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...

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...

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...

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...

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, To...

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 ...

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 ...

Welcome back to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. In this episode we are heading to Modesto, California, to hear how a brand-new air support unit was built from the ground up, and how it’s already changing the way the department fights crime, protects officers, and serves the community. Lt Mike Hicks and Lt Kalani Souza were both involved from the opening decision to start an air unit. They share the process and the many challeng...

Welcome back to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Valor Plus. In this episode we are heading to Modesto, California, to hear how a brand-new air support unit was built from the ground up, and how it’s already changing the way the department fights crime, protects officers, and serves the community. Lt Mike Hicks and Lt Kalani Souza were both involved from the opening decision to start an air unit. They share the process and the many challeng...

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 Clay Lacey of the Texas Department of Public Safety and Harald Brink of the Dutch National Police to explore the 25-plus-year legacy of Jack Schonely’s tactical training. From individual officer safety to agency-wide operations, Jack’s framework for apprehending fleeing suspects has become a g...