About this podcast
Welcome to The Pilot Project Podcast, your premier source for stories and insights from pilots in the RCAF and mission aviation - brought to you by Skies Magazine! Whether you're an aspiring aviator, navigating flight training, or simply fascinated by the world of military and mission aviation, this podcast is your guide. We sit down with pilots and aviation professionals to hear their thrilling experiences, lessons learned, and expert advice on resilience, training, and the skills needed to succeed in this exciting field. Strap in - we’re ready for departure!
New here? Start with "Logbook: First 100 Part 1: The Climb".
Episodes
The newest 20 of 126 episodes
- Fighters: The Red Knight Part 1: Cold War Skies – Darwin “Tex” Deagnon · 60 min · Episode 124What happens when a Canadian fighter pilot accidentally crosses the Iron Curtain? And what does it take to become one of the RCAF's legendary solo jet demonstration pilots? In…
- Fighters: The Road to Fighters Part 2: Into Combat – Andrew “Hazno” Faith · 1 h 4 min · Episode 123What 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…
- Fighters: The Road to Fighters Part 1: From Hawk to Hornet – Andrew “Hazno” Faith · 56 min · Episode 122What 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”…
- PERFORMANCE & SAFETY: BUILT FOR PRESSURE Part 3: Bouncing Back from Failure – Zoran Stojković · 1 h 15 min · Episode 121You'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…
- PERFORMANCE & SAFETY: BUILT FOR PRESSURE Part 2: Mental Tools for the Cockpit – Zoran Stojković · 1 h 10 min · Episode 120What 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…
- PERFORMANCE & SAFETY: BUILT FOR PRESSURE Part 1: From Elite Sport to RCAF Pilot Training – Zoran Stojković · 1 h 6 min · Episode 119What 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…
- Special Ops: The Pioneers Part 4: From Moose Jaw to CANSOFCOM – Todd O’Malley · 1 h 13 min · Episode 118Colonel 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…
- Special Ops: The Pioneers Part 3: Somalia, JTF2, and the Birth of SOF Aviation – Todd O’Malley · 50 min · Episode 117Colonel 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…
- Special Ops: The Pioneers Part 2: Bringing Night Vision to Canadian Tactical Aviation – Todd O’Malley · 49 min · Episode 116Colonel 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…
- Special Ops: The Pioneers Part 1: Becoming a Canadian Tactical Helicopter Pilot – Todd O’Malley · 54 min · Episode 115Colonel 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…
- Snowbirds: The Boss Part 3: Inside the Snowbirds - Maciej "Match" Hatta · 1 h 23 min · Episode 114What 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…
- Test Pilot: The Boss Part 2: USAF Test Pilot School - Maciej "Match" Hatta · 1 h 23 min · Episode 113After 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…
- Fighters: The Boss Part 1: Becoming a Hornet Pilot - Maciej "Match" Hatta · 1 h 8 min · Episode 112Before 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…
- Special Ops: The Evolution Part 3: Leading 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron – Chris Bray · 48 min · Episode 111Lieutenant-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 Ops: The Evolution Part 2: Forging the Culture of 427 Squadron – Chris Bray · 51 min · Episode 110Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Bray is the Commanding Officer of 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron, the Royal Canadian Air Force unit supporting the Canadian Special Operations…
- Special Ops: The Evolution Part 1: Becoming a 427 Squadron Special Operations Aviator – Chris Bray · 58 min · Episode 109Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Bray is the Commanding Officer of 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron, the Royal Canadian Air Force unit supporting the Canadian Special Operations…
- Logbook: First 100 Part 2: The Weight - The Stories They Carry · 1 h 22 min · Episode 108Every 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…
- Logbook: First 100 Part 1: The Climb - The Making of Military Aviators · 55 min · Episode 107New 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…
- Snowbirds: The Pause Part 2: The Retirement of the Tutor and the Future of the Snowbirds - Maryse Carmichael · 59 min · Episode 106Retired 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…
- Snowbirds: The Pause Part 1: Flying the CT-114 Tutor and Becoming the First Female Jet Demonstration Pilot - Maryse Carmichael · 1 h 7 min · Episode 105Before 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…
