Dale Owens

Dale Owens is a retired FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he operated out of Sheltair FLL. As he holds FAA certifications on record exclusively in helicopter categories—including helicopter ATP, commercial, instrument, and CFI—Owens is a rotorcraft examiner and does not conduct airplane checkrides. His aviation background began in childhood flying with his father in a Cessna 180, leading to a fixed-wing rating at age 17 and a gyroplane rating in 1972 flying a McCulloch J2 autogyro. He completed helicopter flight training in 1987 and worked his first commercial flying job piloting banner planes out of North Perry Airport.

Owens also served a lengthy career in public safety with the Broward County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) Aviation Unit, eventually rising to the rank of Sergeant, Supervisor, and Director of Operations. Under his leadership, the unit recorded zero accidents or incidents and transitioned its fleet to Eurocopter EC130 and EC135 models, making BCSO the first law enforcement agency in the United States to operate the twin-engine EC135. In 2009, Owens petitioned the FAA for a legal opinion, resulting in the landmark 2010 FAA Legal Interpretation ('Owens-Broward County Sheriff's Office') which established that permanently attached exterior equipment is classified as an external fixture rather than an external load.

Following his retirement from the BCSO in mid-2012, Owens operated as a helicopter DPE in South Florida. With over 50 years of flying experience, he dedicated significant time to mentoring new flight instructors and their students. Owens retired from his active DPE duties in December 2025.