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

In this episode, hosts Mike Fadale and Blake Shrider sit down with Jody Gregory, ECHO president, and Joe Zarek, ECHO vice-president, to discuss the many intricacies of this community-driven organization dedicated to supporting all aspects of public safety aviation.

Together, they dive deep into ECHO’s origin story, the values that drive its mission, and the programs making a real difference—from mental health and peer support to safety initiatives, networking, and education. You’ll hear about the Future Flight Crew program, the integration of the Education Committee, and what’s on the horizon for ECHO, including upcoming conferences, and new directions in law enforcement and military aviation.

So, whether you're a seasoned ECHO member, new to the organization, or just thinking about joining, this episode is packed with insight, inspiration, and dedication, and is sure to give you an insider's perspective into an organization that's lifting each other up—literally and figuratively.

There’s an AIRMET for turbulence, because the ECHO is definitely getting louder! So, buckle up and enjoy this engaging conversation with some of the ECHO leadership team.

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Spectrum Aeromed and Technisonic.

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

Welcome back to another episode of the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, where we dive into the people, partnerships, and behind the scenes work that keep our helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) operations running.

Today, we're talking about a part of the mission that doesn't always get the spotlight, but absolutely deserves it. In this episode, titled “Maintaining the Mission,” we are joined by Faith Ortega, an ANP mechanic with vast experience across general aviation and transitioning now into EMS aviation.

Faith brings a unique perspective on what it takes to keep aircraft safe, mission ready, and in the air, especially in high pressure environments where time matters to our patients. We'll get into everything from preventative maintenance and emergency repairs to the communication dynamics between mechanics, pilots, and med crews. Faith also shares what it's like to teach mechanics transitioning from the military to civilian aviation, also mentoring this next generation of maintainers and how evolving technology is shaping the future of this field.

Whether you're in the air, on the ground, or somewhere in between, this episode is for anyone who knows that every mission starts with an aircraft that is well maintained. So, let's dive in.

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus and Metro Aviation.

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

Welcome back to another episode of the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, where we dive into the people, partnerships, and behind the scenes work that keep our helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) operations running.

Today, we're talking about a part of the mission that doesn't always get the spotlight, but absolutely deserves it. In this episode, titled “Maintaining the Mission,” we are joined by Faith Ortega, an ANP mechanic with vast experience across general aviation and transitioning now into EMS aviation.

Faith brings a unique perspective on what it takes to keep aircraft safe, mission ready, and in the air, especially in high pressure environments where time matters to our patients. We'll get into everything from preventative maintenance and emergency repairs to the communication dynamics between mechanics, pilots, and med crews. Faith also shares what it's like to teach mechanics transitioning from the military to civilian aviation, also mentoring this next generation of maintainers and how evolving technology is shaping the future of this field.

Whether you're in the air, on the ground, or somewhere in between, this episode is for anyone who knows that every mission starts with an aircraft that is well maintained. So, let's dive in.

Thank you to our sponsors Airbus and Precision Aviation Group.