ROB ROBERTS - Chief Pilot
I was born in the mid-west town of Richmond, IN. My Grandfather took me to see my first helicopter when I was two. A Sikorsky S-58 was being used to lift air conditioning units on top of the building where he worked. I was hooked.

My Aunt says the first word she ever heard me utter was a broken form of “helicopter”. I was fascinated with these machines. Pictures of me during birthdays and Christmas always depicted toy helicopters. When I was eight or ten years old, my Father took my younger brother and me for our first helicopter ride. The five minute ride in a Bell 47G-4 was magical. My second ride was in a (then new) Robinson R22HP.

I started my flight training in October 1990. I received my private and commercial certificates at M.G. Helicopters in Vandalia (Dayton), OH in the Robinson R22 Beta (no governor). My CFI training was with Eagle Helicopters in Miamisburg, OH with a Bell 47G-2. I attended the Robinson Helicopter Safety course in 1994, and while in Torrance, I had the opportunity to fly my first Bell JetRanger with “Commander Chuck Street” with KIIS-FM in L.A. Later, I returned to California to “build turbine time” with “The Sky Lord” Scott Reiff.

My first real flying job was as a part-time flight instructor. A gentleman in Sidney, OH had a hobby of re-building old helicopters. While an A&P, he was unable to fly his aircraft upon completion. I instructed him through solo before he lost his medical. He continued to re-furbish helicopters and I was his “test pilot”. I had the opportunity to fly two of his beautiful helicopters; a 1948 Bell 47D-1 and a 1952 Hiller UH-12B converted to a “C”.
An ad in the back of a helicopter magazine promised the same turbine flight time deal in Richmond, VA with HeloAir. I could drive there in a day, so I started making the trek regularly. In December, 1995, I was offered a full time position with HeloAir. Since then, I have attended Bell Helicopter Factory training for the 206B (ten consecutive years), 222B, 407, and 430. I’ve accumulated over 6200 hours and flown numerous types of helicopters in many different missions.

Danielle, my wife, is very supportive of my career. Her Father and brother are both helicopter pilots!

Phone: 804-226-3400 • Toll-Free: 888-FLY-HELO
Email: info@heloair.com