W.A. “DUB” BLESSING FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD For upholding high standards of excellence in flight instruction
Scott Tinnesand Flight Instructor and Experimental Test Pilot, Te Boeing Co., Gilbert, Arizona, USA
Flight instructor and experimental test pilot Scott Tinnesand got to where his is today thanks to mentors who supported him along his journey. A pilot with 33 accident-free years of flying experience, he’s dedicated to giving back whenever possible. Tinnesand remembers wanting to be a pilot but questioning the feasibility of achieving his dream. When he discovered the US Army ROTC program at the University of North Dakota (UND), the dream became possible. He enrolled at UND in the ROTC program, earning his private, commercial, and instrument helicopter ratings. Upon graduation, he attended Army flight school to become an AH-1 Cobra and AH-64 Apache pilot. After eight years of service, ending with the Army’s 101st Airborne
Division, he entered the civilian world as an instructor pilot and test pilot for gyroplane manufacturer Groen Brothers Aviation. Tinnesand thrived at Groen, gaining gyroplane commercial and instructor ratings and mentoring by coworker and fellow pilot Terry Brant. Tinnesand returned the favor by, in turn, mentoring customers who were learning to fly. After leaving Groen, Tinnesand took a helicopter air ambulance position
that grew into an opportunity to earn his helicopter CFI and mentor, train, and support his fellow company pilots. Ten, in 2011, he landed what has been his dream job. Today, Tinnesand is a lead flight instructor and experimental test pilot for
Scott Tinnesand
Te Boeing Co.’s Vertical Lift division. He trains domestic and international pilots as well as conducting experimental test flights in the AH-64E Apache,
A/MH-6M, and AH-6 Little Bird. His experience at Boeing wouldn’t be the same without his own mentor in the organization, Rich Lee, chief developmental
test pilot for rotorcraft. Lee took Tinnesand under his wing and supported his rise in the company. He also encouraged him to become a designated pilot examiner (DPE) in the region. All he asked in return was that Tinnesand pay it forward. When not working, Tinnesand continues to mentor others. He spends
extra time after practical test examinations to teach and guide pilots. He encourages female pilots to apply for Whirly-Girls scholarships and offers free SFAR 73 checkouts for new CFIs to help them save money as they begin their careers. He shares his contact information with pilots and responds to numerous phone calls and texts every week from prior students, air mission applicants, flight instructors, and professional pilots requesting assistance. Tinnesand also donates his time to the Arizona DPE Advisory
“I am so lucky to have the life I live. It gives me such satisfaction to help others reach their dreams.”
Group and the Phoenix Airspace Users Work Group and has participated as a speaker in HAI’s HFI Pilot Mentoring Panel, HAI’s Military-to-Civilian Transition Workshop, the US Helicopter Safety Team Annual Meeting, and several other local and national training and safety seminars. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the great people who supported and mentored
Sponsored by
me every step of the way,” Tinnesand shares. “Tere truly isn’t anything more satisfying than helping remove an obstacle keeping someone from achieving their dream. I am so lucky to have the life I live. It gives me such satisfaction to help others reach their dreams.”
Hill Air 34 ROTOR MARCH 2022
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