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 two-part series, hosts Jon Gray, and Jack Schonely talk with Sean Marston, who takes us through his incredible journey from military service to law enforcement, and ultimately into the helicopter air ambulance segment.

Sean reflects on his early aspirations and the impactful experiences that shaped his career—as a deputy sheriff, and beyond.

We’ll discuss a new unit establishment he was a part of within the Harford County Sheriff's Office in Maryland. Sean offers a firsthand account of the challenges, including political opposition and the eventual shutdown of the unit, alongside valuable lessons about proving the worth of such programs.

Sean talks about becoming the chief pilot at the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, and the challenges and experiences as the chief pilot, and his insight on leadership development.

We also have an opportunity to discuss the transition from law enforcement aviation to the helicopter air ambulance industry, as Sean was able to successfully make the transition after retiring from law enforcement in 2021 after over 27 years of service.

Before we jump into the conversation, we’d like to ask for your support! If you enjoy The Hangar Z Podcast, please take a moment to leave us a rating and review. Your feedback not only helps us improve the show, but also helps others discover our podcast. We greatly appreciate your support!

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Onboard Systems Hoist & Winch 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!

The Hangar Z Podcast has extensively talked about the two primary challenges facing public safety aviation: Politics, and funding. We have dedicated considerable time to discussing the political aspects of this equation.

In this two-part series, host Jon Gray discusses the challenges and solutions related to funding aircraft and mission equipment for law enforcement agencies. Joined by experts Ed Van Winkle and D.C. Greer, the conversation delves into the intricacies of aircraft financing, the importance of education for new aviation leaders, and creative solutions for acquiring necessary equipment

D.C. Greer is a senior vice president of Government Capital Corporation, a nationwide public finance company, headquartered in Southlake, Texas.

With over 30 years in public finance, his efforts have been focused largely in the public safety sector. D.C. served three years in the U.S. Army and is a graduate of Northwestern State University, in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

During our conversation, Ed Vanwinkle reflects on his over 20 years of service at the Gainesville Police Department in Florida, where he retired as captain. His diverse roles included aviation, narcotics, detectives, patrol, S.W.A.T., and training.

He served as the Narcotics Unit commander, S.W.A.T. commander, and unit commander of the Joint Aviation Unit with the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.

After retiring, Ed spent nine years as the law enforcement sales manager at Airbus Helicopters and is now the vice president of law enforcement and OEM projects for CNC Technologies. He is also an active commercial helicopter pilot, flight instructor (CFII), and fixed-wing pilot.

This conversation also delves into the advancements in aviation technology, particularly focusing on the integration of CNC live systems and the bi-directional flow of information that enhances operational efficiency for air crews.

This is an important episode for anyone in public safety aviation, but especially for those in a position seeking funding solutions to purchase new aircraft or mission equipment.

Thank you to our sponsors CNC Technologies, Garmin 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!

The Hangar Z Podcast has extensively talked about the two primary challenges facing public safety aviation: Politics, and funding. We have dedicated considerable time to discussing the political aspects of this equation.

In this two-part series, host Jon Gray discusses the challenges and solutions related to funding aircraft and mission equipment for law enforcement agencies. Joined by experts Ed Van Winkle and D.C. Greer, the conversation delves into the intricacies of aircraft financing, the importance of education for new aviation leaders, and creative solutions for acquiring necessary equipment

D.C. Greer is a senior vice president of Government Capital Corporation, a nationwide public finance company, headquartered in Southlake, Texas.

With over 30 years in public finance, his efforts have been focused largely in the public safety sector. D.C. served three years in the U.S. Army and is a graduate of Northwestern State University, in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

During our conversation, Ed Vanwinkle reflects on his over 20 years of service at the Gainesville Police Department in Florida, where he retired as captain. His diverse roles included aviation, narcotics, detectives, patrol, S.W.A.T., and training.

He served as the Narcotics Unit commander, S.W.A.T. commander, and unit commander of the Joint Aviation Unit with the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.

After retiring, Ed spent nine years as the law enforcement sales manager at Airbus Helicopters and is now the vice president of law enforcement and OEM projects for CNC Technologies. He is also an active commercial helicopter pilot, flight instructor (CFII), and fixed-wing pilot.

This conversation also delves into the advancements in aviation technology, particularly focusing on the integration of CNC live systems and the bi-directional flow of information that enhances operational efficiency for air crews.

This is an important episode for anyone in public safety aviation, but especially for those in a position seeking funding solutions to purchase new aircraft or mission equipment.

Thank you to our sponsors, CNC Technologies, Vertical Valor and Vertical MRO.