The Vertical MRO Podcast

The Vertical MRO Conference kicks off tomorrow in Kelowna, British Columbia, and we're getting the crew together for a quick look at what's ahead.

David Kreutzkamp is joined by Mike and Linda Reyno, Jon Gray, and Maddy Reyno to talk about what attendees can expect—from expanded technical education and hands-on training to leadership development, workforce initiatives, students, exhibitors, and aircraft on site at the KF Centre for Excellence.

Whether you're travelling to Kelowna, arriving today, or following along from home, consider this your welcome to the 2026 Vertical MRO Conference—and a preview of what the MRO and HeliCASTS teams have planned throughout the show.

And for our Irving community, don't worry—we'll be back with a special preview ahead of the Nov. 16–18 conference in Texas.

Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Robinson Helicopter and Airbus.

This special crossover episode of the Vertical MRO Podcast comes from our sister show, The Helicopter Podcast, bringing an operator-focused conversation directly to the maintenance community.

Recorded at VERTICON 2026, The Helicopter Podcast host Halsey Schider sits down with Joe LaRue of Prairie Air to discuss his path through aviation and the role quality maintenance has played in building a business focused on Robinson helicopter operations and support.

Joe shares why good maintenance goes beyond keeping an aircraft serviceable. The conversation explores record-keeping, long-term aircraft support, and how the quality of work performed throughout a helicopter's life can directly affect safety, reliability and aircraft value.

Joe and Halsey also look at one of the industry's biggest challenges: developing the next generation of pilots and maintainers. Joe discusses Prairie Air's work with local schools and community programs, why exposing young people to aviation matters, and what the industry can do to create clearer pathways into these careers.

The conversation rounds out with a look toward emerging technologies, including autonomous aircraft, and where new tools may fit alongside the people and skills that keep today's helicopter industry moving.

Originally recorded for The Helicopter Podcast, we're sharing this conversation with the Vertical MRO audience because Joe's perspective on maintenance, workforce development and long-term aircraft support is equally at home in the MRO community.

Thank you to this episode's sponsors, Robinson Helicopter, Precision Aviation Group and Airbus

Welcome to another episode of Vertical MRO Tech Talk presented by Bell.

In this episode of Bell Tech Talk, Vertical MRO's David Kreutzkamp is joined by Bell customer support engineers Eric Parent and Jason Estaphan for a deep dive into common Bell 505 maintenance questions coming from the field.

Eric and Jason share practical guidance on servicing the Bell 505 live mount system, hydraulic pump drive shaft and NR pickup troubleshooting, differences maintainers should know between the Garmin G1000 NXi and earlier systems, and techniques for more efficient rotor track and balance.

Along the way, they highlight procedural updates, common troubleshooting considerations, and lessons from Bell's field support teams that can help maintainers diagnose problems and keep the 505 performing as designed.

We want to hear from you! – [email protected]
Need help with your Bell helicopter? Email us at [email protected]
or visit https://www.bellflight.com/support/commercial.

This special crossover episode of the Vertical MRO Podcast comes from our sister show, The Helicopter Podcast, bringing an operator-focused conversation directly to the maintenance community.

Recorded at VERTICON 2026, The Helicopter Podcast host Halsey Schider sits down with Joe LaRue of Prairie Air to discuss his path through aviation and the role quality maintenance has played in building a business focused on Robinson helicopter operations and support.

Joe shares why good maintenance goes beyond keeping an aircraft serviceable. The conversation explores record-keeping, long-term aircraft support, and how the quality of work performed throughout a helicopter's life can directly affect safety, reliability and aircraft value.

Joe and Halsey also look at one of the industry's biggest challenges: developing the next generation of pilots and maintainers. Joe discusses Prairie Air's work with local schools and community programs, why exposing young people to aviation matters, and what the industry can do to create clearer pathways into these careers.

The conversation rounds out with a look toward emerging technologies, including autonomous aircraft, and where new tools may fit alongside the people and skills that keep today's helicopter industry moving.

