Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.

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

This three-part series was recorded on location in Texas at the McKinney Air Center, as part of the 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour.

This year, our journey takes us to four agencies across four states, showcasing their exceptional work through print, video, and right here on the podcast.

The Blades of Valor tour wouldn’t be possible without the support of Airbus and Massif Flight Suits.

The Texas Department of Public Safety Aircraft Operations Division has an outstanding program supporting multimission public safety aviation operations throughout the great state of Texas.

During this conversation, we are privileged to speak with Texas DPS assistant chief Marcus Tomerlin, Captain Saben Emery, and Lieutenant Clay Lacey.

These conversations highlight the importance of solid leadership and a great unit culture, the value of internal and external training, and the crucial role of internal marketing—such as detailed activity reports and video documentation—which showcase the agency’s achievements, justify operations, and secure funding for the aircraft division.

For more about our visit to Texas DPS, be sure to check out the article written by Brent Bundy in Vertical Valor magazine and check out the incredible video footage captured by Lloyd Horgan on the Vertical Magazine YouTube channel.

Thank you to our sponsors BLR Aerospace, Garmin and Wysong Enterprises.

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.

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

This three-part series was recorded on location in Texas at the McKinney Air Center, as part of the 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour.

This year, our journey takes us to four agencies across four states, showcasing their exceptional work through print, video, and right here on the podcast.

The Blades of Valor tour wouldn’t be possible without the support of Airbus and Massif Flight Suits.

The Texas Department of Public Safety Aircraft Operations Division has an outstanding program supporting multimission public safety aviation operations throughout the great state of Texas.

During this conversation, we are privileged to speak with Texas DPS assistant chief Marcus Tomerlin, Captain Saben Emery, and Lieutenant Clay Lacey.

These conversations highlight the importance of solid leadership and a great unit culture, the value of internal and external training, and the crucial role of internal marketing—such as detailed activity reports and video documentation—which showcase the agency’s achievements, justify operations, and secure funding for the aircraft division.

For more about our visit to Texas DPS, be sure to check out the article written by Brent Bundy in Vertical Valor magazine and check out the incredible video footage captured by Lloyd Horgan on the Vertical Magazine YouTube channel.

Thank you to our sponsors Metro Aviation, Onboard Systems Hoist and Winch and SHOTOVER.

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical Helicasts and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.

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

In this episode, host Jack Schonely sits down for an in-depth conversation with Manny Dickerson of the LAPD and Lee Owen from Canyon AeroConnect to discuss tactical communications.
 
In this conversation, Manny and Lee share their personal journeys in the field of aviation communication. They explore the importance of effective communication for Tactical Flight Officers (TFOs), the challenges they face, and the impact of technology on their operations. 
 
Plus, they discuss the evolution of radio technology for TFOs, the significance of maintenance in communication systems, and the training necessary to manage workload effectively.
 
The discussion emphasizes the need for preparedness and the impact of reliable communication systems in ensuring officer safety and operational success.

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Canyon AeroConnect and Quantum Helicopters.

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical Helicasts and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.

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

In this episode, host Jack Schonely sits down for an in-depth conversation with Manny Dickerson of the LAPD and Lee Owen from Canyon AeroConnect to discuss tactical communications.
 
In this conversation, Manny and Lee share their personal journeys in the field of aviation communication. They explore the importance of effective communication for Tactical Flight Officers (TFOs), the challenges they face, and the impact of technology on their operations. 
 
Plus, they discuss the evolution of radio technology for TFOs, the significance of maintenance in communication systems, and the training necessary to manage workload effectively.
 
The discussion emphasizes the need for preparedness and the impact of reliable communication systems in ensuring officer safety and operational success.

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Canyon AeroConnect and Summit Aviation.

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.

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

On today’s episode of The Hangar Z Podcast, Jack Schonely and guest host Bryan Smith are honored to welcome Tony Lumpkin, call sign “Lumpy,” for a compelling conversation.

Tony has a truly unique aviation background, having flown multiple airframes across military and civilian sectors. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Tony was commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps where he piloted the CH-46 and completed three tours in Iraq. He shares some of his incredible experiences and lessons learned from flying in the sandbox.

But his story doesn’t end there. He later transferred into the U.S. Coast Guard where he piloted a Black Hawk, conducting high-risk rescues. After his military service, Tony invited Bryan to join him on a one-of-a-kind flying assignment: piloting a helicopter off a luxury cruise ship in one of the most stunning and unforgiving places on earth, Antarctica.

A big thank you to Bryan Smith for leading this insightful conversation with his friend “Lumpy.”

Please don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to the Hangar Z Podcast. We appreciate your support.

Thank you to our sponsors Precision Aviation Group, Spectrolab  and Robinson Helicopter.

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.

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

On today’s episode of The Hangar Z Podcast, Jack Schonely and guest host Bryan Smith are honored to welcome Tony Lumpkin, call sign “Lumpy,” for a compelling conversation.

Tony has a truly unique aviation background, having flown multiple airframes across military and civilian sectors. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Tony was commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps where he piloted the CH-46 and completed three tours in Iraq. He shares some of his incredible experiences and lessons learned from flying in the sandbox.

