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 Coptersafety, Metro Aviation and Precision Aviation Group.