The Hangar Z Podcast

60:42

Public Safety's Next Chapter: Workforce Evolution in...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/10/05

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. In this special two-part series of the Hangar Z Podcast, hosts Jon Gray and Jeff Ratkovich explore how modern public safety agencies can overcome critical work force development hurdles. Joined by Roe Conn, chief of strategic initiatives for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and Ryan Harbison, president and CEO of Helicopters Inc., the discussion dives into Cook County’s historic launch o...

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70:21

Chief Gillespie: How leadership and aviation helped...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/10/01

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. In this episode, we're joined by Chief Brandon Gillespie of the Modesto Police Department. Building on our previous conversations in Episodes 372 and 373 with Lieutenant Hicks and Lieutenant Souza, we take a closer look at the leadership behind the department's success. Chief Gillespie shares how proactive policing has contributed to a dramatic reduction in crime, the vision and chal...

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64:00

Earning the buy-In: Professionalism, politics, and...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/09/28

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. Celebrating the sixth anniversary of the Hangar Z Podcast, host Jack Schonely steps into the lead chair, alongside Jon Gray, for a comprehensive two-part panel dedicated to one of the most critical, yet frequently overlooked, elements of airborne public safety: Internal and external unit marketing. Joined by industry veteran Terry Miyauchi of TM Consulting, Sgt Wade Bourassa of the S...

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69:04

Beyond the mission: The strategy behind justifying...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/09/24

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. Celebrating the sixth anniversary of the Hangar Z Podcast, host Jack Schonely steps into the lead chair, alongside Jon Gray, for a comprehensive two-part panel dedicated to one of the most critical, yet frequently overlooked, elements of airborne public safety: Internal and external unit marketing. Joined by industry veteran Terry Miyauchi of TM Consulting, Sgt Wade Bourassa of the S...

en-us

67:02

Elevate and Connect: Creating impact past the call...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/09/21

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. In this special two-part series, hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely are joined by Vertical Plus editor-at-large Brent Bundy and Delaware State Police aviation commander Jeff Whitmarsh for a conversation about leadership, trust, and developing a high-performing multi-mission aviation unit. We break down the foundational frameworks driving excellence, including the pivotal reset that shifted J...

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68:18

Leadership & Trust: The power of consistency with...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/09/17

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. In this special two-part series, hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely are joined by Vertical Plus editor-at-large Brent Bundy and Delaware State Police aviation commander Jeff Whitmarsh for a conversation about leadership, trust, and developing a high-performing multi-mission aviation unit. We break down the foundational frameworks driving excellence, including the pivotal reset that shifted J...

en-us

46:07

Wade Bourassa’s blueprint for smarter police aviation...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/09/14

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. Today’s episode was recorded at the Vertical Valor Plus booth, on the floor of APSCON in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We are honored to welcome Wade Bourassa, pilot and supervisor of the Saskatoon Police Aviation Unit. Wade is the 2026 recipient of the Airborne Public Safety Association's Robert L. Cormier Memorial Award, recognizing his extraordinary commitment to advancing law enforcement av...

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48:32

Wade Bourassa’s blueprint for smarter police aviation...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/09/10

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. Today’s episode was recorded at the Vertical Valor Plus booth, on the floor of APSCON in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We are honored to welcome Wade Bourassa, pilot and supervisor of the Saskatoon Police Aviation Unit. Wade is the 2026 recipient of the Airborne Public Safety Association's Robert L. Cormier Memorial Award, recognizing his extraordinary commitment to advancing law enforcement av...

en-us

67:04

Data, Fatigue & Innovation: Joel Smith on Building...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/09/09

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. In this special two-part series, hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely are joined by L.A. City Fire Department (LAFD) pilot and safety officer Joel Smith for an inside look at the high-stakes world of LAFD Air Operations. Joel breaks down the tactical precision and intense training required to battle massive, wind-driven California wildfires like the Palisades in the Leonardo AW139, navigate ex...

