From our friendly and professional customer service agents to our highly experienced pilots, everyone at Sweet Helicopters is committed to sharing our passion for flight with you. We want to show you how fast, easy, and comfortable it is to travel by helicopter. Whether you’re a busy professional or just looking for a unique vacation experience, you’ll love working with our crew. We have the warmth and personal touch of a small-town company, with the professionalism and reliability of a major operation. We look forward to showing you how fun it is to fly with us!
Our dedication to safety starts with a meticulously rigorous maintenance schedule that keeps our fleet in peak flying condition. Our friendly crew will make sure that you are completely comfortable and informed, and our experienced pilots will make even the most time-sensitive flights a carefree experience. Our perfect safety record is representative of our commitment to your well-being.
Our pilots are highly trained professionals that far exceed FAA standards. We take pride in the fact that two of them are Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs), and there are only four DPEs in our region. In addition, we operate on a 135 Air Carrier and Operator Certification that requires us to abide by stricter training regulations that assures our clients of a higher level of safety when compared to other operators. All training, approved by the FAA, executed and overseen by in-house FAA Designated Pilot Examiners.
You may recognize Chuck Surack as the Founder of Sweetwater Sound, Surack Enterprises, the owner of Enstrom Helicopter Corporation, or as a community leader, serving on the boards of many local non-profit organizations.
What you might not know is that Chuck is a helicopter pilot and aircraft enthusiast. Inspired by his aviator father, Chuck has loved flying since childhood, even keeping his Boy Scouts Aviation merit badge to this day. His first flying experiences were in his dad’s Aeronca Chief based at Smith Field. Chuck would go on to own many other airplanes and helicopters, such as the Cessna 414, Cessna Citations, and the Airbus H130, just to name a few. He loves flying and can often be found at the helm of a helicopter.
In addition to Sweet Helicopters, other aviation related businesses under the Surack Enterprises umbrella include Sweet Aviation, which provides charter flights, training, and rental for fixed-wing aircraft from both Smith Field Airport and DeKalb County Airport and Aviation Specialty Insurance, which insures the aviation industry including corporations, light aircraft, flight schools, drones & UAVs, and more.
He and his wife, Lisa, have two sons and a daughter.
Rated as a dual Airline Transport Pilot, Randy Sharkey has accumulated over 13,000 hours in both airplanes and helicopters. Randy began his aviation career in 1985 flying business jets for large corporate companies. In 2013 Randy was hired as the first full time pilot for Sweet Helicopters. In addition to overseeing our team of professional pilots, Randy still flies many VIP trips for Sweet Helicopters. As a commercial helicopter flight instructor, Randy has conducted over 1,000 flight hours of dual flight instruction and represents the Federal Aviation Administration as a helicopter Designated Pilot Examiner.
Randy is the director in charge of our satellite base at the Goshen Municipal Airport where he also serves as the Airport Manager. Randy is active on many board positions including the Enstrom Helicopter Corporation, America’s Freedom Fest, Rotors ’n Ribs, and Friendship Flights Foundation.
Randy and his wife Elaine have three grown daughters and four grandchildren.
Keith Shivers retired from the US Army as a Chief Warrant Officer Four with twenty years of military experience, nine of which he spent with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky. He first found his passion for aviation as a 13-year-old kid, leading him to work tirelessly and complete his student pilot license the same week he received his driver’s license. Keith most recently served as Chief Pilot for a worldwide defense contractor company, and before that, as the Program Manager for a large hospital-based Helicopter Air Ambulance in Ohio.
As much as Keith loves flying, he’s equally gifted in leadership. He now focuses his attention on leading Sweet Helicopters’ dynamic team to become the best it can possibly be. He brings with him a BBA from Austin Peay State University and an MBA from Embry Riddle University. As Director of Operations, Keith is responsible for managing day to day operations, representing the certificate and operational control to the FAA.
Outside of work, Keith and his wife Tracey enjoy attending professional and collegiate football games. They have two children together and six grandchildren.
Bob has had an interesting career. He’s worked at Sweetwater Sound where he managed GearFest and Sweetwater Academy of Music, was the director of BOSS US where he was responsible for sales and marketing for all Roland/BOSS guitar products in the US, and for several years now has been the Director of Business Development for Sweet Helicopters. In this role Bob seeks out new clients and makes sure that Sweet Helicopters is providing concierge level services to all our existing clients. Bob holds a private pilot certificate and on the weekends loves playing in the band the Sweetwater All Stars.
Lewis Vondy handles the day-to-day administrative responsibilities required to keep Sweet Helicopters operational. He’s a certified flight and instrument instructor for both airplanes and helicopters. Lewis grew up listening to his father’s stories about flying in an Aeronca Chief, which inspired him to join the Air Force JROTC and Civil Air Patrol. He would go on to earn his private pilot certificate even before graduating high school. In college, helicopter pilots became his heroes as he watched brave officers hover over icy waters in daring rescue attempts. Lewis then had the privilege to spend the next three decades combining his love for flying with a career that meets people in what is often their hour of greatest need. His military career includes service spent in the US Army National Guard, the Wyoming Guard, and the Arizona Guard.
He and his wife Michelle love to observe wildlife together, whether that be out on the hiking trail or closer to home on their rural, five-acre property. They have three grown children and a growing number of grandchildren, whom they adore.
Ken can remember back when he decided he wanted to be a pilot. “I took a helicopter tour in 1994 and knew this is what I wanted to do the rest of my life,” he said. In addition to being a senior pilot with over 10,000 hours in helicopters, Ken is also a member of SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and acts as an aerial film pilot for Sweet Helicopters. He has flown in such movies and TV shows as Contagion, The Dark Knight, Prison Break, Finding Bigfoot, and Power Book IV: Force as well as working for Fox Sports. He is one of our company’s instructor pilots as well as a check airman. He has been a flight instructor in helicopters for over 20 years. Ken has also owned a helicopter company that was an exclusive charter operator for NASCAR races all over the country. He would trailer two helicopters to 30 out of the 36 races each year and would fly the drivers, owners and sponsors to and from the race tracks.
