Welcome to episode 116 of The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical Helicasts.

In this three-part series, host Jon Gray sits down with Matt Szluka.

Szluka is a state trooper and fixed-wing aircraft pilot with the Illinois State Police in the Chicagoland area. 

Born and raised in Chicago, Szluka has lived in the city his entire life. Prior to joining the ISP Air Operations Bureau as a pilot, he was assigned as a K-9 handler to the ISP Statewide Anti-Violence Enforcement Team and the District 15 Criminal Patrol Team. 

Outside his law enforcement duties, Szluka works part-time as an instructor at a local college, teaching aviation classes to aspiring pilots.

Szluka has 12 years of law enforcement experience at three different police departments in the Chicago, Illinois, area.

Outside of being a pilot and K-9 handler, Szluka also has experience as a member of the ISP Chicago Region Crowd Control Team, K-9 instructor, K-9 crowd control instructor, field training officer and evidence technician. 

Before Szluka entered law enforcement, he was an airline captain at a large regional airline that served cities across North America and the Bahamas. 

During his time in the airlines, Szluka was a human factors facilitator and crew resource management instructor. 

He received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Illinois in Aviation Human Factors, which spurred his passion for human interaction with advanced technologies, particularly as it relates to aviation. 

Szluka now focuses his efforts on supporting his fellow brothers and sisters on the ground utilizing aircraft and other technologies for criminal enforcement, especially in the City of Chicago, a place he has proudly called home for 42 years.

The Hangar Z Podcast wishes to thank its sponsors Metro Aviation, Garmin and CNC Technologies.