Courses Taught
Mike Kunkel
Biography
Mike Kunkel is an accomplished aviation professional with more than three decades of experience in flight operations, public safety aviation, emergency medical services, and aviation safety management.
Mike began his aviation career in the San Francisco Bay Area as a Certificated Flight Instructor, helping train and mentor new pilots. He then expanded his experience flying tour and medevac missions throughout Alaska, operating in some of the most challenging and remote environments in the aviation industry. He later flew helicopter tours in the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas, providing aerial experiences in one of the nation's most iconic landscapes.
Returning to California, Mike flew charter and electronic news gathering (ENG) missions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, supporting both transportation and media operations. In parallel for the past 22 years, Mike has served in law enforcement aviation with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, supporting public safety missions and aerial operations. His extensive operational experience also includes flying air ambulance missions with CALSTAR and REACH, where he conducted demanding Single-Pilot Instrument Flight Rules (SPIFR) operations as an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP)
Today, Mike serves as the Safety Management System (SMS) Program Manager for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), where he leads aviation safety initiatives, risk management programs, and continuous improvement efforts designed to enhance operational safety and regulatory compliance. He is also an FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) Representative, contributing to aviation safety education and outreach within the aviation community.