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Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS!

In this buzzing in-person episode, host Halsey Schider takes The Helicopter Podcast to Verticon 2025 for a panel that’s all about the skies teaming up. Recorded live amid the show’s hum, Halsey is joined by Peter Fuchs of Ascent Aero Systems, regulatory specialist Amber Harrison from Vertical Aviation International, and Heliflite’s Rob Bentley-Johnston from Australia. They dive into how drones and helicopters aren’t rivals but partners, boosting missions from rescue to logistics.

Peter shares Ascent’s journey from startup to Robinson Helicopters’ recent acquisition, as well as details on Ascent's new Helius drone, a coaxial UAV offering rugged performance in surveillance, search and rescue, logistics, and more. The group explore how Helius can be deployed in real-world missions, particularly in scenarios where drones can enhance efficiency and safety by working alongside helicopters.

Amber tackles the regulatory tangle holding back beyond-line-of-sight drone ops, while Rob pitches a vision of full-on aerial teamwork. Tune into this episode of The Helicopter Podcast for a peek at the thrilling future of helicopters and UAVs in sync!

Thank you to our sponsors Robinson Helicopter, Vertical Aviation International  and Enstrom Helicopter Corporation.

Listen closely for your chance to win awesome prizes from Heli Life! Throughout 2025, every episode of The Helicopter Podcast will reveal a secret word. Once you catch it, head to contests.verticalhelicasts.com to enter!