Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.   In this two-part series, host Jack Schonely and co-host Harald Brink go international and speak to Joseba Mendizabal, a Lieutenant Pilot from the Basque Police in Spain.  Joseba is an inspiring and funny fixture in our industry. His journey spans from aspiring pilot to military service and now a dedicated helicopter pilot for the Basque Country’s police force.  Join us as Joseba shares his experiences, including a memorable flight over New York City that ..read more

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.  In this two-part series, host Jack Schonely and co-host Harald Brink go international and speak to Joseba Mendizabal, a Lieutenant Pilot from the Basque Police in Spain.  Joseba is an inspiring and funny fixture in our industry. His journey spans from aspiring pilot to military service and now a dedicated helicopter pilot for the Basque Country’s police force.   Join us as Joseba shares his experiences, including a memorable flight over New York City that ..read more

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.  This episode of The Hangar Z Podcast was recorded in Amsterdam on the floor of European Rotors, at the MHM Publishing podcast booth. In this episode, I get to sit down with Cal Meeker, founder of Meeker Aviation. Just about every public safety aviation mission would not be possible without the external payload mounts produced by Meeker Aviation that secure mission equipment to our aircraft.  During the conversation, Cal shares his journey in the aviation industry, p ..read more

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS.  This two-part series of Hangar Z was recorded on location in Richmond, Virginia, at the ECHO Public Safety Aviation Conference.  Host Jon Gray has a roundtable discussion with Terry Miyauchi, Bell’s public safety segment manager; Dave Callen, SR3 Rescue Concepts owner; and Andrew Baity, a Virginia State Police helicopter pilot.  They share insights on the importance of networking, training, and collaboration among agencies, especially during emergencies. The conversation highlights the value of fly-ins for f ..read more

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS.  This two-part series of Hangar Z was recorded on location in Richmond, Virginia, at the ECHO Public Safety Aviation Conference.  Host Jon Gray has a roundtable discussion with Terry Miyauchi, Bell’s public safety segment manager; Dave Callen, SR3 Rescue Concepts owner; and Andrew Baity, a Virginia State Police helicopter pilot.  They share insights on the importance of networking, training, and collaboration among agencies, especially during emergencies. The conversation highlights the value of fly-ins for f ..read more

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS. In This two-part series of the Hanger Z podcast Jack Schonely and Jon Gray welcome Randy Rowles onto the podcast. Randy shares his inspiring journey from dropping out of high school to becoming the owner and president of the Helicopter Institute.  He discusses the pivotal moments in his life that shaped his passion for flying, the importance of mentorship, and the challenges he faced along the way. Randy's story is a testament to resilience, determination, and the power of community in achieving one's dreams.  In t ..read more

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS. In This two-part series of the Hanger Z podcast Jack Schonely and Jon Gray welcome Randy Rowles onto the podcast. Randy shares his inspiring journey from dropping out of high school to becoming the owner and president of the Helicopter Institute.  He discusses the pivotal moments in his life that shaped his passion for flying, the importance of mentorship, and the challenges he faced along the way. Randy's story is a testament to resilience, determination, and the power of community in achieving one's dreams.  In t ..read more

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS. In This two-part series of the Hanger Z podcast Jack Schonely and Jon Gray welcome Randy Rowles onto the podcast. Randy shares his inspiring journey from dropping out of high school to becoming the owner and president of the Helicopter Institute.  He discusses the pivotal moments in his life that shaped his passion for flying, the importance of mentorship, and the challenges he faced along the way. Randy's story is a testament to resilience, determination, and the power of community in achieving one's dreams.  In t ..read more

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS. This episode of the Hanger Z podcast was recorded on location in Houston Texas at the Airborne Public Safety Aviation Conference known as APSCON. Hosts Jack Schonely and Jon Gray have a discussion with the Airborne Public Safety Association Executive Director and CEO Dan Schwarzbach and APSA President Richard Bray. The conversation at APSCON 2024 highlights the evolution of law enforcement aviation, focusing on technological advancements, the importance of networking, and the role of training and partnerships in enhancing op ..read more

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS!   In this two-part series, hosts Jack Schonely and Jon Gray sit down with the 2024 Airborne   Public Safety Aviation Association's Tactical Flight Officer of the Year award recipient, Senior Deputy Eric Johnson, and Sergeant Jerry Hunter, from the Kings County (California) Sheriff’s Office.    Eric and Jerry discuss the award, their backgrounds in law enforcement, the establishment of their air support unit, and the critical role of aviation in enhancing canine operations and overall public safety within ..read more