Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. This episode was recorded on location at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s (SBCSD’s) hangar, immediately following their 2026 training fly-in. Host Jon Gray sits down with returning guests Doug Brimmer (SBCSD) and RJ Garwood (retired Huntington Beach Police Department pilot) to discuss interagency coordination, crash survivability, and the long road of recovery. Most air sup...

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. We're coming to you from the show floor at ECHO 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where we're joined by Kenny Hall and Cody Klaehn from Dallas Avionics. Although they took very different paths to get there, both have become familiar faces throughout the law enforcement aviation community — whether at trade shows, training events, fly ins, or supporting agencies as trusted partners. Dalla...

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. We're coming to you from the show floor at ECHO 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where we're joined by Kenny Hall and Cody Klaehn from Dallas Avionics. Although they took very different paths to get there, both have become familiar faces throughout the law enforcement aviation community — whether at trade shows, training events, fly ins, or supporting agencies as trusted partners. Dalla...

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 of...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...