What happens when a life flight helicopter saves your life—and years later, you meet the man behind the mission?

This episode of the Hangar X Podcast hits home.

Live from Verticon 2025, host John Ramstead sits down with John Vance, Director of Operations at Metro Aviation—the very company responsible for the emergency helicopter that airlifted John to safety after a near-fatal accident over a decade ago.

Together, they dive into the real impact of medical aviation, the future of safety tech, and the innovation Metro is bringing to pilot training, real-time weather intelligence, and AI-powered landing zone assessments.

This is more than a conversation. It’s a story about gratitude, mission, and the people who save lives—one flight at a time.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:
✔️ How Metro Aviation saved John Ramstead’s life—and thousands more
✔️ What “no magic in the front, magic in the back” means in medical transport
✔️ The life-saving tech Metro is adding to its fleet: AI, 3D modeling & smart weather sensing
✔️ Why training standardization matters across 175 aircraft & 42 partners
✔️ How Metro is investing in the next generation of pilots
✔️ The surprising ripple effect of every life saved
✔️ Real-world tips on avoiding IMC and prioritizing mission readiness

00:00 – John’s life flight rescue story
01:10 – Meet John Vance from Metro Aviation
02:20 – The mission mindset behind air medical
04:00 – How Metro trains for the unpredictable
05:45 – Full-motion sims & scenario-based pilot prep
07:00 – Real-time weather sensing & AI predictions
09:00 – How Metro avoids inadvertent IMC
10:25 – What’s next: safety, sensors & pilot development
11:30 – Why we must invest in future aviators
12:10 – The true impact of saving a single life

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Learn More:
Connect with Metro Aviation: https://www.metroaviation.com/
Connect with John Vance: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-vance-a3285799/

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