Karl Dean Cotton

Karl Dean Cotton is a Redmond, Oregon-based Designated Pilot Examiner who has administered more than 1,000 practical tests, conducting Private, Commercial, Instrument, and CFI checkrides in helicopters. Widely recognized among regional candidates as a local legend, he has provided checkrides for Pacific Northwest schools such as Hillsboro Aero Academy and Leading Edge Flight Academy. Cotton's career spans nearly 50 years, starting in the late 1970s after he discovered a passion for helicopters while heli-skiing in Utah. After earning his flight instructor rating, he instructed local students and later flew Grand Canyon tours, seismic exploration utility operations in the Rocky Mountains, and short-haul missions for three U.S. National Parks. His public service experience includes working as an officer pilot and flight instructor for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, as well as teaching specialized profiles like swift-water rescue, hoist operations, and aerial firefighting for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Cotton previously served as Chief Pilot for Upper Limit Aviation in Utah and Chief Flight Instructor at Leading Edge Flight Academy in Bend, Oregon, where he runs the night-vision goggles instruction program. He also works as a Senior Flight Instructor and traveling field pilot for the Helicopter Institute in Fort Worth, Texas, specializing in Bell helicopter platforms. In 2023, the Helicopter Association International presented him with the Salute to Excellence W.A. 'Dub' Blessing Flight Instructor of the Year Award.