Meet the Contributors

CLAUDIO AGOSTINI, Rotor & Wing’s Latin America correspondent, is working on including in Brazil’s aviation framework (the National Civil Aviation Plan or Plano Nacional de Aviação Civil) a chapter dedicated specifically to helicopters, and dealing with organizers of the Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (LABACE) 2008 on R&W’s participation in that August event in São Paulo. This year, LABACE will have a special area for helicopters. He is based in São Paulo.

LEE BENSON is the retired senior pilot for the Los Angeles County Fire Dept. Before he was named senior pilot, Lee ran the aviation section’s safety and training programs, including organizing the section’s yearly safety meeting with other public agencies and the press.

RON BOWER has contributed to R&W for more than 10 years. Flying for 45 years, he has accumulated almost 9,000 hr with no accidents, incidents or violations. He has continuously held the Absolute Around-the-World speed record for helicopters since 1994, and has made five ocean crossings in helicopters without float gear. Ron holds airplane and helicopter air transport pilot ratings and has six of the seven certificated flight instructor ratings. Ron has made on-site visits to all the major helicopter manufacturers in the United States and Europe, often flying and writing R&W flight reports about pre-certified aircraft. Since 1999, Ron has worked with his son, Shannon, at Bower Helicopter, helping people buy and sell helicopters.

STEVE COLBY started his aviation career as a helicopter mechanic for the U.S. Air Force 28 years ago. He went on to hold positions as a combat rescue weapons officer and instructor pilot, operational test pilot, and ultimately as commander of the USAF 34th Weapons Sqdn, the school for combat search-and-rescue pilots. He now works as a Defense Dept consultant, providing flight-test planning, execution, reporting and engineering recommendation services. His involvement with various aerospace industries as a mechanic, tester, and consultant give him unique insight into key technological and programmatic advances in the rotorcraft industry.

JACK DRAKE is an aviation safety consultant and co-chair of the International Helicopter Safety Team’s U.S. Joint Helicopter Safety Analysis Team. A retired U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigator and engineering manager, he also served as director of operations safety at America West Airlines and the Helicopter Assn International’s director of safety. He was a U.S. Navy fixed- and rotary-wing pilot and standardization flight instructor.

COL. ROBERT QUACKENBUSH was commissioned into the U.S. Army Aviation Branch in 1984. Upon completion of flight school, he was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Div in Giebelstadt, Germany from 1986-1990. From 1990-1992, he was assistant brigade S-3 and commander of an AH-1 attack company in 4th Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment. Upon completion of his tour in South Korea, he attended AH-64A transition training and served for three years with the 82nd Airborne Div as a battalion S-1, AH-64 company commander, and brigade S-1. In 1997, he served for two years as battalion S-3 and executive officer for the 12th Aviation Battalion in Fort Belvoir, Va., supporting the Military District of Washington. Quackenbush also commanded the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment in South Korea from 2004 to 2006.

ERNIE STEPHENS began flying in the 1980s, earning his commercial pilot’s license and starting an aerial photography company as a sideline. In his regular job as a county police officer, he was transferred to the department’s new aviation unit, where he served as the sergeant in charge and chief pilot until his retirement in 2006. He writes for R&W about worldwide airborne law enforcement issues and other aspects of helicopter operations. Ernie enjoys meeting our readers and flying a variety of helicopters.