Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine.

Today, we sit down with the team from Carilion Life-Guard for a groundbreaking conversation about one of the most forward-leaning safety initiatives in the industry: Their incapacitated pilot program.

In this episode, we explore how this effort came to life—its origins, its challenges, and the meticulous procedures designed to protect crews when seconds matter. The Carilion team walks us through the training, communication strategies, and human factors that drive their approach, as well as the technological integrations that enhance situational awareness and safety in the cockpit.

You’ll hear candid insights about overcoming resistance, strengthening crew resource management (CRM), and shaping protocols that crews can trust in high-stress environments. From checklist discipline to crew camaraderie, this conversation underscores the shared responsibility we all carry when it comes to safety.

And as we look ahead, the team shares an exciting vision for the future—where emerging technologies and increased automation may one day transform how we respond when a pilot becomes incapacitated.

So strap in as this forward-thinking episode blends innovation, teamwork, and mission-focused readiness at every level. Let’s get into it.

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Metro Aviation and Precision Aviation Group.

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine.

In today’s episode, we sit down with researcher and industry expert Russell Griffin for an honest and eye-opening conversation about what truly drives safety culture.

Together, we unpack the human side of aviation safety—exploring how communication, trust, and vulnerability influence the decisions crews make under pressure. Russell shares his personal journey and groundbreaking research on crew dynamics, leadership, and the powerful role of “safety voice” in keeping teams aligned and patients safe.

From the realities of high-stress environments to the impact of organizational structures on well-being, this episode sheds light on the internal and external pressures that shape situational awareness and performance in critical moments. It’s a conversation about leadership, accountability, and recognizing the good—because building a positive safety culture isn’t just policy … it’s people.

Buckle up. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Thank you to our sponsors Coptersafety, Precision Aviation Group, and Spectrum Aeromed.

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine.

In today’s episode, we sit down with researcher and industry expert Russell Griffin for an honest and eye-opening conversation about what truly drives safety culture.

Together, we unpack the human side of aviation safety—exploring how communication, trust, and vulnerability influence the decisions crews make under pressure. Russell shares his personal journey and groundbreaking research on crew dynamics, leadership, and the powerful role of “safety voice” in keeping teams aligned and patients safe.

From the realities of high-stress environments to the impact of organizational structures on well-being, this episode sheds light on the internal and external pressures that shape situational awareness and performance in critical moments. It’s a conversation about leadership, accountability, and recognizing the good—because building a positive safety culture isn’t just policy … it’s people.

Buckle up. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Metro Aviation and Spectrum Aeromed.

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical Helicasts and Vertical Valor Magazine.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dave Weber, who opened the 2025 ECHO Conference with a powerful keynote on leadership and teamwork. We take a deeper look into his five core principles for building stronger teams — take ownership, lose your ego, keep it simple, stay focused, and empower your team.

Dave reminds us that true leadership isn’t about titles or rank — it’s about trust, humility, and giving your people a voice. Whether you’re leading a flight crew, maintenance crew, a communications team, or a clinical operation, this conversation is packed with real, actionable takeaways you can put into practice today.

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Precision Aviation Group and Coptersafety..

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical Helicasts and Vertical Valor Magazine.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dave Weber, who opened the 2025 ECHO Conference with a powerful keynote on leadership and teamwork. We take a deeper look into his five core principles for building stronger teams — take ownership, lose your ego, keep it simple, stay focused, and empower your team.

Dave reminds us that true leadership isn’t about titles or rank — it’s about trust, humility, and giving your people a voice. Whether you’re leading a flight crew, maintenance crew, a communications team, or a clinical operation, this conversation is packed with real, actionable takeaways you can put into practice today.

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Precision Aviation Group and Night Flight Concepts.

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine.

In this episode, we explore another non-traditional helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) program with an inside look at JEMSTAR in New Jersey.

This unique program isn’t just any medevac team—these crews blend law enforcement precision with life-saving medical expertise to answer some of the state’s most critical calls.

From high-stakes missions and cutting-edge aircraft operations to the teamwork and innovation that keep every patient safe, today’s conversation gives you an all-access pass to the stories, strategies, and people behind public safety aviation in New Jersey.

So buckle up as we explore how JEMSTAR’s mission is serving and protecting in more ways than one!

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Metro Aviation and Precision Aviation Group.

Welcome to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor Magazine.

In this live episode from the ECHO Louisville 2025 conference, we sit down with US Army pilot and ECHO Safety Team member Sean Gavin from the New York Air National Guard.

Together, we explore the art of briefing and debriefing — what makes them effective, how humility drives accountability, and why learning from every mission, win or loss, matters. There are so many lessons to be learned from each mission and it is important to have open and honest conversations about each flight. Being able to highlight the good, bad or indifferent can help flight crews continue to grow and create a safer environment.

From military precision to civilian application, this episode dives into communication, culture, and the leadership mindset that keeps aircrews safe and growing.

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Metro Aviation and Night Flight Concepts.

Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine.

In this episode, we sit down with Jack Schonely, co-host of The Hangar Z Podcast and respected voice in aviation and public safety, to explore one of the most vital aspects of our profession: Risk management.

Together, we dive deep into the human factors that shape decision-making, the balance between leadership and ego, and the importance of a culture where every crew member feels empowered to speak up. Through personal stories and hard-earned lessons from Jack’s extensive law enforcement aviation career, this conversation uncovers the difference between simply managing risk—and truly understanding it.

From accountability and communication to the continuous pursuit of improvement, this episode challenges us all to rethink what it means to fly safely, lead effectively, and to go beyond the FRAT.

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Night Flight Concepts and Precision Aviation Group.