Episode 331 - High-Flying Guardians: The Evolution of Fort Worth's Air Support Part 2

Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.In these episodes, Hangar Z hosts Jack Schonely and Jon Gray are joined by pilot Scott Hines and tactical flight officer (TFO) Alex Marti from the Fort Worth Police Department’s Aviation Unit. Scott brings a deep aviation background as an U.S. Army aviator who flew the Bell OH-58D Kiowa, completing two combat tours in Iraq, before later transitioning to Black Hawks with the National Guard and flying medevac for Air Methods. That experience ultimately led him to Fort Worth PD. Alex is also an Army veteran who joined Fort Worth PD and worked his way into aviation, first serving as a reserve TFO before earning a full-time position in the unit. Together, we dig into changing the culture within an aviation unit, the challenges and wins of developing and formalizing a TFO program, operating the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, and share impactful experiences flying over Fort Worth. Along the way, we also take a deep dive into the OH-58D Kiowa, its capabilities, and why it left such a lasting impression on those who flew it.Please take a moment to like and subscribe to the Hangar Z Podcast. We appreciate your support.Thank you to our sponsors Robinson Helicopter, Summit Aviation and Technisonic Industries Limited.