The Pilot Project Podcast

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 ...

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 injuries aboard, Rescue 901 launche...

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 lessons learned that prepared them for tha...

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 Hercules pilot in the RCAF for ...

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 training on the Grob...