The Pilot Project Podcast

Captain Niels Olson didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a military pilot. In fact, while living next to CFB Chilliwack as a kid, he remembers watching soldiers train and thinking, “I’m never doing that.” In Part 1, we cover his early life, joining under CEOTP, the long training pipeline, and his first exposure to maritime helicopter operations before even starting flight training. Then we'll get i...

In Part 2, Capt Dylan Gilje-Allan and Capt Matt Chretien take listeners inside Canada's P-8 Poseidon SEEDCORN program and their transition from the CP-140 Aurora to operational flying with the Royal Air Force. They discuss P-8 training, automation, crew coordination, and the differences between the Aurora and Poseidon.  The conversation also covers tracking Russian submarines in the Atlantic, flyi...

Canadian SEEDCORN pilots Capt Dylan Gilje-Allan and Capt Matt Chretien join us to share their journey from military flight training to operational flying on the CP-140 Aurora. They discuss the CEOTP/SEEDCORN training pipeline, earning their wings during COVID, and life in the Long Range Patrol community. The conversation also explores Operation NEON deployments, anti-submarine warfare, the Titan s...

Major Pete Wright and Warrant Officer Greg Hudson conclude the story of the MSC Baltic III rescue, one of the most remarkable search and rescue missions in recent Canadian history. After battling through severe winter weather and discovering the vessel hard aground on Newfoundland's west coast, the crew of Rescue 901 faced a critical decision: evacuate the injured sailors as originally planned, or...

Major Pete Wright and Warrant Officer Greg Hudson take us inside the opening hours of the MSC Baltic III rescue, one of the most challenging search and rescue missions in recent Canadian history. On the morning of February 15, 2025, the cargo ship MSC Baltic III lost power in a violent winter storm off Newfoundland's west coast. With winds exceeding 120 km/h, massive waves, and reports of multiple...

Major Pete Wright and Warrant Officer Greg Hudson were part of the crew that helped rescue all 20 sailors from the grounded cargo ship MSC Baltic III during one of the most dramatic search and rescue missions in recent Canadian history. Before the mayday call, the winter storm, and the race against time off Newfoundland's west coast, there were years of training, operational experience, and lesson...

In Part 2 of this series, Major Sam Behm shares what it was like to command the first Canadian CC-130J Hercules mission tasked with evacuating personnel during the 2021 Kabul Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation. She reflects on preparing her crew, making decisions under pressure, and leading in an environment defined by uncertainty and risk. Sam also speaks candidly about serving as the only female...

Major Sam Behm's path to the CC-130J Hercules wasn’t straightforward.  As we mark International Women's Day and Women in Aviation Worldwide Week, Sam shares how she joined the Canadian Armed Forces under ROTP as a MARS Officer (now Naval Warfare Officer), and determinedly pursued a transfer to the Royal Canadian Air Force when the opportunity to become a pilot reopened.  We walk through her flight...

 Part two of our chat with Captain Rock Veilleux follows his evolution from recovery to instructor pilot, overseas flying, and ultimately search and rescue operations. It's a powerful story about adaptation, leadership, and staying passionate about aviation. 

Captain Rock Veilleux shares how a passion for flying led to fast jets - and how a dramatic ejection forced him to rebuild both his career and confidence. A gripping Canadian military aviation story about resilience, identity, and staying in the fight. 

In part 3 of 3, Major Ian Wookey concludes his Afghanistan story. He describes the execution of evacuation operations in Kabul, the pressure faced by aircrews and planners, and the emotional toll of operating in a collapsing environment. As the final flights departed, Ian reflects on the limits of military power, the people left behind, and how those final days continue to resonate long after leav...

In part 2 of 3, Major Ian Wookey returns to continue his account of Afghanistan’s final days. He describes the shift from a controlled drawdown to the sudden collapse of Afghan security forces, the rapidly deteriorating situation in Kabul, and the mounting pressure on the small coalition force that remained behind. 

In part 1 of a 3-part conversation on the fall of Afghanistan, Major Ian Wookey shares his first-hand account of the Afghanistan drawdown, from closing Kandahar Airfield to becoming the last Canadian on the ground.

Major Matt Neri returns for Part 2 to discuss the Outcast 903 accident, lessons learned, recovery, and leadership as CO of 103 SAR Squadron. He also shares how Mattfrom103 became an unexpected platform for education, transparency, and trust in the SAR community. 

Major Matt Neri joins Bryan Morrison for Part 1 of a two-part interview exploring his career in Search and Rescue. Matt shares his early aviation influences, flight training experiences, and first operational tours on the CH-149 Cormorant. From earning his wings to coordinating SAR missions at JRCC Halifax, this episode offers an inside look at the realities of rescue flying and what it takes to l...

In Part 2 of this Christmas special, Bryan continues his conversation with Captain Anthony Element-Malouin, a CC-130J Hercules pilot with 436 Transport Squadron, focusing on his operational career and leadership journey. Tony talks about returning to flying after being grounded, a demanding 2024 filled with major exercises, and deployments on Op Reassurance. The episode dives into large-scale trai...

In Part 1 of this two-part Christmas special, Bryan sits down with Captain Anthony Element-Malouin, a CC-130J Hercules pilot with 436 Transport Squadron, to explore his path from early inspiration to operational flying in the RCAF.  The conversation dives into the realities of RCAF pilot training, including Phase 1 in Portage, the challenges of Phase 2 on the CT-156 Harvard II, air sickness, spin...

In Part 2 of our deep-dive with Capt John Livingston , we step directly into the world of operational Search and Rescue flying on the CH-149 Cormorant. After years of military flight training, John found himself at 442 Squadron in Comox-one of the busiest SAR units in the country-where the missions were real, the weather was unforgiving, and the learning curve was steep. John brings listeners into...

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...

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 liv...

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 l...

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 du...

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...

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. 

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 detachme...