Craig Varnum

Craig Varnum is an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner based in Concord, North Carolina, who also serves as a Sergeant and the Commander of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) Aviation Unit. Operating within the Charlotte metropolitan area, including Huntersville and Concord, Varnum holds private, commercial, and instrument ratings specifically for helicopters. He is a rotorcraft-only examiner and does not conduct airplane checkrides.

In his law enforcement career, Varnum pilots the CMPD unit's Bell helicopters, which average about 1,000 flight hours annually. He led the unit through its 50th anniversary of accident-free helicopter operations in February 2021. Prior to his leadership of the Aviation Unit, he served as the supervisor of the CMPD’s Domestic Violence Unit. His work in reforming domestic violence investigations led to him receiving the 2021 Liberty Bell Award from the Mecklenburg County Bar.