MICHAEL RHODES

Michael Rhodes has been active in the New England helicopter community since at least 1991, when he served on the Activities Committee for the New England Helicopter Pilots Association. Based in Nashua, New Hampshire, Rhodes has balanced an aviation career with his work as an engineer since beginning his flight training in 1981. He serves as an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) for the Boston FSDO, a designation he has held since at least August 2014. Because his FAA aircraft category on record is limited to helicopters, he conducts practical exams exclusively for rotorcraft certificates and ratings, and does not conduct airplane checkrides.

Operating primarily out of Boire Field / Nashua Airport (KASH), Rhodes administers practical tests for Private, Commercial, Instrument, ATP, and Flight Instructor certificates. His authorized examining authority covers Robinson R-22, R-44, and R-66 models; Bell 206-B, 407, and 505 models; Airbus/Eurocopter EC-135 and EC-120; MBB-BK117 variants; the Guimbal Cabri G2; and the Hughes/Schweizer 269-C. Outside of his examining role, he is a senior helicopter flight instructor at the East Coast Aero Club, where he specializes in advanced training maneuvers like touchdown and constant attitude autorotations, turbine transitions, and ferry flights. His instructional methodology has been featured in Bose Aviation promotional materials and discussed on the Rotary Wing Show podcast.