RMC Aviation, LLC | Helicopter Program | Underwriting Submission

Annual training, honored as a committed standard.

RMC Aviation is a disciplined, high-time rotor-wing operation that commits fully to annual training. What it needs is a program structure that does not strand aircraft, pilots, or contracts: coverage that attaches on demonstrated qualification rather than gating, and credit for an in-house Check Airman program.

See the Check Airman program Request the package

11,000+

Head pilot command hours

Bell

UH-1/205/212 and 206 family

ODF

Call-When-Needed fire contract

Clean

No accidents or cancellations

The Ask

What RMC seeks from a carrier.

RMC commits fully to annual training. It is seeking a carrier partner whose pilot-warranty and training terms reflect how a professional, high-time rotor-wing operation runs day to day, without stranding aircraft, pilots, or contracts.

Annual training as a committed standard

Treat annual factory training as a committed standard, not a condition precedent to insurability. Coverage should attach when a pilot meets defined minimum qualifications, the same minimum-qualification logic open-pilot warranties already use.

A single annual group training session

Permit one scheduled annual group session in place of one-pilot-at-a-time courses. Factory recurrent seats are capped at roughly four pilots, so solo, on-demand scheduling is neither feasible nor cost-effective.

Remove the operational roadblock

A qualified pilot should be able to conduct routine, non-revenue movements such as a maintenance ferry or repositioning without being gated on individual factory training.

Cover qualified new hires promptly

RMC operates in a tight pilot-hiring market and must be able to bring on an experienced, qualified pilot and have coverage attach without protracted requirements that delay activation.

Credit an in-house Check Airman program

Recognize and credit RMC's internal Check Airman and standardization program, under joint development with HUB, which standardizes pilots to a consistent company standard between approved-school cycles.

Underwrite to demonstrated quality

Underwrite to demonstrated pilot quality and documented protocol rather than blanket conditions, pricing and structuring the program around RMC's roster and its disciplined vetting process.

Who They Are

A best-in-class rotor-wing operation.

RMC Aviation, LLC is the aviation operation affiliated with Rocky Mountain Construction, headquartered in Klamath Falls, Oregon. A maturing, professionally run line of business built on an established core of career rotor-wing aviators, with aviation auto and property exposures consolidated into the broader program within roughly the last year.

The fleet is centered on the Bell medium and light helicopter family, the UH-1/205/212 series and the Bell 206 (B and L-series), supported by a fixed-wing tailwheel asset (American Legend AL18) for utility and support roles. The operation also maintains airport and aviation property exposures, including leased hangars and AVGAS fuel storage.

RMC's mission profile sits at the demanding end of rotor-wing work: aerial firefighting and initial attack, vertical reference longline and external load, and utility and support flight in mountainous, high-density-altitude terrain. This is precisely the category of flying where pilot caliber, currency, and standardization are the controlling safety variables, and RMC staffs and trains accordingly.

Base & Airfield

Klamath Falls, Oregon . Rocky Mountain Construction affiliate . Mountainous, high-density-altitude terrain . Public-agency fire contracts

Experience density

The core roster comprises career aviators, several with five-figure total flight time and thousands of hours in the exact Bell models on the schedule. These are not pilots building familiarity, but pilots who have operated these aircraft for decades.

Methodical, documented procedures

RMC works through formal pilot history forms, structured initial-and-recurrent training in make and model, and a graduated path to PIC for developing pilots, evidence of a deliberate, repeatable qualification process rather than ad hoc crewing.

Dual pilot and mechanic competency

Multiple personnel hold Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) and aircraft inspection authorization in addition to their flight credentials, supporting airworthiness oversight in-house and adding a layer of mechanical diligence to daily operations.

A clean, well-performing profile

Core pilots carry clean records, with no accidents, violations, or insurance cancellations, and the account's overall performance supports a disciplined, well-managed risk narrative.

