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!

In this two-part series, Jack Schonely and Jon Gray are on location inside the hanger of the Burbank Glendale Joint Air Support Unit.

Pilot Pat Hamblin from the Glendale Police Department and Pilot Steve Conaway from the Burbank Police Department provide insight into inner workings of this unique unit.

Both of our guests have very interesting journeys into law enforcement and aviation. We discuss, training, the benefits of a combined unit, airspace, cooperation with other surrounding air units, and the delivery of a brand-new Airbus H125 later this year.

The background soundtrack is brought to you by Southwest Airlines departing Runway 15 at the Bob Hope Burbank Airport. We really enjoy these hangar podcasts.

Special thanks to Massif Flight Suits for the support.

Thanks you to our sponsors Metro Aviation, Robinson Helicopter and Quantum Helicopters.

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!

In this two-part series, Jack Schonely and Jon Gray are on location inside the hanger of the Burbank Glendale Joint Air Support Unit.

Pilot Pat Hamblin from the Glendale Police Department and Pilot Steve Conaway from the Burbank Police Department provide insight into inner workings of this unique unit.

Both of our guests have very interesting journeys into law enforcement and aviation. We discuss, training, the benefits of a combined unit, airspace, cooperation with other surrounding air units, and the delivery of a brand-new Airbus H125 later this year.

The background soundtrack is brought to you by Southwest Airlines departing Runway 15 at the Bob Hope Burbank Airport. We really enjoy these hangar podcasts.

Special thanks to Massif Flight Suits for the support.

Thanks you to our sponsors Night Flight Concepts, Canyon AeroConnect and Trakka Systems.

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!

This inaugural three-part series of the Hangar Z Podcast was recorded on location at the Phoenix Police Department’s Aviation Unit at Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, as part of the 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour. This year, our journey will take us to four agencies across four states, showcasing their exceptional work through print, video, and right here on the podcast.

Events like this tour wouldn’t be possible without incredible support. A special thank you to Airbus and Massif Flight Suits — your support made the 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour a reality.

The Phoenix Police Department’s Air Support Unit has a unique structure comprising of two distinctive details: Fixed wing and rotorcraft. We were fortunate to sit down with a representative from each detail to get a comprehensive look at the entire operation.

Today’s guests are Glenn Ellefritz, Chief Pilot for fixed wing operations and Scott Hopkins, Instructor Pilot for rotorcraft.

As you might guess from this being a three-part series, you can expect a deep dive into a wide range of topics including Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) selection and training, pilot development, the recent addition of a second Pilatus PC-12, and the challenges of recruitment and retention. You’ll also hear about the fascinating career paths of both guests.

Stay tuned as we explore the Phoenix Air Support Unit’s guiding philosophy of “Culture over Technology.”

For more about our visit to Phoenix PD Air Support, be sure to check out the Brent Bundy articles in the Vertical Valor ASPCON edition and then watch the incredible videos by Lloyd Horgan on the Vertical Magazine YouTube channel.

Thank you to our sponsors Dallas Avionics, Robinson Helicopter and Summit Aviation.