instrument, ATP, and Flight Instructor (CFI) checkrides in helicopters. Candidates frequently describe his testing style as conversational, relaxed, and highly safety-oriented. Fouts took his first helicopter lesson in Honolulu in a Robinson R22 in late 1997 and went on to work as a pilot for Era Helicopters in offshore operations. In September 2001, he founded Mauna Loa Helicopters, which has since expanded to campuses in Kailua-Kona, Honolulu, and Lihue, as well as a mainland partnership with Troy University in 2014. Under his leadership, the school also established a training partnership with Air Methods in June 2025 to provide advanced safety simulation. Additionally, Fouts has contributed as a writer for Heliweb Magazine and Collective Magazine, collaborated with Robinson Helicopter Company on safety curricula, and assisted the Coast Guard and FAA during search and recovery efforts in 2017.