Mission-critical reliability

RMC holds public-agency fire contracts that demand verifiable pilot qualifications and insurance certificates, reinforcing the operation's commitment to maintaining standards at all times.

What They Do

Mission flying at the demanding end of the trade.

RMC Aviation's work spans fire, precision external load, and utility support, plus the routine fleet movements that keep the operation running. Each mission profile carries strict qualification expectations that the roster is built to meet.

Aerial firefighting and initial attack

Fire suppression and Helitack / tank operations. RMC contracts with the Oregon Department of Forestry under its Call-When-Needed aircraft program for wildfire season, a recurring fire-mission engagement with strict pilot-qualification and certificate deadlines.

Vertical reference longline and external load

Precision long-line and external load work in mountainous terrain, where load placement and vertical-reference flying demand current, standardized pilots.

Utility and support flight

Mission flying in support of RMC's construction, paving, and aggregate operations across the company's footprint.

Fleet repositioning and maintenance ferry

Routine, non-revenue movement of company aircraft between bases and to and from maintenance, a basic operational need currently disrupted by insurance training-gating.

In-house maintenance and airworthiness

RMC's pilot and technician personnel hold A&P and inspection authorization, supporting airworthiness oversight internally.

The Roster

RMC's flight and leadership team.

The roster is the centerpiece of this risk. The pilots below represent the depth of experience and the disciplined progression that define the operation. Credentials shown are as stated in RMC's pilot records.

Stephen J. Ilmberger

Head Pilot, seeking Check Airman designation

A career aviator with more than 11,000 hours and an essentially perfect command record, combining high-time helicopter and turbine experience with full A&P mechanic and aircraft inspector credentials: a rare pilot and technician combination that adds mechanical diligence to every flight.

Total time 11,236 hours; 10,941 as Pilot in Command (PIC ratio above 97%).
By category 8,520 helicopter; 8,379 turbine; 2,803 mountain helicopter; 1,051 vertical reference longline.
Last 12 months 252.4 hours, current and active.
Time-in-type Bell UH-1/205/212, 1,703 hrs; Bell 206 L3/L4, 1,510 hrs; Bell 206B, 2,996 hrs.
Certificates and ratings Commercial Instrument (Airplane and Helicopter); CFI (Airplane and Helicopter, current to 8/2027); A&P Mechanic and Aircraft Inspector; Flight Engineer (Turbojet).
Carded and medical USFS Carded Bell 205A1/UH-1H, 150 ft VR longline, Helitack/Tank; FAA First Class Medical (11/2025); BFR 8/23/2025.
Record No accidents, violations, or prior insurance cancellation, decline, or non-renewal.

Steve Coe

Senior Pilot, Check Airman candidate

RMC Aviation's most experienced and longest-tenured pilot, and the historical point of contact for pilot applications and qualifications. Recognized as a pilot who comfortably exceeds standard insurance requirements, he is the designated candidate to become RMC's in-house Check Airman, with a curriculum under joint development with HUB. His seniority and standard-setting role make him the natural anchor of the pilot-development program.

Jamie Jackson

President, RMC Aviation

Leads RMC Aviation and holds final authority on hiring and pilot decisions. Jackson sets the operational tone for the division and is the executive sponsor of RMC's move toward an in-house standardization and Check Airman program.

Travis Stringer

Manager, developing pilot

Operational manager driving the program's training-structure and Check Airman initiative on RMC's behalf. Stringer is also a pilot in development under structured supervision: the current program requires initial dual instruction of 25 hours (Bell 206), 30 hours (UH-1H), and 5 hours (AL18) prior to solo, with annual recurrent thereafter. His graduated progression to PIC is the clearest illustration of why RMC needs an in-house Check Airman.

