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

 

This is Part Two of a two-part series with Tyler Boeddeker and Sean MacHale from Massif, an apparel company that creates and produces some of the world’s finest flame-resistant (FR) gear.

 

Massif was founded in 1999 by two passionate visionaries who set the bar high for quality and excellence in everything they do. Randy Benham, one of Massif’s founders, was a Jenny Lake search-and-rescue (SAR) crewmember in Grand Teton National Park who understood the demands of rugged, unpredictable and hazardous work conditions.

 

On a mission to fill the gap and solve the problem, Massif partnered with the specialized Los Angeles based knitting mill Antex, and a core group of extraordinarily dedicated people.

 

Together, they invented never-before-seen FR fabrics and applied them to innovative clothing designs for numerous climates and contexts.

 

Boeddeker is a U.S. Navy veteran, having served in the Navy for six years as a Naval Aircrewman, with three deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. He has multiple certifications as a rescue swimmer, SAR Petty Officer, SERE graduate, and more. He’s now worked as a government sales manager for nearly 4 years. He is also a certified civilian rescue swimmer, EMT-B, and Wilderness EMT, and a licensed skydiver!

 

MacHale is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, having served 10 years as a Marine Corps tiltrotor crew chief on the MV-22 Osprey. MacHale is in-tune with the aviation world. He has deployed with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and the 15th MEU in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2009 and Operation Inherent Resolve in 2015. MacHale is a licensed private pilot, skydiver, and scuba diver, but will also indulge in sailing, surfing and any other outdoor activity!

 

In this episode, Boeddeker talks about a rescue operation he was a part of involving two pilots who ejected from their stricken fighter jet.

 

Hangar Z host Jon Gray and his guests also spend time talking about FR gear, which includes flight suits, and get into some of the tech behind FR materials.

 

Lastly, they talk about some of the safety considerations that go along with the proper use of flame-resistant flight suits and apparel. 

 

Thank you to sponsors MD Helicopters, Collins Aerospace’s Goodrich, and Robinson Helicopters.