Promote your company to the global vertical aviation industry through the VAI Member Spotlight, a free benefit for VAI member companies. Want to be featured? If you’re not already enjoying the many benefits our members receive, join VAI today! VAI Member Spotlight: The Real ResQ Podcast A former US Coast Guard swimmer shares rescue stories with hopes of improving the helicopter industry’s safety best practices. By Jen Boyer During his 12 years serving in the US Coast Guard, Jason “Quinny” Quinn was rescue swimmer #500, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal from the US military for two of his biggest rescues. After leaving the military, he began putting his lifesaving skills to work in the private sector, including directly conducting missions and helping set up response programs for other operators. One day, a friend told Quinn that he should start a podcast. If two guys telling rescue stories to each other was fascinating, they reasoned, how many other stories out there could make a difference simply because they were shared? Start of Something Big The Real ResQ Podcast launched in 2021. The first episode featured Quinn sharing the story of his first rescue, which took place in the frigid waters of Alaska’s Bering Sea during 60-kt. winds and 30-ft. waves. The podcast has dropped more than 225 episodes over the past four years, pulling back the curtain on remarkable rescues as well as behind-the-scenes preparations that made the operations successful. Quinn’s primary motivation is to capture and preserve the incredible stories of rescue professionals from around the world—highlighting their courage, innovation, and dedication to saving lives in the most challenging environments. “These are the stories of the people who risk their lives to save the lives of others,” Quinn says. “Yet, it has turned out to be much more than that.” Shared Knowledge In one episode, members of the Texas-based Travis County Shock Trauma Air Rescue (STAR) Flight team shared a tip about how they carry bags of ice in the helicopter to pour on heat stroke patients before wrapping them in a blanket. This helps reduce the patients’ core body temperature for transport. “Another agency in New Mexico heard that podcast and started doing the same thing, carrying ice,” Quinn says. “It’s all about the knowledge sharing. You know, so many of these stories go untold, or untold in a way where our industry can really learn about and from them. This is a way to tell those stories.” The podcast covers a wide range of rescue scenarios, from maritime operations and cliff hoists to large-animal recoveries and international emergency responses. It shares the details of the missions while also exploring the training and preparation behind, and lessons learned from, each rescue operation. Vertical HeliCASTS Family One of several industry podcasts available through the Vertical HeliCASTS family, The Real ResQ Podcast has performed in the top 10% of all podcasts, with between 1,200 and 3,000 downloads per week, not counting views on YouTube. Each episode varies in length from 40 to 180 minutes, with the episodes long enough to tell the full rescue story. Quinn edits and produces each episode with the goal of captivating, inspiring, and moving listeners. He also periodically collaborates with Vertical magazine and other aviation publications to create multimedia storytelling elements that expand on stories that appear in the podcast. He’s also developing documentary-style content on YouTube to provide a behind-the-scenes look at rescue training and preparation techniques. Jen Boyer is a journalist and marketing communicator specializing in aviation. She holds commercial, instrument, flight instructor, and instrument instructor ratings in helicopters and a private rating in airplanes.
