Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine. Today, we sit down with the team from Carilion Life-Guard for a groundbreaking conversation about one of the most forward-leaning safety initiatives in the industry: Their incapacitated pilot program. In this episode, we explore how this effort came to life—its origins, its challenges, and the meticulous procedures designed to protect crews when seconds m...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine. In today’s episode, we sit down with researcher and industry expert Russell Griffin for an honest and eye-opening conversation about what truly drives safety culture. Together, we unpack the human side of aviation safety—exploring how communication, trust, and vulnerability influence the decisions crews make under pressure. Russell shares his personal jour...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine. In today’s episode, we sit down with researcher and industry expert Russell Griffin for an honest and eye-opening conversation about what truly drives safety culture. Together, we unpack the human side of aviation safety—exploring how communication, trust, and vulnerability influence the decisions crews make under pressure. Russell shares his personal jour...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical Helicasts and Vertical Valor Magazine. In this episode, we’re joined by Dave Weber, who opened the 2025 ECHO Conference with a powerful keynote on leadership and teamwork. We take a deeper look into his five core principles for building stronger teams — take ownership, lose your ego, keep it simple, stay focused, and empower your team. Dave reminds us that true leadership isn’t about titles or rank ...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical Helicasts and Vertical Valor Magazine. In this episode, we’re joined by Dave Weber, who opened the 2025 ECHO Conference with a powerful keynote on leadership and teamwork. We take a deeper look into his five core principles for building stronger teams — take ownership, lose your ego, keep it simple, stay focused, and empower your team. Dave reminds us that true leadership isn’t about titles or rank...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine. In this episode, we explore another non-traditional helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) program with an inside look at JEMSTAR in New Jersey. This unique program isn’t just any medevac team—these crews blend law enforcement precision with life-saving medical expertise to answer some of the state’s most critical calls. From high-stakes miss...

Welcome to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor Magazine. In this live episode from the ECHO Louisville 2025 conference, we sit down with US Army pilot and ECHO Safety Team member Sean Gavin from the New York Air National Guard. Together, we explore the art of briefing and debriefing — what makes them effective, how humility drives accountability, and why learning from every mission, win or loss, matters. ...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine. In this episode, we sit down with Jack Schonely, co-host of The Hangar Z Podcast and respected voice in aviation and public safety, to explore one of the most vital aspects of our profession: Risk management. Together, we dive deep into the human factors that shape decision-making, the balance between leadership and ego, and the importance of a culture where ev...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine. In this episode, we sit down with Jack Schonely, co-host of The Hangar Z Podcast and respected voice in aviation and public safety, to explore one of the most vital aspects of our profession: Risk management. Together, we dive deep into the human factors that shape decision-making, the balance between leadership and ego, and the importance of a culture where ev...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine. In this episode, we sit down with two incredible clinicians from Boston MedFlight, Jamie Eastman and Widmac (Wid) Laterion. Together, they take us inside the daily mission and operations of one of the nation’s most respected critical care transport programs. From the challenges of neonatal and pediatric transports to the transition from military service i...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine. In this episode, we sit down with two incredible clinicians from Boston MedFlight, Jamie Eastman and Widmac (Wid) Laterion. Together, they take us inside the daily mission and operations of one of the nation’s most respected critical care transport programs. From the challenges of neonatal and pediatric transports to the transition from military service i...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine. In this episode, we sit down with flight nurse Danica Mainridge—a clinician whose story is as inspiring as it is unforgettable. From her path into critical care to the day everything changed in the aftermath of her company’s helicopter crash, Danica takes us inside the split-second decisions, the raw emotions, and the long road of personal recovery that followed...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor Magazine. In this episode, we are joined by Mike Bucari and Sam Schaab from Leonardo Helicopters for a forward-looking conversation about the evolution of air medical services and the aircraft that make lifesaving missions possible. Together, we explore how Leonardo is using patient-centered design, automation, and real-time data transfer in shaping the next generation of...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor Magazine. In this episode, we are joined by Mike Bucari and Sam Schaab from Leonardo Helicopters for a forward-looking conversation about the evolution of air medical services and the aircraft that make lifesaving missions possible. Together, we explore how Leonardo is using patient-centered design, automation, and real-time data transfer in shaping the next generation of...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor Magazine. In this episode of the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosts Mike Fadale and Blake Shrider sit down with communication specialists Carissima Collins and Toya Jones to shine a spotlight on the unsung heroes of the air medical world. Together, they explore the critical role dispatch and communication professionals play in supporting frontline crews, from guiding missi...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor Magazine. In this episode of The Helicopter Podcast, host Halsey Schider sits down with Blake Shrider and Mike Fadale from the Valor Flight Crew Podcast for an inside look at the demanding world of air medical services. Together, they share firsthand accounts of life on the front lines, where every decision can make a lasting impact on survival. The conversation explores...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor Magazine. In this episode, hosts Mike Fadale and Blake Shrider sit down with someone who brings a rare and powerful perspective to the table—Jason Bazelow, a seasoned helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) provider whose journey has taken him from the back of the aircraft as a paramedic to the hospital bed as a patient. Jason opens up about the moments that s...

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor Magazine. In this episode, hosts Mike Fadale and Blake Shrider sit down with someone who brings a rare and powerful perspective to the table—Jason Bazelow, a seasoned helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) provider whose journey has taken him from the back of the aircraft as a paramedic to the hospital bed as a patient. Jason opens up about the moments that s...

Welcome to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor Magazine. In this episode of the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosts Mike Fadale and Blake Shrider sit down with helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) education leaders Alan Wolfe and Christian Greengrass to examine the ever-changing landscape of air medical and critical care transport. Together, they explore the role of simulation in sharpening clinical judgm...

Welcome to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor Magazine. In this episode of the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosts Mike Fadale and Blake Shrider sit down with helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) education leaders Alan Wolfe and Christian Greengrass to examine the ever-changing landscape of air medical and critical care transport. Together, they explore the role of simulation in sharpening clinical judgm...