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62:28

Flying the Frontlines: Inside L.A. City Fire with...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/09/09

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. In this special two-part series, hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely are joined by L.A. City Fire Department (LAFD) pilot and safety officer Joel Smith for an inside look at the high-stakes world of LAFD Air Operations. Joel breaks down the tactical precision and intense training required to battle massive, wind-driven California wildfires like the Palisades in the Leonardo AW139, navigate ex...

en-us

66:58

Data, Fatigue & Innovation: Joel Smith on Building...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/09/07

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. In this special two-part series, hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely are joined by L.A. City Fire Department (LAFD) pilot and safety officer Joel Smith for an inside look at the high-stakes world of LAFD Air Operations. Joel breaks down the tactical precision and intense training required to battle massive, wind-driven California wildfires like the Palisades in the Leonardo AW139, navigate ex...

en-us

62:01

Flying the Frontlines: Inside L.A. City Fire with...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/09/03

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. In this special two-part series, hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely are joined by L.A. City Fire Department (LAFD) pilot and safety officer Joel Smith for an inside look at the high-stakes world of LAFD Air Operations. Joel breaks down the tactical precision and intense training required to battle massive, wind-driven California wildfires like the Palisades in the Leonardo AW139, navigate ex...

en-us

48:43

Tactical Labs, Zero Ego, Real Training: Why ECHO 2026...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/08/28

Welcome to this special joint episode of the Hangar Z Podcast and the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, brought to you by HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. In this special episode, Jon Gray of Hangar Z and Blake Shrider and Mike Fadale of the Valor Flight Crew, preview the 2026 ECHO Public Safety Aviation Conference. High-quality public safety aviation training doesn’t need a massive price tag. The 2026 ECHO Public Safety Aviation Conference is heading to Philadelphia Sept. 20 to 23 at the ...

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68:03

How Blades of Valor Turned a Vision Into a Powerful...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/08/27

Welcome back to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. We're glad you're with us, because today we're pulling back the curtain on one of our favorite projects of the year—the 2026 Blades of Valor Tour through Florida. For this special episode, we've brought together the entire team that made the tour possible. Joining us are editor-at-large and photographer Brent Bundy; photographer and videographer Scott Kellerman; my co-host, Jon G...

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66:34

How Blades of Valor Turned a Vision Into a Powerful...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/08/24

Welcome back to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. We're glad you're with us, because today we're pulling back the curtain on one of our favorite projects of the year—the 2026 Blades of Valor Tour through Florida. For this special episode, we've brought together the entire team that made the tour possible. Joining us are editor-at-large and photographer Brent Bundy; photographer and videographer Scott Kellerman; my co-host, Jon G...

en-us

73:16

Nicholas Ianiero - APSCON 2026 - Maintainer of the...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/08/20

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by HeliCASTS and in partnership with Valor Plus. For this episode of Hangar Z, recorded live at APSCON 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely sit down with Nicolas Ianiero, aircraft maintenance engineer with Canadian Helicopters supporting the York Regional Police Air Support Unit and the recipient of the 2026 APSA Technician of the Year Award. Nicolas shares the journey that took him from aspiring pilot to licensed aircraft...

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74:06

Todd Jager Shares the Hard-Earned Lessons That...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/08/17

Welcome back to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. This is a three-part podcast! Make sure you listen to all three. Today, we're honored to welcome retired San Diego Police Department Chief Pilot Todd Jager. Todd is a true aviation professional with more than 10,000 hours of rotorcraft flight time, over 1,000 hours in fixed-wing aircraft, and more than 4,100 hours as a Tactical Flight Officer. Throughout his remarkable career, Todd p...

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74:14

Todd Jager Shares the Hard-Earned Lessons That...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/08/13

Welcome back to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. This is a three-part podcast! Make sure you listen to all three. Today, we're honored to welcome retired San Diego Police Department Chief Pilot Todd Jager. Todd is a true aviation professional with more than 10,000 hours of rotorcraft flight time, over 1,000 hours in fixed-wing aircraft, and more than 4,100 hours as a Tactical Flight Officer. Throughout his remarkable career, Todd pla...

en-us

74:23

Todd Jager Shares the Hard-Earned Lessons That...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/08/10

Welcome back to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. Today, we're honored to welcome retired San Diego Police Department Chief Pilot Todd Jager. Todd is a true aviation professional with more than 10,000 hours of rotorcraft flight time, over 1,000 hours in fixed-wing aircraft, and more than 4,100 hours as a Tactical Flight Officer. Throughout his remarkable career, Todd played a pivotal role in training both pilots and Tactical Flight ...

en-us

66:27

Over the black ocean: Teamwork, determination, and...

The Hangar Z Podcast ·

2026/08/06

Welcome back to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Valor Plus. On today's episode, we're honored to welcome Deputy Jonathan Lazada and Deputy Chase Gomez of the Indian River County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit. Jonathan and Chase are the recipients of the Airborne Public Safety Association's Aircrew of the Year Award, as well as the FLIR Vision Award in the Life Saving category, recognizing their extraordinary efforts during a search that ultimately saved three ...

en-us

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