Chief Pilot

Chief Pilot (14 CFR Part 135 / Part 133)

Location - Quonset (North Kingstown), RI. Hybrid schedule with required company travel as needed.

Reporting To - Director of Operations

Pay Type & FLSA Status - Salary, Exempt

Shift/Work Schedule - Given the nature of the Company's operations, this role requires ongoing availability and responsiveness. Work hours may vary significantly and may include evenings, weekends, holidays, and other non-standard hours as necessary to support the safe and effective operation of the business.

Company & Position Summary

HeliService USA is a veteran-owned and operated aviation company established in 2022, built on a foundation of discipline, expertise, and mission-driven performance. With more than half of its team comprised of military veterans, the company brings a high level of professionalism and operational excellence to every mission. Headquartered in North Kingstown (Quonset), Rhode Island, HeliService USA operates across multiple locations including Martha's Vineyard, MA; Beaumont, TX; Norfolk, VA; and Dayton, OH, supported by a growing workforce of over 100 professionals.

HSUSA is a rapidly expanding operator flying the Leonardo AW169 across a wide variety of demanding mission profiles, including, Offshore Response Rescue Services (RRS), Helicopter Air Ambulance (HAA), Helicopter Harbor Pilot Transfers by precision hoist, Wind Turbine Hoisting, and Offshore Crew Change. HSUSA is the nation's leader in offshore wind support as the first and only dedicated U.S. operator in the sector, a recognized leader in helicopter harbor pilot transfers, and the world leader in hoist volume, conducting more than 15,000 hoist evolutions annually.

The Chief Pilot is a required management official under 14 CFR 119.69 and reports to the Director of Operations (DO). In support of the DO's exercise of operational control under 14 CFR 135.77, the Chief Pilot holds direct responsibility for the standardization, currency, competency, and airmanship of HSUSA's pilot workforce across all bases and mission types. The Chief Pilot owns the flight operations standards, the pilot training, testing, and checking program, ensuring every pilot is trained and checked to HSUSA's FAA-approved standards and Operations Specifications (OpSpecs).

This is a working leadership role. The Chief Pilot will personally hold and maintain FAA approval as a company check pilot and flight instructor on the AW169 and remain a current line pilot, leading standardization from the front line. Above all, the Chief Pilot sets the tone for a strong, just safety culture in which the safety of the operation is the number one priority, and in which crews are trusted, supported, and empowered to make good decisions and to report hazards without fear of reprisal.

Education, Experience, Skills, Licenses/Certifications, Systems

Minimum Qualifications (FAA 14 CFR 119.71(d))

The Chief Pilot will be a direct employee, will meet all qualifications required by 14 CFR 119.71(d), and a resume will be kept on file with the FSDO (Flight Standards District Office). HSUSA conducts operations for which the pilot in command is required to hold at least a commercial pilot certificate; accordingly, Chief Pilot qualification is governed by 119.71(d). Under 14 CFR 119.71(d), a person must:

• Certificate Hold at least a commercial pilot certificate with appropriate ratings (rotorcrafthelicopter); and
• Instrument rating Because an instrument rating is required for HSUSA pilots in command, also hold a rotorcrafthelicopter instrument rating; and
• PIC qualification Be qualified to serve as pilot in command in at least one aircraft used in HSUSA's operation (the Leonardo AW169); and
• In addition, either:

• As a person becoming a Chief Pilot for the first time ever, have at least 3 years of experience within the past 6 years as pilot in command of an aircraft operated under Part 121 or Part 135; or
• As a person with previous Chief Pilot experience, have at least 3 years of experience as pilot in command of an aircraft operated under Part 121 or Part 135.

Note: Under 14 CFR 119.71(f), the company may request FAA approval of a deviation for a candidate who does not meet the exact airmen or experience requirements but has comparable experience and can effectively perform the role. The Administrator may terminate a grant of deviation authority at any time.

Additional FAA Qualifications Check Pilot & Flight Instructor

This position requires the incumbent to serve as a company check pilot and flight instructor on the AW169. Beyond the 119.71(d) management qualifications above, the Chief Pilot must qualify for, obtain, and continuously maintain:

• Check pilot Qualification and Administrator (POI) approval under 14 CFR 135.337 and 135.339 for the AW169, including satisfactory completion of the applicable check pilot training.
• Flight instructor Qualification and approval under 14 CFR 135.338 and 135.340 for the AW169, including satisfactory completion of the applicable instructor training.
• Recency & line currency Recency of experience and line currency under 14 CFR 135.247 sufficient to exercise check pilot (aircraft) and flight instructor (aircraft) privileges.
• Medical A Class I medical certificate.

Proficiency with, or ability to quickly learn, HSUSA's operational and training-tracking systems, electronic flight bag (EFB) tools, the Communications Center workflow, and the company SMS/ flight-data (HFDM) reporting environment.

Preferred Experience & Attributes

• 10 years of helicopter operational experience.
• Significant pilot-in-command time in the AW169 or a comparable twin-engine IFR helicopter.
• Experience in one or more of HSUSA's core mission sets: HAA, offshore/Hoist Operations/Offshore support (Along with Offshore IFR), external load (Part 133), NVG, and/or SAR-style operations.
• Prior experience as a Part 135 check pilot and/or flight instructor and building or revising training curricula.
• Working knowledge of HeliOffshore and IOGP standards.
• Experience with FAA and/or customer audits.
• Strong standardization discipline and a demonstrated commitment to just culture and non-punitive safety reporting.

Conditions of Employment

• Direct employee of HeliService USA; resume maintained on file with the FAA FSDO.
• Authorization to work in the U.S.; ability to travel to company bases; background / DOT requirements as applicable.
• Ability to obtain and maintain FAA check pilot and flight instructor approvals and the required medical certification.

Responsibilities / Duties

Operational Control Support & Regulatory Compliance

• Support the DO's exercise of operational control under 135.77 by ensuring pilots and flight operations conform to HSUSA's FAA-authorized OpSpecs, FAA-approved manuals, deviations, and exemptions.
• Serve as the company's principal pilot-standards authority across all bases and mission types.
• Work directly with the Director of Operations to maintain the flight-operations content of the training manual and pilot-facing SOPs in current, compliant condition, and ensure pilots can access and understand applicable requirements.
• Serve as a primary company point of contact to the Principal Operations Inspector (POI) on pilot qualification, training, and checking matters.
• Any additional duties assigned by the Director of Operations.

Standardization & SOP Development

• Work alongside the Director of Operations to establish, publish, and enforce standardized procedures, callouts, and mission profiles across all bases, mission types, and crews.
• Draft, review, and refine SOPs and mission-specific procedures (offshore IFR/HEDA, hoist/HEC, NVG, Part 133 external load, HAA, RRS), maintaining alignment with the company