The Hangar Z Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 86- Balancing Work-Life and Mental Health in Public Safety Aviation: An In-Depth Conversation with Flight Medic Jonathan Carolla Jun 26, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to episode 86 of The Hangar Z Podcast Brought to you by Vertical Valor Magazine.
How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance in such a high-stress industry like aviation and public safety? Join us as we unpack this crucial topic with flight medic and ECHO affiliate, Jonathan Carolla. He shares insights from his survey on stress and mental health in the workplace, highlighting the importance of addressing these issues, particularly in light of recent tragic events. Grab a beverage and settle in for an engaging conversation with Jonathan as we explore the challenges faced by professionals in our industry.
We also discuss Jonathan's journey to becoming a Flight Crew Assistance Support Team (FAST) member and his passion for mental health in EMS. Discover the success of Camp Echo in encompassing all facets of public safety aviation, and the resources provided by the FAST Team for post-accidents and other difficult calls. Jonathan shares his experiences with volunteer fire departments in West Virginia, and how they shaped his career path.
In this timely and informative episode, we explore the challenges and rewards of working in public safety aviation with Jonathan Carolla. We chat about how the work-life balance in our industry affects medics, nurses, and other responders. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from an expert in the field who is dedicated to advancing mental health and addressing the issues of PTSD head-on.
I would like to thank our sponsors Metro Aviation SHOTOVER and CNC Technologies as well as our supporters on Patreon.

Episode 85- Mechanical Mastery: Marc Foreman & Public Safety Aviation Jun 19, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to episode 85 of The Hangar Z Podcast Brought to you by Vertical Valor Magazine.
In this episode, we chat with Marc Foreman a Helicopter Technician A&P and IA from the Oklahoma City Police Department aviation unit, about an exhilarating mix of topics: tornadoes, wildfires, aviation advancements, and public safety. Discover the warning systems in place to protect residents from these natural disasters and how following evacuation orders during events like California wildfires can save lives. Marc shares his firsthand experience witnessing a tornado and the destructive power of these natural forces.
As a helicopter mechanic, Marc gives us an insider's look into the world of aviation, covering everything from the differences between fixed-wing and helicopter maintenance to the challenges and rewards of working on various aircraft. He also sheds light on the impact of technology on aviation, and the critical role mechanics play in maintaining safety and efficiency in the field. Plus, we discuss the benefits of having a supportive stepfather in the industry who passed down valuable knowledge and skills.
Finally, we delve into the public safety aspects of aviation as we explore the challenges faced by law enforcement aviation units and the importance of aircraft maintenance in firefighting operations. Marc shares some fascinating stories from his career and reflects on the passion and dedication that mechanics bring to their work. So grab a cup of coffee (or a Monster, if you're like Marc) and join us for this engaging conversation you won’t want to miss!
I would like to thank our sponsors Metro Aviation SHOTOVER and CNC Technologies as well as our supporters on Patreon.

Episode 84- MD Helicopters with Brad Pedersen and Jack Harris Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to episode 84 of The Hangar Z Podcast Brought to you by Vertical Valor Magazine.

In this episode, we sit down with Brad Pedersen and Jack Harris from MD Helicopters. Brad Pedersen is the President & CEO at MD Helicopters and Jack is the Director of Public Safety Sales at MD Helicopters.

During the conversation, Brad and Jack talk about the positive changes that have come to MD Helicopters. They talk about the new leadership team and describe the company's focus and priorities as they move forward.

Brad and Jack also talk about the path that led them to their current positions at MD.

Brad has more than 35 years of industry experience delivering accelerated growth and financial performance in leadership positions at Boeing Rotorcraft, Sikorsky Aircraft, Breeze-Eastern, and other aerospace and defense companies.

Brad began his career at Hughes Helicopters and has almost 20 years of direct experience with the MD Helicopter product lines.

Brad has led the turnaround of several private and publicly-owned companies in his career. He holds an MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Jack is a decorated retired law enforcement veteran with more than 33 years of experience climbing the ranks of the Columbus, Ohio, Division of Police – the largest police department in the state of Ohio.
Jack is a Commercially rated helicopter pilot and holds a Private pilot rating in single-engine airplanes. He flew MD 500E and 530F as a law enforcement officer and served as a Tactical Flight Officer while assigned to the Aviation Section where his last assignment was Unit Commander.
Jack is responsible for sales, market expansion, and revenues for the Public Safety and Commercial segments of the MD business in North America. He holds both a BA and MBA degree from Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

I would like to thank our sponsors Metro Aviation SHOTOVER and CNC Technologies as well as our supporters on Patreon.

