The Aerial Watchmen: A Peek into the Orange County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit

Episode Description

Welcome to episode 92 of The Hangar Z Podcast Brought to you by Vertical Valor Magazine.

We made it into Orlando a bit early for APSCON 2023 so we could swing by and talk to Sergeant Shawn McCook and Chief Tactical Flight Deputy Jason Sams from the Orange County Sheriff's Department. We had the opportunity to record on location at their hangar in Orlando, Florida which was really nice. 

McCook and Sams share their personal journeys into public safety aviation. They talk about the role of the Orlando Police Department in their staffing strategy and the positive impact they make on the community.

 We’ll delve into the crucial aspects of drone integration with aviation programs, the challenges brought about by Florida's weather, and the process for technology upgrades in the aviation field. 

During the episode, McCook and Sams offer insights into the benefits of airplane surveillance and integration with their helicopter program. We also talk about what they have done to improve their TFO selection and training process.

Check out the article written by Jen Nevans with photos by Mike Reyno on the Orange County Sheriffs Office titled Future Ready. The article was just released in the APSCON 2023 Special Issue. 

I would like to thank our sponsors Metro Aviation SHOTOVER and CNC Technologies as well as our supporters on Patreon.