Welcome to the Vertical MRO Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Magazine.

In this special edition of the Vertical MRO Podcast, Jon Gray welcomes back Val Medved for a long-overdue catch-up on career changes, podcast reflections, and what’s next for VMRO. Val shares how a promotion to director of sales and marketing at Essential Turbines has kept him busy, but his passion for the podcast—and the maintenance community it celebrates—has never wavered. Together, Jon and Val reflect on standout moments from the first year of the show, from ice fishing interviews to global recognition from industry pros.

This episode also features five listener-favorite clips:
• Episode 29: Tristan Bedoe, Maintenance Instructor—Hands-on AME training and facing the AME shortage;
• Episode 28: The Vertical MRO Conference—Building a rotorcraft maintenance conference from the ground up;
• Bell Tech Talk Episode 2: Helicopter Washing—Highlighting how washing helicopters is more than just maintenance;
• Episode 33: A Lifetime of Maintenance with Mike Broderick—How troubleshooting is evolving with technology; and
• Episode 18: AI Maintenance Panel—Covering the transformative impact of AI on helicopter maintenance.

Whether you’re tuning in for the first time or have been with us since Episode 1, this retrospective is a celebration of the people, passion, and behind-the-scenes brilliance that keep the rotorcraft world turning.

Special thanks to you, our listeners! Thank you for listening and being a part of the MRO family. If you can spare a minute, please leave a review of the podcast and let us know how we are doing!