Flight Suit Friday

We're back for part two of our Seven Sounds Brewery episode! Enjoy the continuation of lifeling aviation stories from two of our greats, CAPT Wilson and CAPT (ret.) Palmeri. We plan to release shows on a bi-weekly basis. On Fridays of course! Hosts: LCDR Kenny Ingram, LCDR Sam Hafensteiner Producer/Creator: LT Ryan Vandehei Technical Director & Editor: Chuck Seay Disclaimer: The views, informa...

Sam and Kenny take a break from the ALC life to have a beer at Seven Sounds Brewery with CAPT Wilson and CAPT (ret.) Palmeri. Highly recommend a stop at the brewery when you're in the area. Get ready for some great stories from two fantastic CG aviators. In classic FSF fashion, we went a bit longer than expected, so be ready for part 2! We plan to release shows on a bi-weekly basis. On Fridays of...

Well, it turns out 60 aviators hate Taco Bell. It's ok, the FSF team feels differently. We're back at it visiting ALC. Buckle up as we dive into the world of rotary wing aviation at ALC this week! The 65 and 60 product lines (SRR and MRR apparently). Hopefully we're here to dispell rumors, learn a bit, and understand what actually happens behind the scenes. We plan to release shows on a bi-weekly...

The FSF team hit the road again, this time to visit the Aviation Logistics Center. For many operatiors it is a mythical place that churns out aircraft. We pull the curtain back and get an up-close view of how they make it all happen. This multi-part series will include guests from all facets of ALC, as well as phenomenal story sessions. First up we will be focusing on the Fixed Wing side of the ho...

Sam can't have onwings anymore, Cape Cod SAR lights up again, and some ALC aircrew shoutouts in the show today. Join us as we speak with LCDR Zablotny (again), AST1 Bizork and AMT2 Schumaker about their harrowing offshore case rescuing the crew of the sailing vessel Calypso. Huge shout out to LCDR Reilly as the PIC on the flight as well!   We plan to release shows on a bi-weekly basis. On Fridays...

We are back with the all-time ALPAT stories from LT Neil Romans, and LT Jordan Long. Join us as we finish up our recap of their harrowing rescue! We plan to release shows on a bi-weekly basis. On Fridays of course! Hosts: LCDR Kenny Ingram, LCDR Sam Hafensteiner Producer/Creator: LT Ryan Vandehei Technical Director & Editor: Chuck Seay Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed...

Back with our HAI series! We promise to bring you ALPAT SAR part 2 shortly, but we wanted to close the loop on our trip to HAI headquarters. Sam and Kenny sit down with the CEO of HAI, Mr. Jim Viola Army Colonel (ret). Having flown most Army helicopters and commanded numerous soldiers in the field, Jim speaks about taking that leadership and safety mindset into the civilian world. The group discus...

We are taking a break from our HAI series with a case that we've been wanting to share for a while now. Xtra Tuffs, the beauty of Alaska, and SAR, all in this episode. LT Neil Romans, and LT Jordan Long join us to recap their harrowing rescue. Back in the sea-story game, if you have any great rescues or shout-outs please send them our way! We plan to release shows on a bi-weekly basis. On Fridays...

We are back with part two of our HAI visit! Sam and Kenny discuss HITRON and the RWAI mission with Chris as well as CRM and Risk Management differences between Military and Civilian aviation. Also, we have a special guest with Shakes coming back for more! He may or may not have tested the floats capabilities on the 65. We snagged him while he was down at ATC to get the full story. Enjoy! We plan t...

Welcome to our first crossover episode! The next few shows will be released in a series of video clips on the HAI website as we sent Sam and Kenny to Washington DC to speak with members of Helicopter Association International. The goal of this series is to better understand the civilian aviation world, get a feel for jobs/opportunities that exist outside of the organization, and ultimately allow b...

We know part one of our CDR Barres episode ended a bit abruptly, we wanted to save the next part as a stand-alone show. We get real on a discussion about our culutre. We as operators have a significant say in our culture, both safety, training, and morale. We operators own it, and on the show we hope we have helped in keeping that fire alive for all of you. Enjoy part 2 with CDR Kevin Barres! We p...

He's trained a significant portion of the fleet, influenced numerous aviation policies and traditions, and has mentored countless aviators. CDR Kevin Barres has seen and done an extraordinary amount in the world of CG aviation, all while flying the MH-65. This two-part series will dive into stories, advice, MOI and other words of wisdom from one of our communities finest. Enjoy! We plan to release...

