The Pilot Project Podcast

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 pilots from operational pilots, the rel...

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 flight training, and the determinat...

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 successful special operations aviators, ...

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's culture, what makes it unique amon...

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 RCAF pilot training, flying the CH-146...

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, the invisible burdens many carry ho...

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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 take even in peacetime, this episode tra...

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 safety culture required to fly...

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 flying on the CT-114 Tutor, operati...

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, setbacks, and finding your p...

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-generation air power, space capabilities, ...

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 might not want to be a maritime hel...

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 into ...

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, flying operational missions shortly ...

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 submersible search, and a dangerous f...

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 remove all 20 people from the ship ...