Stephen Michael Lind, J. D., ATP
Vita/Resume
EDUCATION
- Wausau High School,
Wisconsin, “Lettered” in Varsity Sports and Music [1966-69].
- University of Wisconsin
(SP), Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree/International Politics [1969-1973].
- U.S. Army Reserve Officer
Training Corps, “Distinguished Military Graduate” UWSP [1973].
- Washburn University School
of Law Juris Doctor (J.D.) Degree (Dean’s List), Topeka, Kansas
[1976-1979].
- U. S. Government (GSA)/Federal
Protective Service Security Officer Course, Kansas City, Kansas [1977].
- University of Southern
California Jet Helicopter Accident Investigation International School, Los
Angeles, California [1981].
- General Motors/Detroit
Diesel Allison Jet Helicopter Pilot Engine Course, Indianapolis, Indiana [1981].
- Certified Property-Casualty
Underwriter Parts 5 & 6 passed, plus numerous seminars and classes on Aircraft
Accident Investigation, Aviation Insurance and Environmental Claims Handling.
LICENSES and AUTHORIZATIONS
- Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Restricted Radio-Telephone Operator permit [1970].
- Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) Private Pilot Single-Engine Land Airplane License
[1970].
- National Security Agency
(NSA) security qualification: “Secret” Clearance [1973].
- U.S. Army Operator’s
license for the M-151 ¼ ton Jeep; M-113
Armored Personnel Carrier; M-114 Scout Track; M-551 Sheridan Airborne
Light Tank and M-60A1 53 ton Main Battle Tank (1973-1975).
- FAA Commercial Pilot License for Multi-Engine Land [1977] and Sea [2020], Instrument Airplanes and Gliders; Aero-Tow [1977-present]. FAA Small Unmanned Aerial System Remote Pilot rating [2018].
- Licensed Attorney, Kansas
State Bar and United States Federal District Court Bar [1979-2017].
- FAA Certificated Flight
Instructor for Helicopters and Instrument Instructor for Single-Engine Land
and Seaplanes [1981-present].
- FCC Technician Class Radio
License #: N2YWW [1996-present].
- FAA Airline Transport
Pilot (ATP) License for Single-Engine Land and Seaplanes [2009-present].
- U. S. Coast Guard Boating/PWC
Safety Course: NJ Licensed Motor
Vessel Captain [2009-present].
EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE
- Summer and part-time jobs
in Wisconsin during high school and college working at a cheese factory, a
lumber yard and a paper mill [1967-1973].
- Operations Officer
(General Manager) for Security Systems of Topeka, Inc. [1976-79].
- Various flying jobs for the
State of Kansas and for Kansas Air Ad, Inc. [1976-1979].
- Federal Protective Service
Officer-in-Charge for Federal Building/Courthouse, Topeka, Kansas [1977-79].
- Associated Aviation
Underwriters (AAU), Senior Claims Attorney, Detroit, Michigan Office
[1979-1983].
- International Aviation
Theft Bureau Board of Director’s Charter Member [1980-1991].
- AAU, Regional Claims
Manager (8 state territory), Assistant Vice President, Chicago Office
[1983-1987].
- Chicago Chamber of
Commerce, Aviation Committee, FAA Heliport Task Force member [1984-87].
- Oshkosh Air Show (AirVenture)
Aviation Insurance Claims Manager [1985 & 1986].
- AAU, Director of Branch
Office Claims (10 offices nationwide), Director of General Aviation
Liability & Director of Environmental Claims, Vice President, Home
Office, Short Hills, New Jersey [1987-1991].
- Updated and re-wrote the
Claims Manual for an international aviation insurance company [1989].
- Sky Insight Consultants, Sole
Proprietor, Aviation and Environmental Claims consulting. Pilot Expert Witness and Aviation
Consultant for various insurance and litigation matters [1991-present].
- New Jersey Property Liability
Insurance Guaranty Assoc. Environmental Claims Team Leader [1992-95].
- Chief Pilot/Reporter,
Shadow Traffic/WCBS radio station, New York City area, New York [1996-2002].
- MMU Fuels, Inc., Manager,
aircraft refueling service West Tie Down, KMMU, New Jersey [1998-99].
- Chief Flight & Ground
School Instructor and Board of Director member (Vice President/Aviation) Eagle
Flight Squadron, Inc., KCDW & East Orange, NJ. [2000-present].
- Operations Safety Officer for the Morristown Flight Training Center, FTC FBO, LLC [1999-2020].
- Aviat Aircraft Factory
Dealer for the Central Northeast Region-USA (NJ, NY, DE & MD) [2007].
- Member of NYC/NJ FAA Class
B Airspace Response ad hoc Committee
representing the Morristown (KMMU) and
Essex County (KCDW) airports for the Tri-State (NY, NJ & CT)
area [2009-2010].
- Published Author with a
book and articles on Aviation and Environmental subjects [1983-present].
- Published Aerial
Photographer [1998-present].
- U.S. Army Airborne and
Ranger Schools (Officer Cadet Class), Fort Benning, Georgia [1972].
- U.S. Army Basic Armor
Officer School, Fort Knox, Kentucky [1973-1974].
