🎙️ Helicopter Pilot/Reporter Larry Welk Files a New Flight Path 🚁

Send us Fan Mail🎧 Larry Welk: Veteran helicopter reporter, aviation entrepreneur, and grandson of television legend Lawrence Welk🚁 Episode SummaryIf you’ve ever watched a police pursuit in Los Angeles, chances are you’ve heard Larry Welk’s voice from above. Larry was in the helicopter for the very first televised police pursuit in L.A. history in 1992 and he’s been part of nearly every major aerial story since.In this episode, Jason Ball catches up with Larry to talk about his remarkable journey from aviation student to pioneering TV news pilot, and how he helped shape an entire genre of live reporting from the skies. The two revisit iconic moments from the O.J. Simpson chase to the JetBlue landing gear emergency and discuss how those experiences changed the way television covered breaking news.Larry also opens up about the crash that killed Kobe Bryant, explaining the phenomenon of spatial disorientation and the evolution of flight safety since. He reflects on how technology has transformed helicopter reporting from microwave feeds to Starlink satellite systems and what the future holds for airborne news coverage.And in a more personal turn, Larry shares stories about his famous grandfather, Lawrence Welk, and what it was like growing up in a household tied to one of America’s most beloved entertainment families. He also talks about pivoting from news to running a power-line construction helicopter company and his surprising next dream: opening a comedy club.✈️ HighlightsThe first-ever televised police pursuit and how it changed breaking news foreverCovering the O.J. Simpson “white Bronco” chase from the skyInside the JetBlue emergency landing that captivated the nationSpatial disorientation and the lessons learned from the Kobe Bryant crashFrom microwave to Starlink: how technology reshaped helicopter journalismGrowing up a Welk — life in the shadow of a showbiz iconBuilding a business empire in aviation after leaving the newsLarry’s next act: dreaming up a comedy club for California’s westside comics🗣️ Key Quote“We were there to cover someone’s worst day—and you had to remember that every time you went up.” — Larry Welk🔗 ConnectFollow Jason Ball and Life After News for more conversations with the people who made the news—and what they’re doing now.📺 Next Episode: Fernando Hurtado on leaving NBC and Telemundo to redefine how U.S. Latino stories are told.  Let Life After News inspire your next chapter. Because leaving the news doesn’t mean the story’s over—it means a new one’s just beginning.