Hey everyone! We'll be taking a short pause in releasing episodes while we deal with some circumstances outside of our control. Rest assured we will be back up and running ASAP with the same great content you expect from us! Cheers!

What is it like to help save a life? What does it take to hoist a SARTech onto a ship in rough seas, at night, in a storm? Why is it so important to treat aviation like a team sport? Paul has flown search and rescue out of Goose Bay, Labrador and Greenwood, Nova Scotia. He has conducted many rescues and SAR missions, and has had to learn some tough lessons along the line. Now, he's learning to instruct helicopter pilots to get their wings at 3CFFTS in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. You can't...

What is it like to airdrop cargo into a Forward Operating Base in the middle of a firefight? How does it feel to find out you're going to an active warzone? What is it like to regularly be exposed to rocket attacks? What's it like to attend dozens of repatriation ceremonies? For Mike, all these things became part of normal life as he went through his 7 tours in Afghanistan. Mike has flown cargo all around the world, has instructed students (including me!) to get their wings in the RCAF, and...

What do the Advance and Safety Pilots do for the Snowbirds? What is the tryout process like? What does it feel like to eject, and how do you come back from the tragedy of losing a friend and teammate? Rich Macdougall has flown NORAD and air refueling missions around the globe as a Tanker Commander on the CC-130H Hercules. Later, after instructing on the CT-156 Harvard II, he decided to give his lifelong dream a shot and became a member of the Snowbirds.  However, during Op Inspiration in...

What was it like to deploy with the Canadian Helicopter Force Afghanistan (CHFA)? What is it like when your door gunners engage the enemy, or to be shot at while flying in a firefight? What do you do when your helicopter gets shot up and you still have to make it to a safe place to land?  Greg has been a Tac Hel instructor, and deployed early in his career to fight in Afghanistan with CHFA; flying nearly 600 combat hours in many sorties.  Greg will share his adventures and his struggles in...

Did you know the third Friday of every September is Military Family Appreciation Day? What is it like to be a spouse or partner with someone in the RCAF? What are the challenges? What are the things that make it great? What advice would a spouse give to a new pilot to help them have a successful family life? What is it like if your new husband deploys? What about when you have a newborn, or you're pregnant? We will explore all these challenges and more as we sit down with 4 spouses to hear...

This week on The Pilot Project Podcast, we’ll explore the events surrounding September 11 as viewed through the eyes of three air traffic controllers who were on duty on or following that day. Each provides a unique perspective. What was it like for a Canadian military controller working in New York at the time? What about a civilian controller working in Gander, a town of 9000 that took on 6000 stranded passengers? How did an isolated NORAD detachment in Inuvik respond to the changing...

What does it feel like to instruct the next generation of RCAF pilots? What about flying on the Snowbirds? How can vulnerability lead to new learning opportunities? Blake has flown the CT-156 Harvard, the CT-155 Hawk, been an instructor at 2CFFTS, flew with the Snowbird demonstration team for several seasons and now recently completed his training on helicopters to go fly the CH-149 Cormorant. Blake will talk about his methods for succeeding and thriving while you’re in flight training, his...

What are the paths you can take to join the RCAF as a pilot? How much time will you have to serve? What are the eyesight requirements for a pilot? What can you do to make yourself an attractive applicant? Paul has flown the CP-140M Aurora and most recently been posted to Canadian Forces Recruiting Group in Borden, Ontario. There he became extremely well-versed in the ins and outs of recruiting; and gained a passion for helping applicants to succeed. Paul will talk about his advice for...

What does it take to land a helicopter on a pitching ship deck at night in bad weather? How do you come back from tragedy and the loss of good friends? Corey has flown the Cyclone around the world from the decks of Royal Canadian Naval ships. He also instructs the helicopter course at 3CFFTS in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.  Corey will talk about his experiences flying the Cyclone and his journey to recovery after the Stalker 22 crash. He’ll talk about why growth happens on those dark and...

What does it take to make it as a submarine hunter? What about as an instructor on the Harvard II at the Big 2 in Moose Jaw? Davis has seen it and done it around the world in the Aurora, and gone to many amazing places in the Harvard. After years of flying the Aurora, several tours overseas and instructing at Moose Jaw, Davis has transitioned to civilian life, but he has a ton of great stories and advice to help you thrive in adversity whether that be in flight training or life.  Hear about...

The RCAF has frozen the hiring process for direct entry officer (DEO) applicants. Why are they doing this? What does it mean? How long will it last? We'll sit down with Brigadier General John Alexander, commander of 2 Canadian Air Division to answer all these questions and more. John has flown several helicopters around the world including a stint flying the Puma with the RAF. He has deployed in many theatres and is now in command of 2 CAD which handles all training and education in the RCAF....

