Welcome back to the Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Valor Plus. Today, we are truly honored to be joined by Michael J. Durant—retired Chief Warrant Officer 4, Night Stalker, and MH-60 Black Hawk pilot—whose story is one of extraordinary courage, resilience, and unwavering determination. In this episode, Mike takes us all the way back to his very first flight in a helicopter—the moment that sparked a passion and set the course for a remarkable career. Although he initially entered the U.S. Army as an intelligence officer, he never lost sight of his goal of becoming a pilot. He walks us through his journey into Army Aviation, including his time flying medical evacuation missions in South Korea and later serving with the 101st Aviation Battalion in Kentucky. From there, we dive into his selection into the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, where he deployed on high-risk missions as part of one of the most capable aviation units in the world. Mike then shares the harrowing details of Oct. 3, 1993, when his Black Hawk was shot down over Mogadishu, Somalia. He recounts the heroic actions of Delta snipers Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart, whose sacrifice helped keep him alive, as well as his own fight for survival through severe injuries and 11 days of captivity. We also explore the mindset that carried him through—how his training, mental toughness, faith, and personal philosophy, shaped his ability to endure and overcome one of the most intense combat survival stories in modern history. Mike’s story is one of skill, courage, resolve, gratitude, and perseverance—these are episodes you will not want to miss. Thank you to all our followers and our incredible sponsors for making conversations like this possible. Thank you to our sponsors Metro Aviation, Onboard Systems Hoist & Winch and Precision Aviation Group.
