CANSOFCOM PA video. Portraying Canada's special forces and some of the
capabilities they posses. The very best Canada has to offer!
Really cool vid!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fvR8JW8IRk
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The Royal Canadian Air Force - cool promo vid
Hey guys, I just watched this video and thought I should share it with you. It really shows what the CF Air Force is all about. Well done!
RCAF Operations in a glimpse
Download video at : http://www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca/...
A glimpse into the world of The Royal Canadian Air Force supporting national and international operations or training over the past 3 years.
Vous pouvez télécharger la vidéo à l'adresse : http://www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca/...
Aperçu des activités d'appui de l'Aviation royale canadienne aux opérations et exercices nationaux et internationaux au cours des 3 dernières années.
RCAF Operations in a glimpse
Download video at : http://www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca/...
A glimpse into the world of The Royal Canadian Air Force supporting national and international operations or training over the past 3 years.
Vous pouvez télécharger la vidéo à l'adresse : http://www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca/...
Aperçu des activités d'appui de l'Aviation royale canadienne aux opérations et exercices nationaux et internationaux au cours des 3 dernières années.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
CH-149 Cormorant (SAREX 2011)
Here is a video of my friend's SAREX (Search and Rescue Exercise) in summer 2011. It's not a promotional video, just a regular day on the job! Seems like they are having lots of fun :-)
Notice how the helicopter uses the same pattern as fixed wing aircraft to land (even though in theory they could just fly straight to the ramp). But these are the rules!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX85TQTr3q0
Notice how the helicopter uses the same pattern as fixed wing aircraft to land (even though in theory they could just fly straight to the ramp). But these are the rules!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX85TQTr3q0
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Activities During Christmas
Even though most of us get a break from work during Christmas our service men and women from all Search and Rescue Squadrons are either working or at least are on stand by.
My buddy who's flying Hercs in Trenton recently became an AC (Aircraft Commander). It was very interesting to listen to some of his recent stories. Like going on the first flight as an AC and getting a newbie co-pilot. That's when you know that everything is in your hands. I can't imagine how intense some of these first flights must be.
Two of such flights occurred while he was on standby between Christmas and New Years. Both of the calls were about an ELT. These are electronic transmitters that send out a distress signal when an airplane crashes. Usually high fliers like Air Canada or WestJest would pickup the signal while flying over some remote area and advice the SAR center. Then, the Herc gets tasked to go and pinpoint where the signal is coming from.
The first one was from Trois Riviere in Quebec. They flew out there and determined that it was coming from an airport. A ground team was sent out and found out that a truck hit one of the planes on the ground and that activated an ELT. False alarm.
The second time around an ELT signal was coming from around Sherbrooke. It was also a false alarm as an ELT went off in one of the planes in some barn. The weather was bad though and they had to land in Sherbrooke. Apparently the runway was quite icy and as they landed the plane was skidding on ice. I can only imagine what the gut must be feeling in moments like these.
Anyways, he estimated that one of such missions cost about 240,000 dollars (yup, quarter of a million dollars). That's because it takes 30 grand to operate the beast for just one hour (8000 of that is gas alone). So here you go. You get to fly some cool and expensive missions in the army!
My buddy who's flying Hercs in Trenton recently became an AC (Aircraft Commander). It was very interesting to listen to some of his recent stories. Like going on the first flight as an AC and getting a newbie co-pilot. That's when you know that everything is in your hands. I can't imagine how intense some of these first flights must be.
Two of such flights occurred while he was on standby between Christmas and New Years. Both of the calls were about an ELT. These are electronic transmitters that send out a distress signal when an airplane crashes. Usually high fliers like Air Canada or WestJest would pickup the signal while flying over some remote area and advice the SAR center. Then, the Herc gets tasked to go and pinpoint where the signal is coming from.
The first one was from Trois Riviere in Quebec. They flew out there and determined that it was coming from an airport. A ground team was sent out and found out that a truck hit one of the planes on the ground and that activated an ELT. False alarm.
