The Pilot Project Podcast
The Pilot Project Podcast is an aviation podcast that aims to help new pilots learn what it takes to succeed in the world of flight, to help people in the flight training system learn what they may want to fly, and to give Canadians and the world a peek into life on the flight deck in the RCAF. We want to help pilots succeed and thrive! We interview real RCAF pilots for their exciting stories as well as the lessons they've learned along the way. We'll learn their tips to develop resilience and the tools it takes to make it in flight training.
- Update frequency
- every 12 days
- Average duration
- 57 minutes
- Episodes
- 69
- Years Active
- 2022 - 2025
Episode 67: The Counter-Drug Ops: Flying SAR and counter-narcotics missions in the Caribbean and flying the De Havilland Dash 8 for PAL Part 2 - Pat Lalande, Trevor Juby
RCAF to Counter-Drug and Search & Rescue Missions in the Caribbean
What is it like to fly long-range patrol missions in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), face close calls in high-stakes operations,…
Episode 66: The Counter-Drug Ops: Flying SAR and counter-narcotics missions in the Caribbean and flying the De Havilland Dash 8 for PAL Part 1 - Pat Lalande, Trevor Juby
From RCAF Patrol Missions to Counter-Drug and SAR Operations in the Caribbean
What kinds of missions do a long-range patrol sensor operator and crew commander face in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCA…
Episode 65: The Kingfisher: Developing, acquiring and flying the CC-295 Kingfisher Part 3 - Luc Coates, Francois Fasquelle, Dan Faux
In this episode, we continue our conversation with:
- Lieutenant-Colonel Luc Coates, Commanding Officer of 418 Search and Rescue Operational Training Squadron
- Lieutenant-Colonel Francois Fasquelle, Comma…
Episode 64: The Kingfisher: Developing, acquiring and flying the CC-295 Kingfisher Part 2 - Luc Coates, Francois Fasquelle, Dan Faux
In this episode, we continue our conversation with:
- Lieutenant-Colonel Luc Coates, Commanding Officer of 418 Search and Rescue Operational Training Squadron
- Lieutenant-Colonel Francois Fasquelle, Comma…
Episode 63: The Kingfisher: Developing, acquiring and flying the CC-295 Kingfisher Part 1 - Luc Coates, Francois Fasquelle, Dan Faux
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 li…
Episode 62: The CAPCOM: Earning the Elsie MacGill Award, flying the CH-146 Griffon, and working with NASA in Houston Part 3 - Erin Edwards
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 mil…
Episode 61: The CAPCOM: Earning the Elsie MacGill Award, flying the CH-146 Griffon, and working with NASA in Houston Part 2 - Erin Edwards
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 happ…
Episode 60: The CAPCOM: Earning the Elsie MacGill Award, flying the CH-146 Griffon, and working with NASA in Houston Part 1 - Erin Edwards
How does a MARS Officer and Ship’s Team Diver become a Special Operations helicopter pilot? What does it take to get through the intense rigours of Phase III helicopter training — and then make the l…
Episode 59: The Seeker: Fixed Wing Search and Rescue and flying the CC-115 Buffalo and CC-130H Hercules Part 2 - Dan Conway
What did it take to fly Search and Rescue in the venerable (but aging) CC-115 Buffalo? What does it feel like to return to 3CFFTS as a seasoned pilot, ready to learn about the world of instructing? W…
Episode 58: The Seeker: Fixed Wing Search and Rescue and flying the CC-115 Buffalo and CC-130H Hercules Part 1 - Dan Conway
What is it like to attend RMC and go through flight training in the RCAF? Why was the CC-115 Buffalo in Comox a desirable posting even with the airplane entering its sunset years? Major Dan Conway is…
Episode 57: The Culture: The Evolution of Culture in the Canadian Armed Forces and flying the CH-146 Griffon Part 3 - Jeannot Boucher
What does it take to take on the responsibility of being the Chief of Staff Chief Professional Conduct and Culture (COS CPCC) in the wake of the larger culture change effort that the Canadian Armed F…
Episode 56: The Culture: The Evolution of Culture in the Canadian Armed Forces and flying the CH-146 Griffon Part 2 - Jeannot Boucher
What does it feel like to deploy as the Commander of Task Force Jerusalem in support of OP PROTEUS in the West Bank? What does it take to take over various commands in the Tactical Helicopter force? …
Episode 55: The Culture: The Evolution of Culture in the Canadian Armed Forces and flying the CH-146 Griffon Part 1 - Jeannot Boucher
What was it like to deploy to Afghanistan as the Deputy Commanding Officer of Canadian Helicopter Forces in Afghanistan (CHFA)? What was the Tactical Helicopter role in Afghanistan at the time and ho…
Episode 54: The Jet Jockey: Supersonic Stories: Flying the CF-188 Hornet in the Cold War Part 2 - Dan "Alf" McWilliams
What was it like to be one of the first cadres to fly the might CF-188 Hornet? What did it feel like to operate in Europe on the edge of the Iron Curtain during the Cold War? What was it like to depl…
Episode 53: The Jet Jockey: Tutor Tales: Flying and instructing on the CT-114 Tutor Part 1 - Dan "Alf" McWilliams
What was it like to live in Germany on a NATO base during the Cold War as a teenager? What does it feel like to follow in your dad's footsteps and achieve your dreams to become a jet pilot? What was …
Episode 52: The Commander: Commanding the RCAF and flying the CF-188 Hornet Part 2 - Eric Kenny
What is it like to command the RCAF? What is the RCAF good at, and what needs fixing? Who are our potential main adversaries and why? What challenges will we face as we pursue modernization? Have US …
Episode 51: The Commander: Commanding the RCAF and flying the CF-188 Hornet Part 1 - Eric Kenny
What does it take to complete Canada's "Top Gun", the Fighter Weapons Instructor Course? What is it like to deploy to Bosnia or take part in the bombing campaign in Kosovo with real air-to-air and gr…
Episode 50: The Inferno: Aerial Firefighting in the Palisades Fires in California and flying the Canadair CL-415 Part 2 - Pascal Duclos
What did it take to get the Pasisade Fires under control in LA County, California in the winter of 2025? How does aerial firefighting compare in Quebec and California? In this final part of our 2 par…
Episode 49: The Inferno: Aerial Firefighting in the Palisades Fires in California and flying the Canadair CL-415 Part 1 - Pascal Duclos
What was it like to deploy to Los Angeles and fight the infamous fires of the winter of 2025? What does it take to hit the fires with precision every time? How difficult is it to scoop from a heavy s…
Episode 48: The Div Commander: Commanding 1 Canadian Air Division as it prepares for the future and flying the CH-146 Griffon and CH-147 Chinook Part 3 - Chris McKenna
What modernization projects and new aircraft is the RCAF getting? Why does the RCAF need a warfighting focus moving forward? Major-General Chris McKenna has over 2600 flying hours and is currently th…