- 1st Infantry Division
(Mechanized), Chemical, Biological and Radiological (CBR) Warfare Officer
School, Fort Riley, Kansas [1974].
- United States Air Force
Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol) Captain, Search & Rescue (SAR) Pilot
[1969-present].
- U.S. Army Paratrooper
(Airborne) Qualified - Jump Aircraft:
C-5A Galaxy, C-141 Starlifter jets, C-130 Hercules prop-jet, CH-47
Chinook, CH-46 Sky Knight, UH-1 Huey and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters [1972].
- U.S. Army Ranger Qualified
(elite light infantry). 14,000 Second Lieutenants were commissioned in
1973; 80 were Airborne-Rangers.
- Approved Instructor for
all Light Infantry subjects including Mountaineering/Tactical Climbing, Cliff
and Helicopter Rappelling, 1, 2 & 3 Rope Bridge Building/River Crossing,
Arctic (snowshoes/skis) and Amphibious (U.S. Navy LCM/rubber assault boat)
Operations, Land Navigation, FM Radio Communications for Air & Artillery
Fire Missions/Encoding-Decoding, Survival, First Aid, Demolitions
(C-4/TNT), Hand-to-Hand Combat and Light Weapons (M-16A1 automatic assault
rifle; M-1911 semi-automatic pistol; M-203/M-79 40mm grenade launcher and
M-60 7.62mm medium machine gun).
- United States Army Reserve
Officer Commission as a Second Lieutenant-Armor Branch [1973].
- U.S. Army Armor Officer
School graduate; qualified as a Main Battle Tank and Armored Cavalry
Reconnaissance Platoon Leader (1973).
- Approved Instructor for
all Armored Cavalry Reconnaissance Platoon subjects including tactical
employment of two M-114 20mm automatic cannon scout tracks; two M-106 4.2”
tracked mortar carriers; two M-113 M-2 .50 cal. heavy machine gun armored personnel
carriers (APC’s) with 20 soldiers; and two M-551 Airborne Armored Sheridan
light tanks with 152mm gun/launcher systems firing various conventional
rounds plus the Shillelagh infra-red guided anti-tank/anti-helicopter missile
(43 men).
- Commanding Officer of the
Lead Tank Platoon - First Infantry Division (‘Big Red One’), 1st
Brigade, 1st Bn/63rd Armor, Bravo Company, 3rd
Platoon (“Third Herd”), with seven (7) M-60A1 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs @ 56
tons apiece; combat-loaded) [1974-75].
- Qualified during annual Tank
Gunnery as “Distinguished” (Expert) Tank Commander/Platoon Leader (7 M-60A1
MBTs) [1973-75].
- U.S. Army “Expert” Qualification
for all Main Battle Tank weapons including Vickers M-68 rifled 105mm (4”) main
gun; M-85 .50 cal. anti-aircraft/material heavy machine gun (personal
weapon); M-73 7.62mm co-axial machine gun and M-3 .45 cal. automatic sub-machine
gun (28 men) [1973-75].
- U.S. Army “Expert”
Qualification for the M-1911 .45 cal. semi-automatic pistol [1972].
- U.S. Army “Sharpshooter” Qualification
for the M-16 5.56mm Automatic Assault Rifle [1972].
- U.S. Army Tank Company
Supply Officer (17 MBTs & 128 men) [1973-75].
- U.S. Army Tank Company CBR
Officer (128 men) [1974-1975].
- U.S. Army Tank Gunnery
Assistance Team (TGAT) Leader for Central USA (CONUS) [1974-75].
- Recipient of Certificate
for Outstanding Service with the 1st Battalion/63rd
Armor/1st Infantry Division [1975].
- Officer Evaluation Report
(OER) scores were 196 and 199 out of 200 [1974 & 1975].
- Offered and declined an
U.S. Army REGULAR Officer’s Commission - three times [1973-1975].
- Department of Defense/U.S.
Army Honorable Discharge as a 1st Lieutenant [1979].
- Service-Connected
Disability rating of 10% by U. S. Veteran’s Administration (Vietnam Era;
hearing loss from MBT cannon fire).
- Eight (8) of my airplane
flight students have been accepted to the U.S.A. Military Academies (4 to the
Air Force, 2 to the Navy, 1 to West Point [Army] and 1 to the U. S. Coast
Guard Academy).
AVIATION
- First flight [1966] (DC-3 then Ford Tri-Motor); 17,000 flight hours; 10,500 cross-country with 7,200 hours flight instructing, 570 night and 700 hours as an instrument single-pilot.
- 1,000 flight hours of
towing banners and flying “SkyCaster” night advertising tail wheel
aircraft [1975-1979].
- U. S. Civil Defense/USAF Aux. Aerial
Radiological Monitor; post-nuclear strike bomb damage assessment (BDA)
Mission Pilot [1975-1979].
- Corporate Pilot for two
State of Kansas Attorney Generals [1976-79].
- Human Organ Transport
Pilot, Kidney Foundation of Kansas [1977-1979].
- Flew “bush” airplanes in
the Yukon and Alaska (formation cross-country from Manhattan, Kansas -Anchorage,
Alaska) [1978].
