The Vertical MRO Podcast

This special crossover episode of the Vertical MRO Podcast comes from our sister show, The Helicopter Podcast, bringing an operator-focused conversation directly to the maintenance community.

Recorded at VERTICON 2026, The Helicopter Podcast host Halsey Schider sits down with Joe LaRue of Prairie Air to discuss his path through aviation and the role quality maintenance has played in building a business focused on Robinson helicopter operations and support.

Joe shares why good maintenance goes beyond keeping an aircraft serviceable. The conversation explores record-keeping, long-term aircraft support, and how the quality of work performed throughout a helicopter's life can directly affect safety, reliability and aircraft value.

Joe and Halsey also look at one of the industry's biggest challenges: developing the next generation of pilots and maintainers. Joe discusses Prairie Air's work with local schools and community programs, why exposing young people to aviation matters, and what the industry can do to create clearer pathways into these careers.

The conversation rounds out with a look toward emerging technologies, including autonomous aircraft, and where new tools may fit alongside the people and skills that keep today's helicopter industry moving.

Originally recorded for The Helicopter Podcast, we're sharing this conversation with the Vertical MRO audience because Joe's perspective on maintenance, workforce development and long-term aircraft support is equally at home in the MRO community.

Thank you to this episode's sponsors, Robinson Helicopter, Precision Aviation Group and Airbus

Welcome to another episode of Vertical MRO Tech Talk presented by Bell.

In this episode of Bell Tech Talk, Vertical MRO's David Kreutzkamp is joined by Bell customer support engineers Eric Parent and Jason Estaphan for a deep dive into common Bell 505 maintenance questions coming from the field.
Eric and Jason share practical guidance on servicing the Bell 505 live mount system, hydraulic pump drive shaft and NR pickup troubleshooting, differences maintainers should know between the Garmin G1000 NXi and earlier systems, and techniques for more efficient rotor track and balance.
Along the way, they highlight procedural updates, common troubleshooting considerations, and lessons from Bell's field support teams that can help maintainers diagnose problems and keep the 505 performing as designed.

We want to hear from you! – techtalk@bellflight.com
Need help with your Bell helicopter? Email us at productsupport@bellflight.com
or visit https://www.bellflight.com/support/commercial.

This special crossover episode of the Vertical MRO Podcast comes from our sister show, The Helicopter Podcast, bringing an operator-focused conversation directly to the maintenance community.
Recorded at VERTICON 2026, The Helicopter Podcast host Halsey Schider sits down with Joe LaRue of Prairie Air to discuss his path through aviation and the role quality maintenance has played in building a business focused on Robinson helicopter operations and support.
Joe shares why good maintenance goes beyond keeping an aircraft serviceable. The conversation explores record-keeping, long-term aircraft support, and how the quality of work performed throughout a helicopter's life can directly affect safety, reliability and aircraft value.
Joe and Halsey also look at one of the industry's biggest challenges: developing the next generation of pilots and maintainers. Joe discusses Prairie Air's work with local schools and community programs, why exposing young people to aviation matters, and what the industry can do to create clearer pathways into these careers.
The conversation rounds out with a look toward emerging technologies, including autonomous aircraft, and where new tools may fit alongside the people and skills that keep today's helicopter industry moving.
Originally recorded for The Helicopter Podcast, we're sharing this conversation with the Vertical MRO audience because Joe's perspective on maintenance, workforce development and long-term aircraft support is equally at home in the MRO community.

Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Robinson Helicopter, Precision Aviation Group, Airbus.

Welcome to the Vertical MRO Podcast, brought to you by HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Plus.

In this episode of Vertical MRO, hosts David Kreutzkamp and Scott Hayward are joined by Anneke Tucker of Attain Aviation for a conversation about human factors, leadership, mentorship, and building stronger maintenance organizations.
Anneke shares her unconventional path into aviation, from serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and working on CH-53 helicopters to a career spanning aircraft maintenance, quality systems, and aviation consulting. That experience provides the foundation for a broader discussion about why human factors go well beyond simply recognizing the Dirty Dozen.
Together, Anneke, Scott, and David explore the role leadership and organizational culture play in reducing human factors risks, the value of mentorship and knowledge transfer, and the challenge of preserving decades of experience as senior maintainers leave the workforce.
The conversation also looks ahead to the next generation, including why the industry needs to introduce young people to maintenance careers earlier and provide meaningful hands-on opportunities that show them what working in aviation can actually look like.
Anneke will continue the conversation as a speaker at the 2026 Vertical MRO Conference, bringing practical lessons in human factors directly to the maintenance community.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsors, Alpine Aerotech and Metro Aviation.

Also, be sure to check out Vertical MRO's Instagram channel for even more awesome content highlighting the awesome work being done to keep the rotorcraft community flying!

Welcome to the Vertical MRO Podcast, brought to you by HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Plus.

In this episode of Vertical MRO, hosts David Kreutzkamp and Scott Hayward are joined by Anneke Tucker of Attain Aviation for a conversation about human factors, leadership, mentorship, and building stronger maintenance organizations.
Anneke shares her unconventional path into aviation, from serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and working on CH-53 helicopters to a career spanning aircraft maintenance, quality systems, and aviation consulting. That experience provides the foundation for a broader discussion about why human factors go well beyond simply recognizing the Dirty Dozen.
Together, Anneke, Scott, and David explore the role leadership and organizational culture play in reducing human factors risks, the value of mentorship and knowledge transfer, and the challenge of preserving decades of experience as senior maintainers leave the workforce.
The conversation also looks ahead to the next generation, including why the industry needs to introduce young people to maintenance careers earlier and provide meaningful hands-on opportunities that show them what working in aviation can actually look like.
Anneke will continue the conversation as a speaker at the 2026 Vertical MRO Conference, bringing practical lessons in human factors directly to the maintenance community.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsors,
Part 1 - Precision Aviation Group and Rotorcraft Support, Inc.
Part 2- Alpine Aerotech and Metro Aviation

Also, be sure to check out Vertical MRO's Instagram channel for even more awesome content highlighting the awesome work being done to keep the rotorcraft community flying!