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PODCAST

The Pilot Project Podcast

Welcome to The Pilot Project Podcast, your premier source for stories and insights from pilots in the RCAF and mission aviation - brought to you by Skies Magazine! Whether you"re an aspiring aviator, navigating flight training, or simply fascinated by the world of military and mission aviation, this podcast is your guide. We sit down with pilots and aviation professionals to hear their thrilling experiences, lessons learned, and expert advice on resilience, training, and the skills needed to succeed

leisure aviation

All Episodes

52:04

Episode 80: The Rescue Series: Mountain missions and...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/12/02

In Part 1 of this two-episode feature, host Bryan Morrison sits down with Capt John Livingston, a CH-149 Cormorant Search and Rescue pilot whose journey to the RCAF was anything but straightforward. Born in Comox and inspired by a family legacy of military flying, John shares how varsity hockey, studies at UPEI, and the demanding environment of RMC’s mechanical engineering program shaped his path toward pilot training.John walks listeners through Phase 1 and Phase 2 flight training,

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69:25

Episode 79: The Gunner: Life of a USAF Aerial Gunner...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/11/25

In Part 2 of our conversation with USAF Tech Sgt. Anthony Dyer (Ret), we revisit the 2018 combat rescue mission in East Africa that began in chaos - runaway weapons, jettisoned flares, and broken comms - and ended with a high-risk landing under fire to evacuate wounded teammates. Anthony reflects on the loss of an American operator that day, what the motto “These things we do, that others may live” means in the moments that matter, and how those events shaped him long after the mission was

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58:42

Episode 78: The Gunner: Life of a USAF Aerial Gunner...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/11/18

In Part 1 of our conversation with USAF Tech Sgt. Anthony Dyer (Ret), host Bryan Morrison explores Anthony’s journey from growing up in the Appalachian Mountains to serving as an aerial gunner on the legendary AC-130H Spectre gunship. Anthony walks us through his early Air Force years as an F-15E weapons loader, the impact of 9/11, his transition to firefighting, and the demanding pipeline that led him into special operations aviation. He shares what it’s like to fire a 105 mm cannon from

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73:56

Episode 77: The Veteran Series: Cold War Remembrance...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/11/11

In Part 2 of this Remembrance Day special, Major (Ret) Bob Wade - Cold War fighter pilot, instructor, and former CF-18 demo pilot - takes us into the jet age of the 1980s. Wade describes the transition from the CF-104 Starfighter to the CF-18 Hornet, his time shaping Canada’s early Hornet tactics, and the challenges of bringing a new fighter into service. He recalls intercepting Soviet bombers during Arctic NORAD alert operations and running forward deployments in the far North with 441

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84:59

Episode 76: The Veteran Series: Cold War Remembrance...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/11/04

In this Remembrance Day special, Major (Ret) Bob Wade - a Cold War Snowbird, CF-104 Starfighter, and CF-18 pilot - recounts his remarkable beginnings in Canadian military aviation. From growing up west of Edmonton and being inspired by the Golden Hawks, to earning his wings in 1969 and instructing on the CT-114 Tutor at Moose Jaw, Bob describes the high-tempo jet-training world of the 1960s. He shares how the Snowbirds were born from a few instructors with a passion for formation flying and

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70:02

Episode 75: The Tandem Rotor: Inside CH-147F Chinook...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/10/28

In Part 2, Ian Wookey takes us inside daily flying with 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, sharing what it’s like to operate the CH-147F Chinook in challenging environments. He talks about crew coordination, tactical missions, mountain flying, and the training and experience required to upgrade from First Officer to Aircraft Commander in Canada’s heavy-lift helicopter community.

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60:43

Episode 74: The Tandem Rotor: Inside CH-147F Chinook...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/10/21

In Part 1, pilot Ian Wookey walks us through the formative years that made him a Chinook aviator - from varsity life at RMC and initial flight training on the Grob, to the intensity of the Harvard II course in Moose Jaw and the humbling challenge of helicopter phase training. Ian reflects on early on-the-job roles, an unexpected deployment to Afghanistan with a special operations aviation detachment, and how those experiences shaped his choice to fly rotary-wing aircraft. He closes by

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65:01

Episode 73: The LIFT: Lead-In Fighter Training in...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/10/14

In Part 3 of our LIFT series, new RCAF pilot Eli shares his path from RMC to flying the T-346 Master in Italy’s International Flight Training School.He talks about early training on the Grob and Harvard II, a unique posting to CFS Alert, and the challenge of fast-jet training in Sardinia. From dogfighting, radar intercepts, and close air support to the physical and mental demands of becoming a fighter pilot, Eli gives us a rare student’s perspective on preparing for the CF-18 Hornet.If

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60:08

Episode 72: The LIFT: Lead-In Fighter Training in...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/10/07

In Part 2 of our fighter pilot series, Major Brian “Humza” Kilroy returns to share his journey from CF-18 Hornet instructor to RCAF Demo Pilot and now Senior National Representative at Italy’s International Flight Training School.We dive into the challenges of leading four-ship formations, training young fighter pilots at 410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron, and the adrenaline of flying airshow routines in the CF-18 Hornet. Brian also describes his current work instructing

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72:49

Episode 71: The LIFT: Lead-In Fighter Training in...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/09/30

Ever wondered what it takes to become a Canadian fighter pilot? Today we chat with Major Brian “Humza” Kilroy, a CF-18 Hornet pilot and instructor on the T-346 Master at Italy’s International Flight Training School.Brian takes us through his journey from growing up in Alberta and joining the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, to earning his RCAF pilot wings at Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training in Texas. He shares highlights from flying the CF-18 Hornet with 409 and 401 Tactical Fighter Squadrons,

