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 rethink his career and ultimately transition to helicopters.

This episode is all about persistence, setbacks, and finding your path in aviation.

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 into night, this episode shows a different side of military aviation.

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, interoperability with allies, and preparing for future conflict. She explains how systems such as the F-35, P-8 Poseidon, RPAS, advanced sensors, and space-based capabilities will work together as part of a connected fifth-generation force.

Jamie also reflects on her own career journey, leadership philosophy, and the responsibility of guiding the Air Force through a rapidly changing security environment. Whether you're serving today, considering a military career, or simply interested in the future of Canadian military aviation, this conversation offers a rare look inside the decisions shaping the next generation of the RCAF.

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 helicopter pilot at all, and how he realized he was right where he wanted to be.

This episode breaks down what life is really like on board a Royal Canadian Navy frigate - from how helicopters are loaded and maintained at sea, to the realities of food, sleep, and day-to-day routines during long deployments.

He also shares the challenges of landing on a moving ship, the steep learning curve of early deployments, and what it takes to adapt and succeed in one of the most unique flying environments in the military.

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 a high-level look at what life is like at sea with the CH-124 Sea King operating on Royal Canadian Navy frigates.

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 after training, life at RAF Lossiemouth, and how Canada is preparing the next generation of Long Range Patrol crews years before the aircraft enters service.

CONTINUE THE FLIGHT

Long Range Patrol: The Poseidon SEEDCORN Part 1: Aurora Operations, Op NEON and the Road to the P-8 - Dylan Gilje-Allan and Matt Chretien

https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes/long-range-patrol-the-poseidon-seedcorn-part-1-dylan-gilje-allan-and-matt-chretien

Long Range Patrol: The Hunter: Long Range Patrol and the CP-140M Aurora - Davis Clark
https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes/long-range-patrol-the-hunter-davis-clark

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https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/search?query=Long+Range+Patrol

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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 fighter intercept in the Indo-Pacific that was later classified as unsafe and unprofessional.

The episode concludes with their selection for Canada's P-8 Poseidon SEEDCORN program and the next chapter of Long Range Patrol aviation.

CONTINUE THE FLIGHT

Long Range Patrol: The Poseidon SEEDCORN Part 2: Flying the P-8 Poseidon with the RAF and Building Canada's Future Fleet - Dylan Gilje-Allan and Matt Chretien

https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes/long-range-patrol-the-poseidon-seedcorn-part-2-dylan-gilje-allan-and-matt-chretien

Long Range Patrol: The Hunter: Long Range Patrol and the CP-140M Aurora - Davis Clark
https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes/long-range-patrol-the-hunter-davis-clark

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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 before conditions worsened further.

Join us as Pete and Greg walk through the rescue itself, including inserting SAR Techs onto the vessel, triaging injured crew members, coordinating multiple hoists in extreme conditions, and managing a rapidly evolving operation where every decision carried consequences. They also discuss the teamwork, preparation, and leadership that made the mission possible, along with the lessons learned from a rescue that captured national attention.

This is the story of the rescue, the extraction, and bringing everyone home safely.

CONTINUE THE FLIGHT

In Part 1, Pete Wright and Greg Hudson share their paths into the SAR community, the experiences that shaped them, and the lessons that prepared them for one of the most demanding missions of their careers.
https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes/sar-the-msc-baltic-iii-part-1-pete-wright-and-greg-hudson

In Part 2, Pete and Greg take listeners through the mayday call, the launch of Rescue 901, the transit through severe weather, and the moment they discovered the MSC Baltic III had run aground.
https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes/sar-the-msc-baltic-iii-part-2-pete-wright-and-greg-hudson

HEAR MORE SAR EPISODES

https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/search?query=sar

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