The second time around an ELT signal was coming from around Sherbrooke. It was also a false alarm as an ELT went off in one of the planes in some barn. The weather was bad though and they had to land in Sherbrooke. Apparently the runway was quite icy and as they landed the plane was skidding on ice. I can only imagine what the gut must be feeling in moments like these.
Anyways, he estimated that one of such missions cost about 240,000 dollars (yup, quarter of a million dollars). That's because it takes 30 grand to operate the beast for just one hour (8000 of that is gas alone). So here you go. You get to fly some cool and expensive missions in the army!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Drug Bust in the Caribbean
I've recently chatted with a buddy who initially wanted to fly but then became a navigator. He also joined at the same time as me and he informed that the contract for navigators is shorter, only 4 years. So he is almost done his required duty and now must decide if he will stay longer.
He mentioned a cool story from a few weeks ago in the Caribbean. They were awaken at night by the alarm bell and a repeating message "flying station", "flying station", while asleep on the ship. There was a fast boat detected by Aurora aircraft, moving at 50 miles per hour. Assistance from the Sea King crew was requested. They were just off the cost of Nicaragua.
My buddy's job as a navigator was to plot the location of the boat on the map and direct the pilots to it. They flew on night vision goggles and soon found the culprit who was still moving fast. At the same time an American Law Enforcement boat (part of US Cost Guard) was sent to their location. While awaiting support they followed the boat at 1000 ft (lights off and on night vision). However, when the support got closer they turned on the high power spot light (he was the one controlling it) and surprised the drug runners. They in turn stopped the boat and started dumping 500 kilos of drugs over board. Next they all raised their arms.
I can't imagine the adrenaline rush during such an operation. Not to mention the required skills to be able to navigate and find a moving target at night. Unfortunately he didn't have any photos but I found a cool video on a very similar chase but during day light
Drug bust - over 2 tons of marijuana and $8 million worth of other drugs
He mentioned a cool story from a few weeks ago in the Caribbean. They were awaken at night by the alarm bell and a repeating message "flying station", "flying station", while asleep on the ship. There was a fast boat detected by Aurora aircraft, moving at 50 miles per hour. Assistance from the Sea King crew was requested. They were just off the cost of Nicaragua.
My buddy's job as a navigator was to plot the location of the boat on the map and direct the pilots to it. They flew on night vision goggles and soon found the culprit who was still moving fast. At the same time an American Law Enforcement boat (part of US Cost Guard) was sent to their location. While awaiting support they followed the boat at 1000 ft (lights off and on night vision). However, when the support got closer they turned on the high power spot light (he was the one controlling it) and surprised the drug runners. They in turn stopped the boat and started dumping 500 kilos of drugs over board. Next they all raised their arms.
I can't imagine the adrenaline rush during such an operation. Not to mention the required skills to be able to navigate and find a moving target at night. Unfortunately he didn't have any photos but I found a cool video on a very similar chase but during day light
Drug bust - over 2 tons of marijuana and $8 million worth of other drugs
Monday, November 7, 2011
SAR Tech Dies While Rescuing Two Fishermen
A recent search and rescue mission had a sad end to it. The people being rescued survived but not one of the 3 search and rescue (SAR) technicians who jumped out of the C-130 Hercules military aircraft into the icy and stormy waters of the Hecla Strait.
It all begun on Thursday morning, the 27th of October. The Winnipeg search and rescue was already up north and required assistance from Trenton. So they sent out another Herc on a 5 hour flight to Iqaluit, Nunavut to help locate and rescue 2 men stranded on a small fishing boat near Igloolik. They were out of power and sinking due to stormy weather. One men was also in critical condition.
When the Herc located the boat 3 SAR techs were dropped into the frigid waters. By then, the boat has already sunk and the 2 men were in a raft. It was also getting dark and the Herc was getting low on fuel. In these conditions, to see if there is anyone in the raft the Herc must fly as low as 150 feet above water. This is clearly not an easy task, especially when the ramp in the back is open.
The five men then waited 5 hours for a Cormorant helicopter from CFB Gander in Newfoundland to pick them up. Unfortunately one died before the chopper arrived, but how he died has not been released. The two other rescue technicians and the two men rescued from the boat were taken to Igloolik.