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72:33

Episode 70: The Rescue: Air Tindi crash survivors in...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/09/23

When a Twin Otter crashed north of Yellowknife in December 2023, a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130 Hercules crew from 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron leapt into action. In this gripping episode of the Pilot Project Podcast, we talk with aircraft commander Jason Shaw and Search and Rescue Technician (SAR Tech) Vincent C. Benoit about the night SAR Techs parachuted into a blizzard with lifesaving gear to reach 10 survivors.Hear how they planned the mission, flew into turbulence and

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76:20

Episode 69: The Rescue: Air Tindi crash survivors in...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/09/16

In this first installment of The Rescue, Captain Jason Shaw and Sergeant Vincent C-Benoit of 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron take us inside the world of Canadian search and rescue operations. From their early days in the Canadian Army and Air Force - including deployments to Afghanistan and Bosnia - to the rigorous training pipeline for pilots and SAR Techs, Jason and Vince share how they became leaders in one of the most demanding trades in the RCAF.They walk us through the skills,

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52:12

Episode 68: The Counter-Drug Ops: Flying SAR and...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/09/09

Counter-Drug and Search and Rescue Aviation in the Caribbean with PAL AerospaceWhat is it like to fly counter-drug interdiction and Search and Rescue missions in the Caribbean? What does it take to qualify for this demanding aviation work, and how do crews prepare to execute missions as part of Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South)?In this episode, retired RCAF Lieutenant-Colonel Trevor Juby, now Chief Pilot with Provincial Airlines / PAL Aerospace in Curaçao, and retired RCAF

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53:58

Episode 67: The Counter-Drug Ops: Flying SAR and...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/09/02

RCAF to Counter-Drug and Search & Rescue Missions in the CaribbeanWhat is it like to fly long-range patrol missions in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), face close calls in high-stakes operations, and then transition to counter-drug and Search and Rescue (SAR) missions in the Caribbean? How do Canadian military pilots prepare for this demanding work, and what challenges do they face operating in one of the busiest regions for international aviation operations?In this episode, retired

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69:29

Episode 66: The Counter-Drug Ops: Flying SAR and...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/08/26

From RCAF Patrol Missions to Counter-Drug and SAR Operations in the CaribbeanWhat kinds of missions do a long-range patrol sensor operator and crew commander face in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)? What challenges and close calls have they experienced, and how did those skills carry over into high-stakes counter-narcotics and Search and Rescue (SAR) missions in the Caribbean?In this episode, retired RCAF Lieutenant-Colonel Trevor Juby, now Chief Pilot with Provincial Airlines / PAL

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60:15

Episode 65: The Kingfisher: Developing, acquiring and...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/08/12

In this episode, we continue our conversation with:Lieutenant-Colonel Luc Coates, Commanding Officer of 418 Search and Rescue Operational Training SquadronLieutenant-Colonel Francois Fasquelle, Commanding Officer of 442 Transport and Rescue SquadronMajor Dan Faux, subject matter expert on the CC-295 KingfisherWe dive deeper into the Kingfisher, exploring how simulation and training are shaping new SAR pilots, and how the aircraft has been performing in real-world operations so far. And

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57:47

Episode 64: The Kingfisher: Developing, acquiring and...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/08/05

In this episode, we continue our conversation with:Lieutenant-Colonel Luc Coates, Commanding Officer of 418 Search and Rescue Operational Training SquadronLieutenant-Colonel Francois Fasquelle, Commanding Officer of 442 Transport and Rescue SquadronMajor Dan Faux, subject matter expert on the CC-295 KingfisherWe begin with Dan’s early days as a pilot and what led him to join the fixed-wing SAR project. From there, we explore why Canada needed a new fixed-wing Search and Rescue aircraft and

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65:36

Episode 63: The Kingfisher: Developing, acquiring and...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/07/29

What drives someone to choose the demanding — and often dangerous — career of Search and Rescue pilot? What early experiences shaped their paths, and what does it really take to fly missions where lives hang in the balance?In this episode, we sit down with three remarkable guests:Lieutenant-Colonel Luc Coates, Commanding Officer of 418 Search and Rescue Operational Training SquadronLieutenant-Colonel Francois Fasquelle, Commanding Officer of 442 Transport and Rescue SquadronMajor Dan Faux,

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55:16

Episode 62: The CAPCOM: Earning the Elsie MacGill...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/07/15

What’s it like to go from flying helicopters in the Royal Canadian Air Force to becoming the voice in the headset for astronauts aboard the International Space Station? How do you transition from military aviation to serving as Deputy Branch Chief Operations Officer and CAPCOM at NASA?In this episode, we sit down with Captain Erin Edwards — a Special Operations Aircraft Commander, Elsie MacGill Award recipient, and current CAPCOM working with NASA and the Canadian Space Agency.She shares

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51:59

Episode 61: The CAPCOM: Earning the Elsie MacGill...

The Pilot Project Podcast ·

2025/07/08

What does it take to pass selection for one of Canada’s most elite aviation units — 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron? How do you earn the coveted role of SOF Aircraft Commander? And what happens when you trade a military cockpit for a mission control console at NASA?In this episode, we sit down with Captain Erin Edwards, a trailblazing Canadian Armed Forces pilot who transitioned from flying special operations missions to becoming a CAPCOM — the voice between astronauts and Earth —

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122 results

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