Michael Raymond Granek

Michael Raymond Granek is a Long Beach, California-based FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) specializing exclusively in helicopter operations. He does not conduct airplane checkrides, as his FAA examining authority and certifications are strictly limited to rotorcraft, specifically the AS-350, MD-500, and AS332 series. Granek's FAA designations include Private Pilot Examiner, Commercial and Instrument Rating Examiner, and Competency Examiner. He served for 25 years and one month with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) as a Deputy Sheriff and helicopter rescue pilot with the Special Enforcement Bureau's Air Rescue 5 unit, retiring on November 30, 2024. His operational tenure included a notable high-altitude rescue on February 4, 2017, near Islip Saddle in the Angeles National Forest, where he piloted Air Rescue 5 during a hoist operation on a steep 70-degree icy chute. Granek holds Airline Transport Pilot (ATP), Commercial, Instrument, and Private pilot certificates. He is married to Roberta Granek, a retired LASD Lieutenant.