The Vertical MRO Podcast

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

For this episode of Vertical MRO, hosts Ronnie Ries and Faith Ortega sit down with aviation leader Ray Bennett for a conversation about the people, values, and experiences that shape safety in aviation.
Drawing from a career that spans operators, maintenance organizations, manufacturers, and industry leadership roles, Ray reflects on the lessons learned throughout his journey and the importance of integrity, accountability, and engineering rigor in aviation maintenance.
The discussion explores how strong safety cultures are built, why leadership matters, and the role every technician, engineer, and manager plays in creating an environment where concerns can be raised and lessons can be shared. Along the way, Ray shares stories from the field that illustrate how small decisions can have lasting impacts on both safety and organizational culture.
Part I focuses on the foundations of aviation safety and the leadership principles that help organizations build trust, resilience, and operational excellence.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsors, Alipine Aerotech and Precision Aviation Group

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 Vertical MRO Alerts, presented by Bell!

In this Alert, Bell 429 Product Support Engineering Lead Sebastien Rousseau discusses Alert Service Bulletin 429-26-74, which introduces a one-time inspection of certain Bell 429 main rotor mast assemblies for machining marks on the inner diameter.

Sebastien explains Bell's investigation that these machining marks can affect mast fatigue life, and the required actions based on the mast's accumulated hours. He also reviews the compliance timelines, inspection requirements, and the latest updates included in Revision A, including mandatory borescope use and a simplified inspection procedure that reduces the maintenance required to accomplish the bulletin.

Maintainers who have questions or are uncertain about their inspection findings are encouraged to contact Bell Product Support for assistance.

For full details and compliance requirements, operators should always refer directly to Alert Service Bulletin 429-26-74.

The full library of episodes is available to listen to on demand.
We want to hear from you! – techtalk@bellflight.com
Need help with your Bell helicopter? – productsupport@bellflight.com

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

In Part II of their conversation, Jon Gray, Howie, and Reinaldo Caceres of Nabu Pro shift their focus to one of aviation maintenance's biggest long-term challenges: preserving knowledge before it leaves the industry.
As experienced maintainers retire, decades of troubleshooting experience, operational lessons, and hard-earned insights risk disappearing with them. The discussion explores how AI and modern knowledge management tools could help capture and organize that expertise, making it accessible to future generations of technicians and operators.
Drawing on real-world examples from the maintenance community, the conversation examines the value of institutional knowledge, the importance of mentorship, and the opportunities technology presents to bridge the gap between experienced maintainers and those just entering the industry.
Part II offers a thoughtful look at how aviation can use technology to preserve expertise, support workforce development, and strengthen maintenance organizations for the future.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsors, Alpine Aerotech and Precision Aviation Group

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 Part II of their conversation, Jon Gray, Howie, and Reinaldo Caceres of Nabu Pro shift their focus to one of aviation maintenance's biggest long-term challenges: preserving knowledge before it leaves the industry.
As experienced maintainers retire, decades of troubleshooting experience, operational lessons, and hard-earned insights risk disappearing with them. The discussion explores how AI and modern knowledge management tools could help capture and organize that expertise, making it accessible to future generations of technicians and operators.
Drawing on real-world examples from the maintenance community, the conversation examines the value of institutional knowledge, the importance of mentorship, and the opportunities technology presents to bridge the gap between experienced maintainers and those just entering the industry.
Part II offers a thoughtful look at how aviation can use technology to preserve expertise, support workforce development, and strengthen maintenance organizations for the future.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsors, Alpine Aerotech and Precision Aviation Group

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.

For this episode of Vertical MRO, host Jon Gray and co-host Howie sit down with Reinaldo Caceres, founder and CEO of Nabu Pro, to explore how artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape aviation operations and maintenance.
A commercial pilot turned technology entrepreneur, Reinaldo shares the journey that led him from the cockpit into software development and explains why he believes AI has the potential to become one of the most impactful tools available to aviation professionals.
The conversation focuses on practical applications rather than hype. Jon, Howie, and Reinaldo discuss how AI can help maintenance and operations teams work more efficiently, reduce administrative burdens, analyze information faster, and support better decision-making without replacing the expertise and judgment of experienced professionals.
Part I explores where AI is already delivering value today and how aviation organizations can begin leveraging these tools while maintaining the human oversight that remains critical to safe operations.

Special thanks to this episode's sponsors, Rotorcraft Support Inc, Alpine Aerotech and Airbus.

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!