Here is a link to an interview with the survivors of this incredible mission
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/inuit-hunter-weeps-recalling-tragic-rescue-from-icy-waters-132930668.html
And a couple of pictures from flying up north
It all begun on Thursday morning, the 27th of October. The Winnipeg search and rescue was already up north and required assistance from Trenton. So they sent out another Herc on a 5 hour flight to Iqaluit, Nunavut to help locate and rescue 2 men stranded on a small fishing boat near Igloolik. They were out of power and sinking due to stormy weather. One men was also in critical condition.
When the Herc located the boat 3 SAR techs were dropped into the frigid waters. By then, the boat has already sunk and the 2 men were in a raft. It was also getting dark and the Herc was getting low on fuel. In these conditions, to see if there is anyone in the raft the Herc must fly as low as 150 feet above water. This is clearly not an easy task, especially when the ramp in the back is open.
The five men then waited 5 hours for a Cormorant helicopter from CFB Gander in Newfoundland to pick them up. Unfortunately one died before the chopper arrived, but how he died has not been released. The two other rescue technicians and the two men rescued from the boat were taken to Igloolik.
Here is a link to an interview with the survivors of this incredible mission
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/inuit-hunter-weeps-recalling-tragic-rescue-from-icy-waters-132930668.html
And a couple of pictures from flying up north
Loosing one engine over the water
Another friend of mine is flying with the 442 Search and Rescue (SAR) Squadron in Comox, BC. He is on his way to becoming a Flight Commander of the CH-149 helicopter, the Cormorant, which was selected as Canada's new SAR helicopter and the first of these aircraft entered service in 2002 at 19 Wing Comox. Currently, the entire fleet of 15 Cormorants is fully operational.
Over last Christmas they have received a call that a man ski-dooing in the mountains had an accident and broke his back. As this was on main land and Comox is situated on the Vancouver Island flight over water was imminent. This is, however, usual business for the crew and training over water is almost as regular as having breakfast.
My buddy happened to be on the night shift which runs from 4 pm to 8 in the morning. The crew was assembled and quickly dispatched to the site. None of them expected what was about to occur.
Few minutes into the flight, over water and at 10,000 feet, the Cormorant lost one of its engines. The helicopter started loosing altitude. Thankfully the machine of 3 engines had two more to fly with and the forward speed helped maintain altitude once they dropped to 9,000 feet. Without forward speed the helicopter would not be able to hover on just two engines, especially when it's fully loaded with crew, equipment and fuel. They made it back to base and had one more crucial task to accomplish - landing the bird while, again, maintaining forward speed of 60 knots!! My buddy who was piloting that day said it was quite nerve wracking but everything worked out perfectly. They hopped on another chopper and set out to retrieve the man on a ski-doo.
Listening to some of these stories makes palms of my hands sweat. Not only did they loose an engine over water but it was also dark and the helicopter was very heavy having been filled up with fuel. If the engine failure had happened only minutes later, over the mountains, they would most likely have crashed. That's because the Cormorant would not be able to hover at higher altitudes on just 2 engines.
As you can see from these stories we are very lucky to live in Canada, where someone is always on standby to help those in peril. The crew, including pilots, SAR technicians, ground team, all work shifts so that they're ready 24/7. And that includes Christmas and other holidays. What's nice, though, is that a pilot will get 9.5 days off per month and gets to visit UK twice a year. They fly them to London for training on the Cormorant simulators, which Canada does not have.
Over last Christmas they have received a call that a man ski-dooing in the mountains had an accident and broke his back. As this was on main land and Comox is situated on the Vancouver Island flight over water was imminent. This is, however, usual business for the crew and training over water is almost as regular as having breakfast.
My buddy happened to be on the night shift which runs from 4 pm to 8 in the morning. The crew was assembled and quickly dispatched to the site. None of them expected what was about to occur.