- AAU Corporate
Pilot/Maintenance Officer for company A-36 and F-33 Beechcraft Bonanzas
[1979-1991].
- Chief Pilot/Reporter for
Shadow Traffic/WCBS with 7,000+ flight hours over the New York City
environs [1996-2002].
- Maintenance Officer for
the Eagle Flight Squadron, personal and company aircraft (4)
[1991-present].
- Researched/wrote Safety
& Operations SOP Manual for the FTC FBO, LLC [2002-present].
- Worked/investigated 400+
jet helicopter accidents plus 2,000 fixed-wing crashes [1979-present].
- Owner since 1991 of a 1966
Beechcraft Debonair “high performance/complex” airplane (5,000 hours).
- Flown over 150 different models of aircraft including: P-51 Mustang WWII fighter; F-80 Shooting Star (T-33) jet fighter; Turbine Legend turbo-prop; AT-6 Texan; T-34 Mentor; Siai Marchetti SF-260WF; Glasair III fighter trainers; Rolls-Royce powered Breezey, MES amphibious Air Cam; Pitts S-2A; Grob (glider); Super Decathlon aerobatic planes, Bell 206L-II & III; Hughes 500C; Robinson R-22; Brantley B-2B; Hughes TH-55; Enstrom F-280 helicopters, an ABC A-60+ Airship (Blimp), and was in a Hot-Air Balloon crash.
- U.S. Army trained on full-motion
combat flight simulator for CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters,
101st Air Mobile Division, Fort Campbell, KY. [1991].
- Researched/built/self taught-flew
a 7 foot long radio controlled 1/6th scale AH-1 Huey Cobra attack
helicopter model (first drone in the U.S. Midwest) [1975].
- Test Pilot for maiden
flight of Baby Ace D Experimental airplane built by a high school
industrial arts class [1982].
- Spin and Upset (unusual
attitude) Recovery training for Flight Instructor candidates
[2009-present].
- Aerobatic lessons and
rides [2007-present].
- Complex/High Performance Airplane
and Tailwheel training and endorsements [2007-present].
- 400+ New York City aerial
tours [1983-present].
- Aerial resupply by parachuting
food (C-rations/MREs, etc.) and
beverages to campers & refugees.
- Six (6) unsolicited
in-flight engine shut-downs resulting in uneventful/no damage forced
landings.
AFFILIATIONS
- Civil Air Patrol Captain
& Squadron Legal Officer [1966-present].
- Disabled American Veteran
(DAV) Gold Commander Club [1977-present].
- U. S. Army Armor/Cavalry
Officer’s Association Life Member [1979-present].
- Lawyer-Pilot Bar Association
member [1979-2016].
- National Rifle Association
Life Member [1979-present].
- Seaplane Pilots
Association member [1981-present].
- Aircraft Owner’s and
Pilot’s Association member [1983-present].
- 32nd Degree
Master Free Mason and Masonic Shriner [1984-1993].
- American Legion past Post
Commander and Color Guard Captain, Whippanong Post 155 [1996-2016].
- St. Joseph Lakota Indian
School “Premier” Supporter [2005-present].
- New Jersey Aviation
Association (NJAA) member [2007-present].
- National World War II
Museum Charter Member [2007-present].
- Morristown Airport
Association (MAA) member [2008-2015].
- Tuskegee Airman, Inc.
member [2009-present].
- Mid-Atlantic Aviation
Coalition Board of Directors Officer, Vice President of Operations [2010-2014].
- YMCA Shark level and Life
Guard qualified (YMCA & Boy Scouts) Danville, Illinois [1962-66].
- Boy Scouts of America Life
Scout rank (19 Merit Badges) with the Order of the Arrow [1963-1966].
- AMVETS (American Veterans)
Top Reserve Officer Training Corps graduate National Award [1973].
- West Law Publishing ‘Top
Paper’ National Award for the Uniform Commercial Code law examination
[1979].
- USAF/CAP Bronze Medal of
Valor for flying a Red Cross blood re-supply (night/snow) SAR mission
[1979].
- USAF/CAP Command Aviator
Pilot Wings [1992-present].
- USAF/CAP Service Ribbons with
Devices for 2 “Saves” and 4 “Finds” flying SAR missions [1966-1979].
- U.S. Army National Defense
Service Medal [1975].
- U.S. Military Cold War
Veteran Service Ribbon (2007).
- Morris County, New
Jersey’s Vietnam Era Veteran Medal [2007].
- Morris County, New
Jersey’s Cold War Veteran Medal [2008].
- American Legion New Jersey
State Champion Color Guard Captain, Wildwood, NJ [2006, 2009 & 2011].
- State of New Jersey Gil
Robb Wilson Award for “Outstanding contributions to New Jersey Aviation”
[2009].
- State of New Jersey Governor’s
Aviator Medal [2009].
- Essex County Civic Club
105th anniversary Crispus Attucks Award [2015].
- New
Jersey Legislature Assembly Resolution “Commending his meritorious record of
service, leadership, and commitment” [2015].
- The FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for 50 years of
violation/incident-free operation {2020].