Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, Halsey Schider is joined by Dr. Frank Liemandt, Show Director, and Callum Clench, CEO of European Rotors, to unpack their takeaways from European Rotors 2025 in Cologne—an event that continues to grow in both scale and influence across the global helicopter industry. They reflect on why this year’s show stood out, from record attendance to deeper, more meaningful ...
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Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, Halsey Schider is joined by Dr. Frank Liemandt, Show Director, and Callum Clench, CEO of European Rotors, to unpack their takeaways from European Rotors 2025 in Cologne—an event that continues to grow in both scale and influence across the global helicopter industry. They reflect on why this year’s show stood out, from record attendance to deeper, more meaningful ...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, Halsey Schider is joined by Dr. Frank Liemandt, Show Director, and Callum Clench, CEO of European Rotors, to unpack their takeaways from European Rotors 2025 in Cologne—an event that continues to grow in both scale and influence across the global helicopter industry. They reflect on why this year’s show stood out, from record attendance to deeper, more meaningful ...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this special solo episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider recaps his trip to European Rotors 2026 in Cologne, Germany, sharing what stood out from the show floor, the conversations he recorded with industry leaders, and the growing focus on safety and regulation across the European helicopter community. He reflects on the energy of Cologne—complete with its Christmas markets—and the valu...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this special holiday episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider looks back on a year packed with industry insights, personal milestones, and unforgettable conversations. From diving into helicopter training and safety with respected experts to exploring lessons borrowed from outside aviation, this season pushed the show forward in exciting new ways. Halsey shares the moments that shaped him...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this special two-guest episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider welcomes Gavin Jones and Jeff Johnson from JAARS (Jungle Aviation and Relay Service), a mission-based organization using aviation to support Bible translation in remote, unreached language groups. Gavin shares his lifelong passion for helicopters, sparked at age six in Colombia, leading to 18 years in Papua New Guinea flying ...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider welcomes Robyn Weisenburger, a helicopter pilot, author, and vice president of the Houston chapter of Women in Aviation International. Robyn shares her remarkable journey of pursuing her passion for aviation despite living with type 1 diabetes since age 13. She discusses the challenges of securing a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medica...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider sits down with Jop Dingemans and Janine Lythe from Pilots Who Ask Why for a candid discussion on what’s broken—and what’s working—in today’s helicopter career pathway. They unpack the soaring cost of training in Europe, with instrument ratings now reaching more than €100,000, and why the helicopter track still feels scattered compared to the s...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this special crossover episode, host Halsey Schider is joined by Jon Gray of The Hangar Z Podcast and Vertical senior correspondent Brent Bundy for a candid conversation with Ryan Weeks, President and CEO of MD Helicopters. Weeks shares how his lifelong passion for engineering and performance led him from automotive design to aviation leadership — guiding MD through a period of modernization and renew...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this special crossover episode, host Halsey Schider is joined by Jon Gray of The Hangar Z Podcast and Vertical senior correspondent Brent Bundy for a candid conversation with Ryan Weeks, President and CEO of MD Helicopters. Weeks shares how his lifelong passion for engineering and performance led him from automotive design to aviation leadership — guiding MD through a period of modernization and renew...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this two-part episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider reconnects with his longtime friend Tony Melendrez, a former colleague from their Maverick Helicopters days. Tony shares his unconventional journey into aviation, sparked by a desire to blend his firefighting family background with helicopter flying. Tony’s path took him from flight school in California to tour flying in Myrtle Beach ...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this two-part episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider reconnects with his longtime friend Tony Melendrez, a former colleague from their Maverick Helicopters days. Tony shares his unconventional journey into aviation, sparked by a desire to blend his firefighting family background with helicopter flying. Tony’s path took him from flight school in California to tour flying in Myrtle Beach ...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider chats with Kelsey Hoogendoorn, an Arizona-based aviation enthusiast and certified helicopter flight instructor (CFI/CFII). Kelsey opens up about her deep-rooted passion for helicopters, sparked during her early days as an Operations Control Specialist (OCS) at Metro Aviation. Drawing on her Embry-Riddle University aeronautics background, and h...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider welcomes Terry Palmer, a trailblazer in helicopter safety and training. Terry shares her remarkable journey from building robots for Disney and Universal Studios to becoming a pivotal figure in aviation safety. Initially a fixed-wing pilot, she founded a flight school before joining OmniFlight Helicopters, where she developed air medical resour...
Send us a text Welcome to the Vertical MRO Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Magazine. In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider engages with Tyson Phillips, co-founder of AT Systems and a seasoned Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk pilot with a diverse background in military medevac, military air assault and firefighting. Tyson shares compelling stories from his career, including personal encounters with spatial disorientation (SD) during...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this engaging episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider welcomes Christopher Young, a seasoned helicopter pilot and executive director of the Tour Operators Program of Safety (TOPS). With a 20-year U.S. Navy career flying Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawks, Chris shares his journey from naval aviation to air medical operations with STAT Medevac, and later to roles at Sikorsky, Argus Prism, and Baldwi...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this captivating episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider welcomes Ken Wylie, an International Certified Mountain Guide and author of Buried. Unlike typical guests, Ken’s expertise lies not in aviation but in mountaineering, where he has dedicated his career to understanding human factors and decision-making in high-consequence environments. Drawing parallels between mountaineering and avi...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this gripping episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider welcomes Lee Benson, a 2025 MHM Blades of Valor Award recipient, whose 15,000-plus hours as a helicopter pilot have left an indelible mark on the industry. From his early days as a Vietnam War pilot at 19, Lee transitioned to commercial flying in the “Wild West” era of the 1970s, supported naval operations, and served 27 years wi...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this inspiring episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider welcomes Eric Robinson, recipient of the Blades of Valor Award and the driving force behind Operation Helo, a nonprofit that mobilized civilian helicopters for disaster relief during Hurricane Helene’s devastating aftermath in western North Carolina. Eric shares his journey from a fixed-wing aviation background, rooted in his father’s...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider welcomes Clinton Burley, President and CEO of HealthNet Aeromedical Services, a cornerstone of critical care transport in West Virginia. Starting as a flight paramedic in 1986, Clinton shares his journey from 17 years of frontline clinical work to leading a 501(c)(3) medical transportation organization formed by three competing health systems. ...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider welcomes Dr. Anita Sengupta, an aerospace engineer and founder of Hydroplane, who is revolutionizing aviation with hydrogen fuel cell propulsion. With a PhD in electric propulsion and 16 years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Dr. Sengupta shares her journey from developing ion thrusters for spacecraft to landing the Mars Curiosity Rover wit...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! Fadale, hosts of the Vertical Valor Flight Crew Podcast on the Helicast platform. Both seasoned professionals with over a decade each of air medical experience, they share exciting stories from critical medevac missions throughout their careers. They explore the vital role of crew resource management, advancements in air medical technology like blood products and AI, and the pressing need for mental health...
Send us a text Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS! In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, Halsey Schider is joined by Dr. Frank Liemandt, Show Director, and Callum Clench, CEO of European Rotors, to unpack their takeaways from European Rotors 2025 in Cologne—an event that continues to grow in both scale and influence across the global helicopter industry. They reflect on why this year’s show stood out, from record attendance to deeper, more meaningful ...