Originally recorded for The Helicopter Podcast, we're sharing this conversation with the Vertical MRO audience because Joe's perspective on maintenance, workforce development and long-term aircraft support is equally at home in the MRO community.

Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Robinson Helicopter, Precision Aviation Group, Airbus.

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

In this episode of Vertical MRO, hosts David Kreutzkamp and Scott Hayward are joined by Anneke Tucker of Attain Aviation for a conversation about human factors, leadership, mentorship, and building stronger maintenance organizations.

Anneke shares her unconventional path into aviation, from serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and working on CH-53 helicopters to a career spanning aircraft maintenance, quality systems, and aviation consulting. That experience provides the foundation for a broader discussion about why human factors go well beyond simply recognizing the Dirty Dozen.

Together, Anneke, Scott, and David explore the role leadership and organizational culture play in reducing human factors risks, the value of mentorship and knowledge transfer, and the challenge of preserving decades of experience as senior maintainers leave the workforce.

The conversation also looks ahead to the next generation, including why the industry needs to introduce young people to maintenance careers earlier and provide meaningful hands-on opportunities that show them what working in aviation can actually look like.

Anneke will continue the conversation as a speaker at the 2026 Vertical MRO Conference, bringing practical lessons in human factors directly to the maintenance community.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsors, Alpine Aerotech and Metro Aviation.

Also, be sure to check out Vertical MRO's Instagram channel for even more awesome content highlighting the awesome work being done to keep the rotorcraft community flying!

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

In this episode of Vertical MRO, hosts David Kreutzkamp and Scott Hayward are joined by Anneke Tucker of Attain Aviation for a conversation about human factors, leadership, mentorship, and building stronger maintenance organizations.

Anneke shares her unconventional path into aviation, from serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and working on CH-53 helicopters to a career spanning aircraft maintenance, quality systems, and aviation consulting. That experience provides the foundation for a broader discussion about why human factors go well beyond simply recognizing the Dirty Dozen.

Together, Anneke, Scott, and David explore the role leadership and organizational culture play in reducing human factors risks, the value of mentorship and knowledge transfer, and the challenge of preserving decades of experience as senior maintainers leave the workforce.

The conversation also looks ahead to the next generation, including why the industry needs to introduce young people to maintenance careers earlier and provide meaningful hands-on opportunities that show them what working in aviation can actually look like.

Anneke will continue the conversation as a speaker at the 2026 Vertical MRO Conference, bringing practical lessons in human factors directly to the maintenance community.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsors,
Part 1 - Precision Aviation Group and Rotorcraft Support, Inc.
Part 2- Alpine Aerotech and Metro Aviation

Also, be sure to check out Vertical MRO's Instagram channel for even more awesome content highlighting the awesome work being done to keep the rotorcraft community flying!

Welcome to the Vertical MRO Podcast, brought to you by HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Plus

The Vertical MRO crew gets together for the first MRO Roundtable — a new recurring conversation bringing the hosts together to catch up, discuss current helicopter industry news, and look at what's ahead for the maintenance community.

David Kreutzkamp is joined by Jon Gray, Ronnie Ries, and returning MRO host Val Medved for a wide-ranging discussion that starts with one of the busiest wildfire seasons in recent memory. The group talks about the demands being placed on operators across Canada, the U.S. and beyond, along with developments surrounding restricted-category aircraft and their growing role in aerial firefighting.

The conversation then turns to maintenance safety and lessons from a Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigation into a fatal helicopter ground-run accident. Rather than assigning blame, the group considers what the industry can learn about distraction, complacency, checklist discipline, communication, and the human factors that can turn routine work into a serious risk.

The crew also catches up on what's happening across the industry, workforce and leadership development, and what listeners can expect at the upcoming Vertical MRO Conferences.

It's news, lessons learned, a little shop talk, and plenty of opinions from around the Vertical MRO table.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, Rotorcraft Support Inc and Alpine Aerotech.