We have some very special guests this week discussing total crew coordination, the future of flight mechanics as well as awesome Cape Cod SAR. ATC Smith and AET2 Champagne discuss the importance of aircrew CRM as well as the 65 to 60 FM transition. LT Zablotny jumps in with some great sar as well! We also want to speak to those suffering from mental health in our community. Please don't hesitate t...

We have a special episode coming to you today with LCDR Mike Freeman. The team discusses the Echo Class A mishap of a confirmed fire on deck in which Mike was the PIC. We won't spend too much time here as the story tells itself! Suffice it to say that CRM, quick decision making, and the importance of Recognition Primed Decision (Ryan says that's worth a google search) making are of utmost importan...

Not often do we get to sit down and have candid conversations with our aviation senior leadership. In this episode, we were honored to talk with the Coast Guard's 26th Ancient Albatross, (or some might say Air Lord now!) RADM Melvin W. Bouboulis. As the current District 13 Commander and the Coast Guard's most senior aviator, RADM Bouboulis dives into aviation stories throughout his storied career,...

From harrowing SAR to near misses, CAPT Bruce Jones (ret.) has some epic stories to tell in this episode. As the current Mayor of Astoria, past CO of AIRSTA Nola and Astoria, his exciting career makes for one of our most engaging shows yet. We were fortunate enough to have a beer with him up in Astoria and capture it all on tape. Thank you Mayor Jones for allowing us to steal the title of this sho...

Free form episode this week, reminiscent of those times hanging out after an off site pilots meeting. Sam, Kenny, and Ryan begin by discussing recent goings on as well as the Forbes article about the MH-65. We then decide to call our friends in staff tours to remind ourselves how much we appreciate our jobs. Ryan also eloquently describes new-dad life and isn't tired at all. We plan to release sho...

We're back with another episode highlighting opportunities to continue the passion of flying after the Coast Guard. Lessons learned, CRM and RM differences between civillian flying and our operations as well as some fantastic stories are in this show! LCDR Bruce Kimmell (ret.) joins us to chat about flying the civilian version of the MH-65, as well as MOI and stories about Kenny and Sam back in th...

As we hit 24K total listens, we are bringing another extroadinary case to you today! If you haven't seen the videos yet, you'll be sure to look it up after hearing first hand about this case. At the end of 2021 this Air Sation Detroit crew recieved the call that a car had been crashed into the Niagara River. With SVFR, freezing levels, swift water, and the pressure of such a unique case to contend...

As promised, here is part two of our CDR Scott Sanborn (ret.) episode! This week we dive into what exactly "Aggressive-Safe Training" is and where on the spectrum we may fall at various times in our career. We believe in pushing the envelope, but need to be cognizant of the ways in which we do so. Sometimes that doesn't always go as planned. Enjoy! We plan to release shows on a bi-weekly basis. On...

We are joined this episode by a very special and previous guest! CDR Scot Sanborn (ret.) joins us to look back on his very special career, provide advice in hindsight, and discuss the opportunities he faces outside of the organization. This was such a worthwhile and lengthy discussion that we cut it into two pieces. Part two will be out in a couple weeks as we dive further into "what is aggressive...

We hope holiday routine has been a moment of rest for you all! We close out this year with our first guest from outside of CG Aviation. The CEO of Priority 1 Air Rescue, Brad Matheson, joins us to talk shop and nerd out on aviation for a while. We met Brad when he conducted the swift water training for us at a dam release in Montgomery. As a SAR/MEDEVAC instructor and operator traveling all over t...

This one is a long one, but when you put 4 friends, nerds, and a few beers in front of a mic this is what you get! We dive into the life and mindset of a couple 60 pilots while hitting many different and unexpected topics. Enjoy this one in parts if you must, hopefully it'll pass the time on your holiday routine travels or duty days. LCDR Jane Pena and LCDR Kyle Bertoluzzi (common spelling) are th...

Welcome back to a continuation of the AHRS fireside chats! This episode features two of our very best from the Rescue Swimmer Community. Senior Chief Brian Kirkendall and AST1 Rob Simpson join us for some special insight into and stories from, the RS community. Don't worry, we ask all about Kevin Costner and ice baths. We also dig into the future of the AST rate and get some fantastic advice from...

The AHRS season is upon us! Today we have 3 AHRS instructors as guests! That means we get some awesome 60 SAR cases, Pacific Northwest SAR in the 65, and great tips and tricks from pilots that have been in the game for a while now. LCDR Kevin Riley, LCDR Will Sirokman, and LCDR Derek Schramel (repeat guest!) join us in thee first of this session's AHRS fireside chats! We plan to release shows on a...