Episode 83- Utah DPS Aviation with Chief Pilot Luke Bowman May 22, 2023

Show notes

Welcome, to episode 83 of The Hangar Z Podcast Brought to you by Vertical Valor Magazine.

In this episode, we sit down with Luke Bowman, Utah DPS's chief pilot.

Utah DPS has an outstanding program and is frequently in the media regarding one of their rescues like the recent article by Vertical Valor written by Dan Magna. The title of the article sums up the success of the Utah DPS aviation program “Utah DPS helicopters hoist 18 people from flash flood in Buckskin Gulch canyon.”

During our conversation, Luke talks about his career and what led him to become the chief pilot for Utah DPS. He also outlines the Utah DPS aviation program and some of the significant incidents that helped shape its aviation program into what it is today.

I would like to thank our sponsors Metro Aviation SHOTOVER and CNC Technologies as well as our supporters on Patreon.

Episode 82- How to Helicopter with Faith Ortega May 08, 2023

Show notes

Welcome, to episode 82 of The Hangar Z Podcast Brought to you by Vertical Valor Magazine.

In this episode, we get to highlight some of the good work being done by the personnel we consider to be the backbone of our industry, our maintenance technicians.

We had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Faith Ortega. Many of you will recognize her from her social media platform How to Helicopter.

During our conversation, Faith talks about earning her A&P through Southern Illinois University out of Carbondale Illinois. SIU has an outstanding aviation program where she graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Aviation Technologies with a specialization in helicopters.

For our audience that is not familiar with the different positions in the maintenance technician world. The A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) certification refers to a certified mechanic who is authorized to perform maintenance and repairs on an aircraft's airframe, engines, and other related systems.

On the other hand, an IA (Inspection Authorization) is a higher-level certification that allows an individual to perform and approve annual inspections and sign off on major repairs and alterations.

In short, while an A&P can perform routine maintenance and repairs, an IA has the authority to inspect and approve the work performed by an A&P, and sign off on more complex repairs and alterations.

Faith began her career as an A&P out of college working for Helicopters Inc which is heavily involved in the ENG industry which stands for electronic news gathering.

After gaining vast experience at Helicopters Inc. Faith joined us in the public safety aviation community as a HEMS base mechanic.

Faith has done a lot of work through her social media platform to promote the work being done by maintenance technicians and also to help recruit the next generation. In addition to that she volunteers her time at the Gateway Youth Aeronotical Foundation.

During our conversation, we talk at length about the program at Southern Illinois University, she talks about the differences in working in the ENG industry vs the HEMS industry. We also discuss recruiting the next generation into the aviation community.

I would like to thank our sponsors Metro Aviation SHOTOVER and CNC Technologies as well as our supporters on Patreon.

Episode 81- Ten Feet Tall and Not Quite Bullet Proof with Australia's Cameron Hardiman Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to Episode 81 Brought to you by Vertical Valor Magazine

As we continue our series on surviving a career in public safety we bring you a conversation with Cameron Hardiman the author of Ten Feet Tall and not quite Bullet Proof.

Cameron served as a Victoria Police Officer where he worked as a patrol officer and as a tactical flight officer. He later became an Australian Federal Police Officer.

During the conversation, Cameron outlines his career as a police officer as well as his time as a tactical flight officer. We spend a good deal of time talking about PTSD and some of the forms of treatment that worked well for Cameron.

Our goal in having these conversations is that it will force each one of us to evaluate where we stand and provide some resources.

If you haven’t read Ten Feet Tall and not quite Bullet Proof I recommend you order it off Amazon to read and add to your library.
We would like to highlight the ECHO Fast Team. Their mission is to provide assistance & support to flight crew members involved in a critical incident as well as their immediate families.

Services to assist affected flight crew, as well as immediate family members and flight programs, are provided at ZERO cost

For more information on the ECHO, FAST TEAM go to their website https://www.echoflightcrew.org/fast

If you are a member of a flight crew and feel you need assistance, please don't hesitate to call or text the AIR FAST hotline 24/7. 1-833-AIR-FAST
1-833-247-3278

On the other end is a flight crew member who is part of ECHO FAST and not affiliated with your program. Communication is 100% confidential and free of judgment or bias. AIR FAST hotline services are not limited to critical aviation incidents, we are here to help through difficult calls, safety concerns, and various additional needs.

I would like to thank our sponsors Metro Aviation SHOTOVER and CNC Technologies as well as our supporters on Patreon.

