About this episode
Welcome to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS and in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine . Listen closely for your chance to win awesome prizes from Heli Life! Throughout 2025, every episode of The Hangar Z Podcast will reveal a secret word. Once you catch it, head to contests.verticalhelicasts.com to enter! The Hangar Z Podcast has extensively talked about the two primary challenges facing public safety aviation: Politics, and funding. We have dedicated considerable time to discussing the political aspects of this equation. In this two-part series, host Jon Gray discusses the challenges and solutions related to funding aircraft and mission equipment for law enforcement agencies. Joined by experts Ed Van Winkle and D.C. Greer, the conversation delves into the intricacies of aircraft financing, the importance of education for new aviation leaders, and creative solutions for acquiring necessary equipment D.C. Greer is a senior vice president of Government Capital Corporation, a nationwide public finance company, headquartered in Southlake, Texas. With over 30 years in public finance, his efforts have been focused largely in the public safety sector. D.C. served three years in the U.S. Army and is a graduate of Northwestern State University, in Natchitoches, Louisiana. During our conversation, Ed Vanwinkle reflects on his over 20 years of service at the Gainesville Police Department in Florida, where he retired as captain. His diverse roles included aviation, narcotics, detectives, patrol, S.W.A.T., and training. He served as the Narcotics Unit commander, S.W.A.T. commander, and unit commander of the Joint Aviation Unit with the Alachua County Sheriff's Office. After retiring, Ed spent nine years as the law enforcement sales manager at Airbus Helicopters and is now the vice president of law enforcement and OEM projects for CNC Technologies. He is also an active commercial helicopter pilot, flight instructor (CFII), and fixed-wing pilot. This conversation also delves into the advancements in aviation technology, particularly focusing on the integration of CNC live systems and the bi-directional flow of information that enhances operational efficiency for air crews. This is an important episode for anyone in public safety aviation, but especially for those in a position seeking funding solutions to purchase new aircraft or mission equipment. Thank you to our sponsors, CNC Technologies , Vertical Valor and Vertical MRO .