From Alaska Flying to Aviation Safety Leadership | Mike Kunkel - Part II - Ep: 106

Welcome to the Vertical MRO Podcast, brought to you by HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Plus.In Part II of this conversation, Ronnie continues the discussion with Mike Kunkel of PG&E on the realities of building and sustaining a just culture in aviation operations.The episode focuses on the challenges organizations face when trying to move from compliance-driven safety programs toward environments built on trust, accountability, and open communication. Mike shares lessons learned from aviation safety management, including common leadership mistakes that can discourage reporting and weaken safety culture over time.The conversation also explores the importance of feedback loops, workforce engagement, and creating systems that encourage continuous learning instead of blame.For aviation professionals across maintenance and operations, this episode provides practical insight into the human side of safety and the long-term work required to build resilient teams.Special thanks to this episode's sponsors, Rotorcraft Support Inc 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!