What is it like to fly Canada’s tactical airlift fleet? How about showing up as the fleet’s only female pilot (at the time)? How does it feel to land by an active volcano, or to explore the globe on one of Canada’s busiest fleets? After flying all around the world as well as instructing on the CC-130J Super Hercules, Skye has been there, done that, and thrived in the RCAF.  Skye will talk about why a stick of gum and a whole lot of knowledge can get you out of almost any situation.  She’ll...

What does it take to switch from a different trade to pilot, and what is the process? What does it feel like to be in flight training in the RCAF right NOW? After extensive experience as an Air Combat Systems Officer (ACSO) Scott decided to join the good guys and be a pilot. He just finished a shortened Phase I course and has began his training in Phase II. In this episode we check in with him to hear his experiences as an ACSO on the Alpha Jet, doing electronic warfare, and what it’s like to...

Imagine you are on a training flight and you get a call that there has been a crash. As Combat Support, you respond to the scene to find the worst - the pilot has not survived. After a long day of recovering remains and securing the crash, you find out the person who died was one of your best friends. What would you do? How do you recover? Vic will tell us about this experience firsthand. Vic was featured in our episode about Phase III Helicopter Training, and while that episode is not...

What happens if you have mental health issues as a pilot in the RCAF? What does it look like to navigate that system? Is there a large stigma against coming forward? For this special Mental Health Awareness Month episode, Bryan will sit in the guest seat and his wife Melissa will take a turn interviewing.  Bryan has flown around the world in the CP-140M Aurora, but the missions that left their mark indelibly ended up being in Iraq against ISIS.  Bryan will talk about his journey from good...

What is it like to fly Canada’s largest aircraft? What was it like to be part of the evacuation of Afghanistan? How can you make sure your failures become learning experiences instead of stumbling blocks? After flying all around the world in the C17 and now instructing on the Phase III multi-engine course at 3CFFTS, John knows what it takes to succeed as a pilot in the RCAF.  John talks about his adventures around the world in the C17, but he’ll also talk about why he believes it is critical...

What is it like to refuel a fighter over Iraq? What about going straight to one of the largest aircraft in the RCAF from a small twin engine turboprop?  How can chair flying change the way you train, and how do you do it properly? Jeff will tell us all these things and many more.   Jeff walked into the RCAF with zero flight experience.  Now, Jeff has flown all over the world in the CC-150 Polaris.  He has immense experience and is now a qualified multi-engine instructor at 3 Canadian Forces...

What are the wait times like in the RCAF pilot training system?  Are they long? What is being done to make them shorter? We'll answer these questions and many more, largely sourced from you, our fans! In this special episode we sit down with Lieutenant-Colonel Colin Peek and Colonel Chris "Morty" Morrison to chat about training delays as well as some of the future plans for pilot training in the RCAF. Colin flew the CH-124 Sea King, and Morty flew the CH-146 Griffon.  Both have extensive...

On January 20th, 2019 Al-Qaeda forces conducted a complex attack on a FOB in Aguelhok, Mali which left several UN peacekeepers dead and others wounded and in desperate need of Medevac.  That's where Jackie and her crew stepped up.  Hear the story for the first time ever, now. What is it like to fly the largest helicopter in the RCAF? Jackie has flown the CH-147F Chinook all over Canada and Mali, and now instructs new pilots on the Chinook. She'll talk about flying the Chinook as well as the...

What is it like to fly over the Arctic in a twin engine aircraft? How do you succeed in competitive flight training as a group and an individual? Ryan talks about his experience flying the CC-138 Twin Otter out of Yellowknife.  Ryan flew the Twin Otter all over the Arctic (and Antarctic!), and currently instructs at 3 Canadian Forces Flight Training School in Portage la Prairie, MB.  He has also had some civilian experience at West Jet before returning to the RCAF during the uncertainties of...

What is it like to fly at 15 feet over the deserts of Iraq? How about aiding in disaster relief when the fires struck Fort McMurray? Pete shares his experiences flying tac hel and talks about the importance of maintaining joy in flying and going to work.  He’ll talk about why that’s essential to his success as a pilot. Pete has flown the Bell CH-146 Griffon in Canada and Iraq, and currently instructs at 3 Canadian Forces Flight Training School in Portage la Prairie, MB.  He’s been a high...

What does it take to make it in the intense world of fast jet flight training in Moose Jaw? What does courage and honesty have to do with excelling in flight, and staying alive? Jules shares some tips for crushing it while in Phase III Hawk training and why it’s important to be honest about your faults and work to improve them.

What does it take to excel in Phase III multi-engine flight training in Portage la Prairie? How can you stay positive even when you don’t get the job you hoped for? Dan shares some tips for excelling while in Phase III Multi-Engine training and loving life in the RCAF no matter where it takes you.