Few minutes into the flight, over water and at 10,000 feet, the Cormorant lost one of its engines. The helicopter started loosing altitude. Thankfully the machine of 3 engines had two more to fly with and the forward speed helped maintain altitude once they dropped to 9,000 feet. Without forward speed the helicopter would not be able to hover on just two engines, especially when it's fully loaded with crew, equipment and fuel. They made it back to base and had one more crucial task to accomplish - landing the bird while, again, maintaining forward speed of 60 knots!! My buddy who was piloting that day said it was quite nerve wracking but everything worked out perfectly. They hopped on another chopper and set out to retrieve the man on a ski-doo.
Listening to some of these stories makes palms of my hands sweat. Not only did they loose an engine over water but it was also dark and the helicopter was very heavy having been filled up with fuel. If the engine failure had happened only minutes later, over the mountains, they would most likely have crashed. That's because the Cormorant would not be able to hover at higher altitudes on just 2 engines.
As you can see from these stories we are very lucky to live in Canada, where someone is always on standby to help those in peril. The crew, including pilots, SAR technicians, ground team, all work shifts so that they're ready 24/7. And that includes Christmas and other holidays. What's nice, though, is that a pilot will get 9.5 days off per month and gets to visit UK twice a year. They fly them to London for training on the Cormorant simulators, which Canada does not have.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Searching for ... nothing
Sometimes the search and rescue centre will receive a call when there is really no one in distress. This happened to a pilot friend of mine who flies the Herc out of Trenton. Since he was on call he received a call to show up and search for "something" over the lake Ontario. A boat 10 miles south off shore saw flares to the north. After flying the search pattern in the middle of the night and not finding anything the team determined that probably what the boat saw were fireworks and not flares :)
Still an interesting mission if you take away being awaken in the middle of the night and going back to bed at 4:30 in the morning.
Still an interesting mission if you take away being awaken in the middle of the night and going back to bed at 4:30 in the morning.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Flying the Royals
Recently a friend of mine, who is now a Cormorant helicopter pilot, was selected to participate in the chopper demo for the Royals.
They did a Search and Rescue (SAR) demo which consisted of 7 people in the water. The coast guard rescued 6 of them then the Cormorant came in and hoisted the last one out.
Then they flew to the Summerside airport, shutdown and waited for the royals to arrive by car. This is when they were able to take a group shot and shake their hands.
What was also cool is that Kate flew the helicopter. One of the pics show her in the pilot's seat. Here is more on the story from the Air Force web site.
http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/14w-14e/nr-sp/index-eng.asp?id=11943
They did a Search and Rescue (SAR) demo which consisted of 7 people in the water. The coast guard rescued 6 of them then the Cormorant came in and hoisted the last one out.
Then they flew to the Summerside airport, shutdown and waited for the royals to arrive by car. This is when they were able to take a group shot and shake their hands.
What was also cool is that Kate flew the helicopter. One of the pics show her in the pilot's seat. Here is more on the story from the Air Force web site.
http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/14w-14e/nr-sp/index-eng.asp?id=11943
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Beyond Canadian Air Force Pilot Graduation
This blog is a continuation of stories that relate to some Canadian military pilots who graduated around year 2010. I was one of the lucky candidates selected for pilot training in 2005. I have described the process of signup, boot camp and pilot training in another blog called From Boot Camp To Flying.
I'm planning to update this blog on regular basis. Some of my friends now fly the Sea Kings or Griffons. Others are flying Search and Rescue missions on the Hercules or Cormorants. Few have been selected as CF-18 pilots. Their stories and career paths are definitely worth sharing. Not only to learn about their amazing efforts but also to shed some light on this type of career, something that new recruits or those thinking of joining would definitely benefit from.
Stay tuned for some really interesting stories about your fellow Canadian Air Force pilots! In the mean time check out this cool search and rescue story on the Air Force website:
Hair-Raising Rescue
I'm planning to update this blog on regular basis. Some of my friends now fly the Sea Kings or Griffons. Others are flying Search and Rescue missions on the Hercules or Cormorants. Few have been selected as CF-18 pilots. Their stories and career paths are definitely worth sharing. Not only to learn about their amazing efforts but also to shed some light on this type of career, something that new recruits or those thinking of joining would definitely benefit from.
Stay tuned for some really interesting stories about your fellow Canadian Air Force pilots! In the mean time check out this cool search and rescue story on the Air Force website:
Hair-Raising Rescue
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