Episode 80- APSCON 2023 Preview with APSA's Dan Schwarzbach and Richard Bray Apr 11, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to episode 80 of The Hangar Z Podcast brought to you by Vertical Valor Magazine.

In this special episode, we sit down and chat with Dan Schwarzbach the Executive Director and CEO of the Airborne Public Safety Association, and Richard Bray who is the APSA President.

Both Dan and Richard give us some insight into the Airborne Public Safety Association annual conference referred to as ASPCON.

This year APSCON and APSCON Unmanned (formerly the Public Safety Drone Expo) will be in Orlando Florida from July 17th thru July 22nd, 2023.

Registration is now open. To register go to APSA’s website publicsafetyaviation.org

The Hangar Z Podcast is a huge proponent of training and networking. This event is one you don’t want to miss.

The Hangar Z Podcast would like to thank its sponsors Metro Aviation, SHOTOVER, and CNC Technologies, as well as Patreon.

Episode 79- When Tragedy Strikes with LAPD's Jack Schonely Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to Episode 79 of the Hangar Z Podcast. Brought to you by Vertical Valor Magazine.

The episodes we are releasing this month center around physically and mentally surviving a career in public safety.
This conversation with Jack Schonely is part two of a two-part series we recorded. Part one (episode 70) was released on January 30th.

This second episode will focus on the aftermath of the officer down call and how we take care of ourselves afterward.

For those who don’t know Jack Schonely you will need to listen to his full episode #23.

Jack is a 36-year Law Enforcement Veteran, with 31 years at LAPD 19 of which were spent in the Air Support Division as both a TFO and Command Pilot. Jack created and instructs a course titled “Apprehending fleeing suspects” Jack has also written a book available online with the same title.

I highly encourage you to seek out Jack’s course or to bring him to your agency or area for training. You can contact him and find more information on Jack through his website Officertactics.com

Jack will also be instructing at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Aviation fly in May 17th, 2023.

I would like to thank our sponsors Metro Aviation SHOTOVER and CNC Technologies as well as our supporters on Patreon.
Lastly, if you could do us a favor and leave us a rating and review on the platform you use to listen to The Hangar Z Podcast we would greatly appreciate it.

Episode 78- RJ Garwood on Survival Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

Episode 78 of The Hangar Z Podcast is brought to you by Vertical Valor Magazine.

This is one of our most important episodes ever. We got the opportunity to sit down with our friend RJ Garwood from Huntington Beach PD Air Support.

RJ was the PIC on February 19th, 2022 flying over a fight call in Newport Beach, California. After establishing an orbit over the incident RJ and Nick Vella who was acting as the tactical flight officer on this night experienced an uncommanded right yaw. The aircraft ultimately crashed into the water off Newport Beach approximately a quarter mile from the incident they had been working.

Nick Vella did not survive the incident. RJ survived and is with us to talk about it. RJ is transforming a tragic situation into something that will spur change in the industry and save countless lives.

You won’t want to miss a minute of this impactful interview with RJ Garwood as he talks about surviving the incident and a career in public safety both mentally and physically.

The Hangar Z Podcast would like to thank its sponsors Metro Aviation, SHOTOVER, and CNC Technologies, as well as Patreon.

Episode 77- HAI Special #3 with Amy McMullen and Shawn Bruton from Metro Aviation Mar 25, 2023

Show notes

Episode 77 of The Hangar Z Podcast brought to you by Vertical Valor Magazine is live.

I didn’t make it to HAI due to our snowplcalypse here in Southern California, Jeff was there and did an excellent job stepping in to host some episodes from the floor of HAI. This is the last of three episodes Jeff recorded at Heli Expo.

Thanks to Ryan from the Flight Suit Friday Podcast and Quinny from the Real Resq podcast for the work they put into developing a recording booth that we all used to record from.

The podcasts that we had the pleasure of collaborating with include Flight Suit Friday, The Real ResQ Podcast, The Pilots Lounge, and the Forever on The Fly Podcast.

So a huge thanks to the US Coast Guard for allowing us to use their booth to record.

In the final episode recorded from the floor of HAI Heli-Expo 2023 in Atlanta, Jeff gets the opportunity to interview Amy McMullen and Shawn Bruton from Metro Aviation.

This is one interview I truly missed. I had a chance to hang out with the Metro folks at APSCON in Reno and had a fantastic time. They truly are great people doing really cool things.

During the episode, they preview Metro Aviation and some of the cool things they are doing.

If you are looking to work with some awesome people check out their website Metro aviation.com

The Hangar Z Podcast would like to thank its sponsors Metro Aviation, SHOTOVER, and CNC Technologies, as well as Patreon.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected