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 traces the journey behind the wings.

These are the moments that shaped them, and the reasons they kept going.

CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) Intro/Cold open
(00:01:31) Act 1: The Spark - Dan McWilliams - First Fighter Flight
(00:03:09) Bob Wade - The Wonder of the Golden Hawks
(00:03:46) Mike Houle - Hercs Over the Lake
(00:05:05) Vince C-Benoit - Wheat Fields in Afghanistan
(00:05:57) Rock Veilleux - Gliding with Air Cadets
(00:08:44) Act 2: The Grind - Mike Houle - The Firehose
(00:09:58) Dan Conway - First Real Doubts
(00:10:11) Brian Kilroy - The Pressure Cooker
(00:13:38) Pete Musters - P is for Pilot
(00:14:17) Dan McWilliams - Owning Mistakes
(00:14:45) Jeff Foreman - Scale Change
(00:15:09) Dan McWilliams - Fighter Dreams Derailed
(00:17:57) Dan Conway - 98% Awesome
(00:18:55) Act 3: The Edge - Skye Simpson - The Imposter
(00:20:10) Bryan Morrison - The Culture Shock
(00:20:53) Rock Veilleux - Flying the Hawk
(00:23:08) Brian Kilroy - The Edge of Capability
(00:27:19) Skye Simpson - A Stick of Gum
(00:29:07) Rock Veilleux - The Ejection
(00:37:43) Act 4: The Toll - Dan McWilliams - Twisted Bits of Aluminum
(00:38:44) Duncan MacIsaac - How Many Lives Did They Save?
(00:40:15) Dan McWilliams - BAM! It Was Over.
(00:41:52) Bob Wade - The Weight of Instructing
(00:42:43) Rock - The Road to Recovery
(00:47:02) CFMAP information
(00:47:27) Act 5: Why We Fly - Blake McNaughton - Brothers and Sisters
(00:48:23) Jeff Foreman - This is Your Captain Speaking
(00:49:00) Blake McNaughton - A Gig Like Nothing Else

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 nine aircraft in close formation. She also shares powerful stories about the team's impact, including how one airshow inspired a future Snowbirds pilot.

Drawing on her experience as both a Snowbirds pilot and former Commanding Officer, Maryse reflects on the team's legacy, the risks of losing hard-earned expertise, and what she hopes the next generation of Snowbirds pilots will inherit.

CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Introduction and Episode Overview
(00:01:01) The Hidden Work Behind a Snowbirds Airshow
(00:06:13) Flying a First Snowbirds Show in Quebec City
(00:09:32) Common Misconceptions About the Snowbirds Demonstration Team
(00:12:26) Training for Emergencies in a Nine-Jet Snowbirds Formation
(00:14:16) How Snowbirds Prepare for Emergencies Before Every Flight
(00:15:00) The Snowbirds Mission: Inspiration, Recruitment, and Public Engagement
(00:16:04) Inspiring the Next Generation of Canadian Military Pilots
(00:17:01) Why the Snowbirds Still Matter After 55 Years
(00:17:56) What Makes a Great Snowbird Pilot?
(00:19:12) How Pilots Are Assigned Their Snowbirds Positions
(00:20:28) How Long It Takes to Build a Snowbird Pilot
(00:21:07) The Hardest Skills to Teach a Snowbird Pilot
(00:24:47) How Trust Is Built Inside the Snowbirds
(00:27:08) Balancing Safety and Spectacle in an Air Demonstration Team
(00:28:51) The Story Behind the Snowbirds Heart Maneuver
(00:29:44) What Keeps a Snowbirds Commanding Officer Awake at Night
(00:33:29) Why the CT-114 Tutor Was the Perfect Demonstration Aircraft
(00:34:31) Did Anyone Expect the CT-114 Tutor to Fly for 63 Years?
(00:35:38) Saying Goodbye to the CT-114 Tutor
(00:37:31) What Canadians Underestimate About the CT-157 Siskin Transition
(00:39:10) Lessons from the Red Arrows and Other Aerobatic Teams
(00:41:19) The Strongest Argument for a Snowbirds Pause
(00:43:25) What Canada Risks Losing During the Snowbirds Pause
(00:45:51) The Hardest Snowbirds Skills to Rebuild
(00:48:58) What Concerns Snowbirds Alumni Most
(00:49:33) What the Snowbirds Alumni Association Wants to See Happen
(00:54:24) What the Snowbirds Mean to Maryse Carmichael
(00:55:18) What Canadians Should See in Nine Red and White Aircraft
(00:55:38) The Legacy Maryse Carmichael Hopes the Next Snowbirds Inherit

CONTINUE THE FLIGHT
Maryse’s story begins in Part 1, where she discusses flying the CT-114 Tutor, becoming the first female jet demonstration pilot, and her path to the Snowbirds.
Snowbirds: The Pause Part 1: Flying the CT-114 Tutor and Becoming the First Female Jet Demonstration Pilot - Maryse Carmichael

Maryse mentioned our interview with Comd RCAF, Jamie Speiser-Blanchet
Command: The Future Force: Building a Fifth Generation Air Force - Jamie Speiser-Blanchet

Maryse also discusses the challenge of preserving specialized aviation expertise during transition, a theme we explored in our SEEDCORN series.
Long Range Patrol: The P-8 SEEDCORN Part 1
Long Range Patrol: The P-8 SEEDCORN Part 2

MORE SNOWBIRDS EPISODES
More Snowbirds episodes

EXPLORE THE LOGBOOK
More stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilots

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, operational flying with 434 Squadron, VIP operations with 412 Squadron, and serving in Bagotville during the post-9/11 years. Along the way she discusses Exercise RV92, flying with her brother, supporting the Prime Minister, and the experiences that shaped her leadership philosophy.

Maryse also reflects on earning a position with the Snowbirds, learning precision formation aerobatics, flying formation inverted, and eventually returning to command 431 Air Demonstration Squadron. It is a story of perseverance, trust, leadership, and one of the most remarkable careers in Canadian military aviation.

CONTINUE THE FLIGHT

Maryse mentioned our interview with Jamie Speiser-Blanchet. Check it out:
https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes/command-the-future-force-jamie-speiser-blanchet

If you're interested in another Snowbirds perspective, check out our interview with Blake McNaughton:
https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes/snowbirds-the-unexpected-path-blake-mcnaughton

HEAR MORE SNOWBIRDS EPISODES

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

EXPLORE THE LOGBOOK
More stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilots

https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes

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.