Pilot of the Year Award Sponsor:


Andreas Hermansky Contract Pilot, TEMSCO Helicopters


ON AUGUST 4, 2018, A DEHAVILLAND Beaver flightseeing tour of the Alaska Range crashed with five people on board in Denali National Park, 14 miles southwest of the summit of Denali at an elevation of 11,000 feet. A call from the pilot of the downed airplane after the crash indicated some survivors had serious injuries. Andreas Hermansky, a pilot for TEMSCO


Helicopters in Alaska, mobilized the park’s helicopter to fly National Park Service (NPS) rangers to the accident site but was unable to reach the victims because of persistent cloud cover obscuring the wreckage. On August 6, Hermansky performed a short-haul mission with Chris Erickson, an NPS ranger. Hovering over the scene for just five minutes because of deteriorating weather conditions, the ranger determined there were no longer any crash survivors. Weather conditions improved on August 10, allowing for a com-


prehensive evaluation of the wreckage during which Hermansky piloted a short-haul operation of unprecedented duration and difficulty. Te entire mission lasted 51 minutes on scene. Te ranger, Tucker Chenoweth, never disconnected from the 200-foot line because of the unstable terrain and weather. Hermansky held a precise hover above the ranger and the crash


site for approximately 40 minutes, repositioning the ranger multiple times to locate the deceased and to assess the feasibility of recovering remains and removing the aircraft from the primary flight-seeing route in the Alaska Range. Tis series of short-haul flights highlights Hermansky’s exceptional flying ability and his ability to work in concert with the ranger team to accomplish critical missions. Hermansky’s work with the Denali program includes regularly


flying short-haul and STEP rescue missions up to 20,000 feet. He has amassed over 2,600 of his 8,000 flight hours within Denali National Park and has completed nearly 300 search-and-rescue missions in Denali and national parks across Alaska.


Lifetime Achievement Award Sponsor:


DeWitte Binkley General Manager, SureFlight, LLC


DEWITTE BINKLEY, GENERAL MANAGER at SureFlight in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, began his aviation career as an aircraft painter in 1977 at Atlantic Aviation in Wilmington, Delaware. From there, he ran the AgustaWestland helicopter paint facility in Philadelphia. While at Agusta, he worked with maintenance manager Mario Ceriani to design and mock up the


first Agusta A109 wide-body test aircraft. Binkley then moved on to Keystone Helicopter, where for 23 years he managed the paint shop. When Keystone was acquired by Sikorsky Global, he continued in that role, building relationships with customers worldwide.


In 2008, Binkley was approached by Robert Watkins, founder of


Rampmaster, to consult on opening a new aviation paint shop called SureFlight. In 2009, the new venture opened, with just 3,600 square feet of hangar space and Binkley as the general manager and first employee. Under his leadership, SureFlight has expanded to more than 34,000 square feet. It now handles avionics and interiors as well as painting and is a certified FAA repair station. One reason for SureFlight’s success is Binkley’s team. His goal is


for customers to be delighted with their investment in their aircraft, and he knows that can’t be accomplished without the right people. Although Binkley has high expectations for quality and detail, he never asks more of the employees he works with than he asks of himself. He treats everyone with respect, as valuable members of the team. Despite often working 60 or more hours a week, Binkley always


finds time for charitable work. He has donated time and materials for painting and restoration of equipment for the Chester County Sheriff’s Department, including squad cars, a SWAT Hummer, and an emergency response trailer. Binkley also assisted Peter Wright, Sr., in developing the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester, Pennsylvania, donating time and materials to renovate aircraft for displays.


56 ROTOR SPRING 2019


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