Also, be sure to check out Vertical MRO's Instagram channel for even more awesome content highlighting the awesome work being done to keep the rotorcraft community flying!

Welcome to another episode of Vertical MRO Tech Talk presented by Bell.

In this episode of Vertical MRO Tech Talk presented by Bell, host Jon Gray continues the conversation on autopilot systems with Dawn Lehto and Tad Morley. This time, focusing on the Bell 407 Autopilot Flight Control System (AFCS) discussion. Building on the system overview from Part I, the team takes a deeper dive into troubleshooting common autopilot issues and understanding how the system behaves in real-world operations.

Drawing on their experience supporting operators in the field, Dawn and Tad explain how technicians and pilots can better diagnose AFCS faults by understanding system behavior, reviewing fault codes, and following proper maintenance procedures. The discussion explores topics such as autopilot degrade messages, common causes of iBit test failures, and how environmental factors can sometimes impact system performance.

The team also walks through practical troubleshooting steps and highlights the importance of correct balance spring adjustments and proper aircraft configuration when diagnosing autopilot issues. Throughout the conversation, they emphasize how careful adherence to the flight manual supplement and maintenance documentation helps prevent many of the common problems operators encounter.

With a focus on practical insights and real-world examples, this episode provides valuable guidance for technicians, pilots, and operators working with the Bell 407 AFCS system.

We want to hear from you! – [email protected]
Need help with your Bell helicopter? Email us at [email protected] or visit https://www.bellflight.com/support/commercial. 

Welcome to the Vertical MRO Podcast, brought to you by HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Plus

What does one of the world's greatest endurance athletes have to teach the aviation maintenance industry? More than you might expect.

In this episode of Vertical MRO, hosts Jon Gray and David Kreutzkamp welcome James Lawrence, better known as the Iron Cowboy, ahead of his keynote presentation at the 2026 Vertical MRO Conferences.

Rather than focusing solely on endurance records, the conversation explores the mindset required to perform under pressure. James shares practical lessons on staying calm during chaos, prioritizing what matters most, building resilient teams, and maintaining focus when the workload never seems to stop.

Drawing parallels between extreme endurance events and the realities of helicopter maintenance, James explains why high performers succeed by controlling their reactions, not their circumstances. Whether you're leading a maintenance team, troubleshooting an AOG aircraft, or navigating a demanding career, this conversation offers practical insights into resilience, leadership, and performing at your best when it matters most.

Learn more about James Lawrence and his upcoming keynote at the 2026 Vertical MRO Conferences by visiting verticalmro.com.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, Alpine Aerotech. 

Also, be sure to check out Vertical MRO's Instagram channel for even more awesome content highlighting the awesome work being done to keep the rotorcraft community flying!

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

For this episode of Vertical MRO, recorded live at APSCON 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, hosts Jon Gray and Jack Schonely sit down with Nicolas Ianiero, aircraft maintenance engineer with Canadian Helicopters supporting the York Regional Police Air Support Unit and the recipient of the 2026 APSA Technician of the Year Award.

Nicolas shares the journey that took him from aspiring pilot to licensed aircraft maintenance engineer, including his introduction to helicopter maintenance and the experiences that shaped his career. Along the way, he reflects on the value of mentorship, continuous learning, and embracing opportunities that weren't part of the original plan.

The conversation also explores the unique responsibility of supporting public safety aviation. Whether responding to missing persons, critical incidents, or life-saving missions, Nicolas explains how maintainers play a vital role long before an aircraft ever leaves the hangar. It's a perspective that highlights the dedication, professionalism, and quiet commitment behind every successful mission.

Congratulations to Nicolas on being recognized as the 2026 APSA Technician of the Year and thank you for sharing your story with the Vertical MRO community.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsors, Precision Aviation Group and Airbus

Also, be sure to check out Vertical MRO's Instagram channel for even more awesome content highlighting the awesome work being done to keep the rotorcraft community flying!