Valor Flight Crew
Produced in partnership with ECHO (Every Coast Helicopter Operations), the Valor Flight Crew Podcast promotes the personnel and life-saving equipment behind helicopter air ambulance services.
Join hosts Mike Fadale and Blake Shrider for in-depth interviews and expert insights from air medical personnel, pilots, communication specialists, and maintenance crews who play critical roles in airborne emergency response.
Both members of the ECHO team, Mike and Blake, have diverse backgrounds in public safety aviation and leadership, allowing them to bring unique perspectives and expertise to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast.
Valor Flight Crew
Episode 41 - Inside Safety Culture: Trust, Voice, and Vulnerability Part 1
Welcome back to the Valor Flight Crew Podcast, hosted by ECHO and brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and Vertical Valor magazine.
In today’s episode, we sit down with researcher and industry expert Russell Griffin for an honest and eye-opening conversation about what truly drives safety culture.
Together, we unpack the human side of aviation safety—exploring how communication, trust, and vulnerability influence the decisions crews make under pressure. Russell shares his personal journey and groundbreaking research on crew dynamics, leadership, and the powerful role of “safety voice” in keeping teams aligned and patients safe.
From the realities of high-stress environments to the impact of organizational structures on well-being, this episode sheds light on the internal and external pressures that shape situational awareness and performance in critical moments. It’s a conversation about leadership, accountability, and recognizing the good—because building a positive safety culture isn’t just policy … it’s people.
Buckle up. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.
Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, Metro Aviation and Spectrum Aeromed.