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, exp…
The Pilot Project Podcast
by Bryan Morrison
The Pilot Project Podcast is an aviation podcast that aims to help new pilots learn what it takes to succeed in the world of flight, to help people in the flight training system learn what they may want to fly, and to give Canadians and the world a peek into life on the flight deck in the RCAF. We want to help pilots succeed and thrive! We interview real RCAF pilots for their exciting stories as well as the lessons they've learned along the way. We'll learn their tips to develop resilience and the tools it takes to make it in flight training.
Latest Episodes
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…
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 aft…
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 t…
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 Sno…
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 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 …
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 …
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 op…
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 Operationa…
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 f…
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 …
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 commu…
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 e…
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 R…