Additional named pilots on the current program

Ryan Maehs Core pilot with Ilmberger, cleared to alternate Bell 206 / UH-1 training annually.
Ian Richards Core pilot with Ilmberger, cleared to alternate Bell 206 / UH-1 training annually.
Chad Halstead Core pilot with Ilmberger, cleared to alternate Bell 206 / UH-1 training annually.
Anthony Nibler Make-and-model trained, named on the current program.
Alan Benguiat Make-and-model trained, named on the current program.
Bear Perrin American Legend AL18, named on the current program.

The Centerpiece

Check Airman and pilot qualification program.

A standardized vetting, training, and checking framework, developed jointly by RMC Aviation and HUB International, so an underwriter can see the discipline behind every pilot who operates these aircraft. It demonstrates RMC's methodology; it is not a coverage condition the carrier must administer.

Purpose and underwriting rationale RMC is establishing an internal Check Airman capability so pilots can be vetted, trained, and standardized to a consistent company standard between annual approved-school cycles. The goal is to give the carrier equal or greater confidence in pilot competency while removing the operational bottleneck of gating every flight, including maintenance ferries, on individual factory attendance. An in-house Check Airman program is a recognized industry mechanism for maintaining standardization, and RMC intends to build it to a standard that withstands underwriter scrutiny.

Pre-hire vetting and screening

Verification of FAA certificates and ratings (Commercial or ATP, Rotorcraft, Instrument) and a current medical certificate appropriate to the operation.
Review of total time, turbine time, time-in-type, and recency against RMC minimum thresholds, benchmarked to the program's open-pilot minimums: 2,000 total rotor-wing, 1,000 turbine, 100 in make and model.
Completion of a formal Pilot History Form, including the standard adverse-history attestations.
Logbook audit and verification of claimed hours; confirmation of prior approved-school training currency.
Reference and employment-history checks with prior operators, with emphasis on fire, longline, and mountain experience.
Documented background and driving-record review consistent with the operation's safety standards.

Check Airman qualification: Steve Coe RMC's designated Check Airman candidate is its most senior pilot, selected for tenure, experience, and standard-setting role. The Check Airman would be qualified through documented experience, instructor credentials where applicable, and a defined standardization protocol, with the goal of an industry-recognized framework that gives the carrier confidence equivalent to, or exceeding, individual factory attendance for routine operations.

Your HUB International Team

Aviation specialists on this account.

RMC Aviation is supported by a dedicated, aviation-specialized brokerage team. Superior service starts with quality people: the individuals below lead the placement, servicing, and ongoing risk management of this account.

James Gulson

Vice President, Aviation Risk Services

605.444.5114james.gulson@hubinternational.com

Brennan Bushard

Client Team Lead, Aviation . Private Pilot

605.444.5110brennan.bushard@hubinternational.com

Amber Lamp

Senior Account Manager, Aviation

605.444.5516amber.lamp@hubinternational.com

Heather Ross

Client Manager II, Aviation

605.444.5117heather.ross@hubinternational.com

Request Documents

The full underwriting package, on request.

Pilot history forms, the fleet schedule, loss history, and the broader underwriting record are available to carriers reviewing the program. Send a request and the HUB aviation team will follow up directly.

Documents are sent manually rather than as bulk attachments. A real broker confirms the carrier context first, then routes the right records to the right place.

If the request needs a same-day response, note it in the message field. The HUB aviation bench monitors submissions throughout the business day.

Closing Statement

A best-in-class operation, asking for terms that match its people.

RMC Aviation is a disciplined, experience-rich operation flown by career aviators with deep time in the exact aircraft on the schedule, supported by in-house maintenance expertise, clean records, and a methodical approach to vetting and training every pilot who touches the fleet. The operation is not asking to train less. It is asking for a program structure that matches the professionalism of its people: annual training honored as a committed standard, delivered efficiently as a group, with coverage that attaches on demonstrated qualification rather than gating routine operations and qualified new hires.

We are seeking a carrier partner who recognizes this quality and is prepared to structure terms accordingly. RMC's in-house Check Airman program, its clean loss profile, and the caliber of its roster make this a risk that merits a partnership built on trust in the operation's standards.