But his story doesn’t end there. He later transferred into the U.S. Coast Guard where he piloted a Black Hawk, conducting high-risk rescues. After his military service, Tony invited Bryan to join him on a one-of-a-kind flying assignment: piloting a helicopter off a luxury cruise ship in one of the most stunning and unforgiving places on earth, Antarctica.

A big thank you to Bryan Smith for leading this insightful conversation with his friend “Lumpy.”

Please don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to the Hangar Z Podcast. We appreciate your support.

Thank you to our sponsors Night Flight Concepts, Summit Aviation and Robinson Helicopter.

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.

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

This special two-part series is five years in the making, due to the fact we are celebrating the fifth anniversary of The Hangar Z Podcast. 

Hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely reflect on the journey of the podcast, its impact on the aviation community, and the inspiration drawn from guests like Jell-O, the host of The Fighter Pilot Podcast. 

Each year, a special guest is selected to help celebrate the anniversary of The Hangar Z Podcast. A guest is sought after that has uniquely shaped the public safety aviation community or directly inspired the creation or direction of The Hangar Z Podcast.  

Today’s guest directly inspired the creation of The Hangar Z Podcast, as The Fighter Pilot Podcast was the first aviation podcast that the creator of the Hangar Z listened to and enjoyed. 

Today, The Hangar Z Podcast welcomes an accomplished naval aviator with over 8,964 days of active duty, 3,807 flight hours, and 705 carrier landings—263 at night. His combat missions include 78 flights over Iraq, 25 countries across four continents, and 187 days in Afghanistan. He’s experienced 12 moves, participated in three carrier deployments with no ejections, shoot downs, or D.C. tours. His career is filled with remarkable memories. Please join us in welcoming Vincent Aiello to The Hangar Z Podcast!

Thank you to our sponsors CNC Technology, Metro Aviation and SHOTOVER.

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.

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

This special two-part series is five years in the making, due to the fact we are celebrating the fifth anniversary of The Hangar Z Podcast. 

Hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely reflect on the journey of the podcast, its impact on the aviation community, and the inspiration drawn from guests like Jell-O, the host of The Fighter Pilot Podcast. 

Each year, a special guest is selected to help celebrate the anniversary of The Hangar Z Podcast. A guest is sought after that has uniquely shaped the public safety aviation community or directly inspired the creation or direction of The Hangar Z Podcast.  

Today’s guest directly inspired the creation of The Hangar Z Podcast, as The Fighter Pilot Podcast was the first aviation podcast that the creator of the Hangar Z listened to and enjoyed. 

Today, The Hangar Z Podcast welcomes an accomplished naval aviator with over 8,964 days of active duty, 3,807 flight hours, and 705 carrier landings—263 at night. His combat missions include 78 flights over Iraq, 25 countries across four continents, and 187 days in Afghanistan. He’s experienced 12 moves, participated in three carrier deployments with no ejections, shoot downs, or D.C. tours. His career is filled with remarkable memories. Please join us in welcoming Vincent Aiello to The Hangar Z Podcast!

Thank you to our sponsors CNC Technology, Metro Aviation and SHOTOVER.

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.

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

In this episode, Jon Gray and Jack Schonely have a conversation with Chief Pilot Frank Peck of the Omaha Police Department. Frank brings a unique and well-rounded perspective to law enforcement aviation, having spent many years with the Nebraska State Patrol, including time as a K9 handler where he experienced firsthand the value of air support. He eventually shifted his focus to aviation, advancing from a part-time Tactical Flight Officer to Captain and Chief Pilot of the Aviation Support Division.

During his tenure, Frank led significant expansions in aircraft capabilities, mission equipment, and aviation facilities, all while actively supporting troopers from the air. He now brings that wealth of experience to the Omaha Police Department, where he continues as Chief Pilot. Known for his hands-on leadership style, Frank is committed to continually improving every aspect of the unit he leads.

Don’t forget to like and subscribe to The Hangar Z Podcast. We truly appreciate the support so we can bring these important conversations to you. 

Thank you to our sponsors Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing, Quantum Helicopter and Precision Aviation Group.

Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.

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

In this episode, Jon Gray and Jack Schonely have a conversation with Chief Pilot Frank Peck of the Omaha Police Department. Frank brings a unique and well-rounded perspective to law enforcement aviation, having spent many years with the Nebraska State Patrol, including time as a K9 handler where he experienced firsthand the value of air support. He eventually shifted his focus to aviation, advancing from a part-time Tactical Flight Officer to Captain and Chief Pilot of the Aviation Support Division.

During his tenure, Frank led significant expansions in aircraft capabilities, mission equipment, and aviation facilities, all while actively supporting troopers from the air. He now brings that wealth of experience to the Omaha Police Department, where he continues as Chief Pilot. Known for his hands-on leadership style, Frank is committed to continually improving every aspect of the unit he leads.

Don’t forget to like and subscribe to The Hangar Z Podcast. We truly appreciate the support so we can bring these important conversations to you. 

Thank you to our sponsors Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing, Night Flight Concepts and Spectrum Aeromed.