John Hansford Kinard

John Hansford Kinard is the owner and operator of Aeroluxe Aviation, a flight school, VIP charter, and tour operator based out of John C. Tune Airport in the Nashville, Tennessee metropolitan area. Within the Nashville Flight Standards District Office, Kinard conducts private, commercial, instrument, and CFI checkrides in helicopters. His business utilizes Robinson R22 Beta II and Robinson R44 Raven II helicopters for flight training and operations. Prior to his civilian career, Kinard served for 20 years in the U.S. Army, retiring at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4. During his service with the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade out of Fort Campbell, he deployed to Puerto Rico in 2017 to fly medical evacuation and supply distribution missions for FEMA following Hurricane Maria. He was inducted into the Order of St. Michael at Redstone Arsenal in 2019, and he also administers FAA certification checkrides to Army Initial Entry Rotary Wing candidates using Robinson TH-66 SAGE helicopters. In September 2024, Kinard coordinated private relief flights in Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, utilizing three of his company's Robinson R44 helicopters to fly nearly 40 hours per aircraft and deliver food, fuel, and communication equipment to cut-off areas like Bat Cave and Lake Lure.