Chris Heiter is a 3rd generation aviator. He’s a dual-rated fixed wing and helicopter pilot flying corporate business jets and helicopters. Chris is also an airframe and power plant mechanic with Inspection Authorization specializing in helicopter maintenance. He is factory-trained, both pilot and maintenance, on numerous helicopter and jet types.
Since the age of six, Carter has had a deep rooted love of aviation. While in his senior year of high school in Danville, Indiana, Carter earned his private airplane pilot certification and has since obtained his airplane instrument rating, helicopter private pilot certificate, helicopter commercial certificate, and his helicopter certified flight instructor certificate.
Carter currently lives in Bluffton, Indiana and is working toward his degree in mathematics at Indiana University East.
Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Mike Colone is an HAA Pilot with Sweet Helicopters, serving the Parkview Samaritan program. A U.S. Army and Indiana Army National Guard veteran, he has over a decade of aviation experience, including two overseas deployments as a UH-60 MEDEVAC pilot. Mike holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University Fort Wayne and applies his technical background to ensure every mission is flown with precision, safety, and purpose. He lives in Fort Wayne with his wife, Jessie, and their daughters, Gianna, Gabriella, and Brooke.
Elizabeth’s interest in flight runs deep. She attended the Army Aviation Flight School at Fort Rucker as a commissioned officer where she learned to fly several different types of helicopters including the Blackhawk. Then, after a deployment to Afghanistan, she took the Captain’s Career Course back here in the US before ending her military service with a deployment to South Korea. Currently, she’s a flight instructor for Sweet Aviation where she helps our students learn and achieve their goals. When not flying, Elizabeth enjoys spending time rock climbing and mountaineering with her husband Daniel.
Originally from Cloverdale, Indiana, Michael graduated from Manchester University, later working in Indianapolis in international logistics.
That all changed for Michael after a helicopter tour around the San Francisco Bay Area. After that, he felt destiny pull him in the direction of aviation which led him to training at Sweet Aviation. He has since obtained his fixed-wing private pilot certificate and helicopter CFI rating.
When Michael has his feet on the ground, he operates a non-profit sports foundation as well as several other community focused ventures in Fort Wayne.
Daniel helps oversee all aircraft maintenance operations, ensuring compliance with FAA regulations, company policies, and manufacturer standards. Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Daniel holds an Associate of Applied Science in Aviation Maintenance from Clover Park Technical College in Puyallup, Washington. Before entering aviation, he served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a rifleman and Light Armored Vehicle Crewman, including a deployment to Afghanistan. His path to aviation began unexpectedly while waiting for college credit transfers, when he discovered a passion for aircraft maintenance that evolved into a rewarding career. Daniel holds multiple FAA certifications, including Airframe, Powerplant, and Inspection Authorization, along with various factory and specialized maintenance trainings. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family—his wife, a pilot for Sweet Helicopters, and their young son.
Jonathan Saxton serves as the lead mechanic for the charter side of Sweet Helicopters. He regularly performs inspections to ensure each aircraft in the fleet is operating at peak performance. If he spots an area of concern, he works to troubleshoot and replace the component, prioritizing safety for pilots and passengers. As Jonathan puts it, working as a mechanic is “in his blood.” Jonathan grew up in Fort Wayne where his dad worked as an automotive master mechanic. But Jonathan was always interested in aviation. Prior to joining Sweet Helicopters, he earned his airframe and powerplant license and spent five years in the Marine Corps as a CH-53E airframes mechanic and CDI.
Jonathan and his wife Tabitha have two children. When not at work, you can find Jonathan enjoying the outdoors and developing his woodworking skills.
Brant Betts first found his passion for helicopters in the Marine Corps. His recruiter encouraged him to “pick something that sounded cool,” and that something turned out to be working on the MV-22B Osprey. He went on to earn his Airframes and Powerplant License through Bakers School of Aeronautics and his United States DOL USMAPS 3000 HR Powerplant Certificate. At Sweet Helicopters, Brant helps with troubleshooting, routine maintenance, aircraft servicing, parts accountability, and more. When not at work, Brant enjoys playing basketball, off-roading in his Bronco, woodworking, and playing Call of Duty. He and his wife Amanda also love spending time as a family with their son, Nixon.
Bio coming soon!
Will Harnden grew up in Michigan with a major interest in cars and how they work. He was certain he would become a mechanic someday, but it wasn’t until an instructor at school piqued his interest in aviation that he first considered helicopters as his specialty. Will went on to serve in the US Marine Corps for 4.5 years, which provided the perfect onramp to pursue his chosen field. He attended Bakers School of Aeronautics, and in 2012, he earned his Airframe & Powerplant License. Will is factory trained on the Airbus AS365N2 Helicopter. He continues to serve helicopter pilots and owners in the Midwest through his work with Sweet Helicopters.
Belinda Flores is a dedicated Logistics Specialist at Sweet Helicopters, managing logistics and AOG operations for aircraft maintenance in Fort Wayne and supporting the Rochester and Auburn locations. A Fort Wayne native, she began her aviation career in 2003 and quickly advanced to management roles in the airline industry. HAZMAT-qualified, Belinda ensures smooth maintenance operations through precise coordination, inventory management, and vendor support. Outside of work, she and her husband, Jose, run a family painting and remodeling business and enjoy time with their sons—Joseph, Christian, Edwin, and Johny—while cherishing the memory of their daughter, Dez.