The Pilot Project Podcast

What does it feel like to fly a CF-18 Hornet into combat for the first time? What happens when the fighting is over, but the experiences stay with you? In Part 2 of our conversation with Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew “Hazno” Faith, we pick up where we left off: arriving in Italy with almost no warning, preparing for combat operations over Libya, and putting years...

What does it take to go from watching CF-18 Hornets fly overhead as a kid to becoming a fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force? For Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew “Hazno” Faith, that dream began on a school playground in Saskatchewan. In Part 1 of our conversation, we follow his journey through RCAF pilot training, from the Harvard II in Moose Jaw to the Hawk and Fighter Lead-In Training (FLIT)...

You've just had the worst flight of your course. Your confidence is shaken, and tomorrow's flight could determine your future. How do you bounce back? In the conclusion of our three-part Built for Pressure series, mental performance consultant Zoran Stojković explains how RCAF student pilots can recover from failure, approach difficult debriefs, rebuild confidence, and distinguish honest self-asse...

What happens when you know the material cold, but freeze during a flight test? Mental performance consultant Zoran Stojković returns for Part 2 of PERFORMANCE & SAFETY: BUILT FOR PRESSURE, where we explore practical tools for RCAF pilot training; from pre-flight routines and chair flying to performance cues, breathing and recovering after a cockpit mistake. Drawing on Zoran’s work with student...

What happens when you know how to do something, but pressure makes it difficult to actually do it? Certified Mental Performance Consultant Zoran Stojković has spent more than 15 years helping people perform under pressure, from professional athletes and Olympic hopefuls to RCAF pilot trainees. In Part 1, Zoran shares the path that took him from competitive tennis and high-performance sport to 2 Ca...

Colonel Todd O’Malley concludes our four-part journey through the evolution of Canadian tactical and special operations aviation. Todd returns to Moose Jaw, where he transitions from helicopters to fixed-wing flying, learns to instruct on the CT-156 Harvard and later becomes Commandant of 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School. He also recounts commanding B Flight at 427 Squadron, developing mar...

Colonel Todd O’Malley continues our four-part journey through the history of Canadian tactical and special operations aviation. In Part 3, Todd recounts flying the CH-135 Twin Huey in Somalia, where severe brownouts made every takeoff and landing dangerous, and an unexpected mission gave him his first experience supporting U.S. special operations forces. Todd also reflects on the Somalia Affair, i...

Colonel Todd O’Malley continues our four-part look at the history of Canadian tactical and special operations aviation. In Part 2, the current Director Air and Space at CANSOFCOM returns to his first operational years with 427 Squadron, flying the CH-135 Twin Huey on deployments to the Sinai Desert and Honduras. Todd describes navigating the Sinai with paper maps, demanding nighttime approaches, a...

Colonel Todd O’Malley begins a four-part journey through the history of Canadian tactical and special operations aviation. Now Director Air and Space at CANSOFCOM, Todd looks back on the unlikely path that took him from Sault College and an early setback in civilian flight training to earning his RCAF wings and joining 427 Squadron as a CH-135 Twin Huey pilot. In Part 1, Todd explains how failure...

What does it take to lead one of the world's premier military aerobatic teams? In the final chapter of our three-part series, Major Maciej "Match" Hatta takes us inside life as "The Boss", aka Snowbird 1 and Team Lead of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. From the demanding selection process and culture of trust that defines the team to the responsibility of leading eight other pilots in close formati...

After flying the CF-18 Hornet in combat and completing his first tour with the Snowbirds, Major Maciej "Match" Hatta set his sights on one of military aviation's most demanding challenges: Experimental Test Pilot School. In Part 2 of this three-part series, Match takes us inside the United States Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base. He explains the mindset that separates test pil...

Before he became Snowbird 1, Major Maciej "Match" Hatta spent years fighting for the chance to fly. In Part 1 of this three-part series, Match shares the story behind his journey from Air Cadets in Milton, Ontario, to the cockpit of the CF-18 Hornet. He reflects on the VHS tape that sparked a lifelong dream, the vision issues that nearly ended his career before it began, the challenges of military...

Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Bray concludes our three-part series with a rare look behind the curtain of Canadian Special Operations Aviation. As the Commanding Officer of 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron, Chris explains how Special Operations Tactical Aviation Course (SOTAC) prepares aircrew for one of the Royal Canadian Air Force's most demanding environments, the qualities that define succe...

Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Bray is the Commanding Officer of 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron, the Royal Canadian Air Force unit supporting the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM). In Part 2, we take a rare look behind the curtain of Canadian Special Operations Aviation, exploring how 427 Squadron evolved into the modern capability it is today. Chris explains the squadron'...

Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Bray is the Commanding Officer of 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron, the Royal Canadian Air Force unit supporting the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM). In Part 1, Chris shares his journey from growing up outside the military to becoming a special operations aviator and leading one of the RCAF's most demanding helicopter squadrons. We discuss RC...

Every military aviator carries stories that stay with them long after the aircraft shuts down. To mark the milestone of 100 episodes, we're looking back at the moments that revealed the true weight of military aviation. This second retrospective shifts from learning to fly to learning what comes after. A pilot's first time facing enemy fire, split-second decisions under pressure, devastating loss,...

New listener? Start here! For 100 episodes, The Pilot Project Podcast has explored the world of military and mission aviation through the people who have lived it. In Part 1 of our retrospective series, The Climb, we look back at the making of military aviators. From the first moments that sparked the dream, to the grind of training, the edge of high-performance flying, and the toll service can ta...

Retired Lieutenant-Colonel Maryse Carmichael returns to discuss the Snowbirds, the retirement of the CT-114 Tutor, the planned operational pause, and the future of one of Canada’s most recognizable aviation teams. In Part 2 of this conversation, Maryse explains what Canadians do not see behind a Snowbirds performance, from months of training and preparation to the trust, discipline, teamwork, and...

Before she commanded the Snowbirds, Maryse Carmichael was a young Air Cadet from Quebec City with a dream of becoming a military pilot. That dream would eventually make her the first woman to fly with the Snowbirds - and the first woman to fly with any jet aerobatic demonstration team in the world. In Part 1, Maryse shares her journey through Air Cadets, flight training in Moose Jaw, instructional...

In Part 3, Captain Troy Clarke discusses flight instruction, standards flying, STARS Air Ambulance operations, and his decision to return to the RCAF after leaving military service. 

Captain Troy Clarke shares incredible stories from his time flying the CH-149 Cormorant with 103 Search and Rescue Squadron, including North Atlantic rescues, fatigue lessons, operational pressure, and the realities of SAR flying. 

Captain Troy Clarke shares his unconventional path into aviation, from growing up in rural Newfoundland to navigating early flight training struggles, 9/11’s impact on the industry, and joining the RCAF. After earning his wings on fast jets, a serious in-flight decompression incident forced him to rethink his career and ultimately transition to helicopters. This episode is all about persistence, s...

After his time on the Sea King, Niels Olson moved into instructing at 3 CFFTS. In Part 3, he shares what it’s like teaching new pilots, working in Standards, and supporting wildfire operations during Op Lentus. From coaching students through complex flying to landing in smoke so thick it turns day into night, this episode shows a different side of military aviation.

As the first woman to command the Royal Canadian Air Force, Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet is leading the service through one of the most significant periods of transformation in its history. In this special 100th episode of The Pilot Project Podcast, Jamie discusses the challenges and opportunities facing today's RCAF, from recruitment and retention to NORAD modernization, fifth-genera...

In Part 2 of this conversation, Captain Niels Olson takes us inside his first deployment as a CH-124 Sea King pilot with 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron - and the reality of life at sea that no one fully prepares you for. After completing his training, Niels went almost straight from the Operational Training Unit to deploying aboard HMCS Ottawa.  Niels opens up about the moment he realized he mig...