John Hansford Kinard

John Hansford Kinard III is an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) based in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, who conducts rotorcraft-helicopter evaluations for the Nashville FSDO (CE-19 / BNA FSDO). Because his FAA certifications and ratings on record are exclusively in the rotorcraft-helicopter category, he operates as a helicopter-only examiner and does not conduct airplane practical tests. He has accumulated over 35 years of combined military and civil aviation experience, and is the son of the late John H. Kinard Jr. and grandson of the late John Hansford Kinard Sr.

Kinard served 20 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4). In July 2018, he deployed to Camp Dahlke, Afghanistan, serving as the Standardization Officer for Task Force Eagle Assault with the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. Outside of his military career, Kinard is the founder of 30 Seconds Out, LLC, a Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business helicopter flight training school at John C. Tune Airport (KJWN) in Nashville, focusing on Robinson R22 and R44 aircraft. He also owns and operates AeroLuxe Aviation LLC, a commercial helicopter charter and training agency at KJWN. In October 2024, following Hurricane Helene, Kinard led an AeroLuxe disaster relief mission to Asheville, North Carolina, utilizing three Robinson R44 helicopters and supply trucks to deliver food, water, and supplies to isolated mountain communities.

As a DPE, Kinard has conducted over 58 pilot evaluations. He is authorized to administer helicopter practical tests for Private, Commercial, Instrument, and Flight Instructor (CFI) ratings. He is also one of a select group of examiners authorized to conduct UH-60 Black Hawk type rating evaluations. To assist military transition testing, Kinard regularly administers FAA Private Pilot exams in Robinson TH-66 SAGE (R66) helicopters to U.S. Army Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) students.