FLYING the FUTURE Evaluating the CH-148 Cyclone
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an mhm PubLishing MAGAZine 2016 edition canada’s air Force review [INSIDE] MAPLE FLAG 49 424 SQUADRON AIRSHOW PREP CANADIAN SPITFIRES 75 YEARS OF AIR CADETS CASARA PROFILE FLYING THE FUTURE EVALUATING THE CH-148 CYCLONE brought to you by www.skiesmag.com 10YEARS PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE RCAF Whether it’s providing humanitarian relief or defending freedom and sovereignty around the world, Abbotsford’s Cascade Aerospace proudly ensures our troops are always ready for the call. LOCKHEED MARTIN CERTIFIED | CANADA’S C-130 EXPERTS AN OPERATING UNIT OF IMP AEROSPACE & DEFENCE 1337 Townline Road, Abbotsford, BC Canada V2T 6E1 www.cascadeaerospace.com DELIVERING SPEED IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS When minutes count, depend on the power and performance of the Bell 429 for your search and rescue mission. The reconfi gurable interior seats up to seven passengers plus a pilot, features large sliding doors for quick access, and a 70+ cubic foot baggage compartment. The Bell 429 is ready to serve your operation by delivering 150-knot speed, as well as the safety and superior handling needed in critical situations. BELLHELICOPTER.COM Le Bell 429 est seulement disponible avec train d’atterrissage à roues en France. © 2016 BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC. RCAF Today 2016 1 CONTENTS 52 ON THE ROAD AGAIN For the RCAF’s two air demonstration teams, pre-season preparations make for perfect performances. BY ROBErt ERDOS Mike Reyno Photo 2 RCAF Today 2016 RCAF Today 2016 20 66 26 DND Photo FLYING THE fuTURE FLAG UNFURLS 12 Wing’s HOTEF is working to validate Cold Lake is set to host a scaled-down the CH-148 Cyclone’s operational Maple Flag 49 in June; the exercise is suitability and effectiveness. expected to draw 45 aircraft. BY LISA GORDON BY CHRIS THatcHER 26 70 SIGNIFICANT IMPACT 75 YEARS of Canada’s CF-188 Hornets have AIR CADETS performed admirably, but the jets’ Created in response to wartime airframes are showing signs of need, the Royal Canadian Air Cadet advanced age. program has had a far-reaching effect. BY CHRIS THatcHER BY SItraKA RAOELIManOHISOA 38 32 74 BUILDING A BACKboNE CIVILIANS ON CALL The RCAF is constructing a For 30 years, Civil Air Search and permanent data-sharing network that Rescue Association volunteers have will support its overall C4ISR strategy. helped the RCAF in times of need. BY CHRIS THatcHER BY KEN POLE 38 81 ON THE moVE INSIGHT Tactical aviation will help carry 2016 Supplier Showcase. Cpl Arthur Ark Photo the Canadian Army’s future operating concept. BY CHRIS THatcHER 60 IN EVERY ISSUE 06 frOM THE PUBLISHER 08 BRIEFING ROOM – RCAF NEWS 46 ON THE COVER ALWAYS ON GUARD an mhm PubLishing magaZine 2016 edition 424 “Tiger” Squadron stands ready canada’s air Force review [INSIDE] to respond to search and rescue MAPLE FLAG 49 424 SQUADRON AIRSHOW PREP CANADIAN SPITFIRES 75 YEARS OF AIR CADETS calls in a region larger than Europe. CASARA PROFILE BY CAPT DaVID LaVALLEE FLYING THE FUTURE EVALUATING THE CH-148 CYCLONE brought to you by www.skiesmag.com 60 The Helicopter Operational Test and Evaluation Facility (HOTEF) at 12 Wing Shearwater, N.S., CANADIAN SpITFIRES is testing the capabilities of the new CH-148 Cyclone maritime helicopter. In early May, crews Three Legends still flying in the U.K. had logged 226 hours of flight testing and “countless” landings on Canadian frigates at sea. BY LCOL ROBERT RENNER (RTD) John M. Dibbs Photo LS Dan Bard Photo RCAF Today 2016 3 WHAT’S ONLINE? THE TEAM skiesmag.com GROUP PUBLISheR | MIKE REYNO [email protected] We’re your best source for aviation industry news! Come on over to our GROUP PUBLISheR | LinDA REYNO website for your daily dose of the [email protected] latest news, original Skies feature ASSOCIate PUBLISheR | Derek KasT articles, unique desktop calendars [email protected] and wallpapers, and much more. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Lisa GORDON [email protected] Mobile App ASSIStaNT EDITOR | Ben ForresT Download the free app [email protected] for Apple or Android devices, and the latest JUNIOR EDITOR | SARAH GRANDY issue will be ready to [email protected] read wherever you SaLES & MARKETING DIRECTOR | Tim MUISE are. Ad-free, extra [email protected] stories, bonus photos, interactive news, PRODUCTION MANageR | JEN ColVEN videos, downloadable [email protected] wallpapers. What else GRAPHIC deSIGNER | kayTlyn Wismayer could you ask for? [email protected] SR. 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The aircraft Publishing Inc., paid at Kitchener, Ont. (ISSN 1928-974X) was on site for the “Girls Discover All material published remains the copyright of MHM Publishing. No Aviation in Lachute” event on part of this publication in whole or in part may be reproduced without March 12, 2016, during Women of written permission from the publisher. Editorial published in RCAF Aviation Worldwide Week. magazine does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Today Jean-Pierre Bonin Photo Information contained within RCAF Today magazine is believed to be accurate, but the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors. RCAF Today will consider unsolicited, quality stories and pictures, but the publisher cannot assume any responsibility for the safe return of submitted material. Want your photo here? Post your amazing © Copyright 2016 MHM Publishing Inc. Canadian Publication Mail Agreement Number: 40741549 aviation photography Postmaster: If undeliverable, return mailing label only. to facebook.com/skiesmag Printed in Canada for a chance to be featured! RCAF Today 2016 5 COLUMN FROM THE PUBLISHER Every year, as we prepare for the next edition of RCAF Today, I have the opportunity to get away from my desk and visit with many of the squadrons across Canada. I look forward to this time of year. My visit to 4 Wing Cold Lake in early April was particularly interesting. It had been more than 10 years since I had last visited the fighter base. Contributing editor Chris Thatcher was accompanying me for his first visit to the wing. It was admittedly quieter in the skies above than I remembered. Our tour of 4 Wing during the week included visits with both 401 and 409 Tactical Fighter Squadrons, not to mention 410 Tactical Fighter (Operational Training) Squadron and 419 Tactical Fighter (Training) Squadron. We were also there to see the unveiling of the 2016 CF-18 Demo Hornet. We learned more about Operation Impact, Canada’s contribution to the Middle East Stabilization Force (MESF)—the multi-national coalition against the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Many personnel on base had recently returned from the Middle East. Others were still deployed. Previous experience would dictate that interviews would be conducted in front of the squadrons’ commanding officers, who would describe the successes and challenges that were encountered during Op Impact. Oh, how times have changed. On this occasion, we sat with two fighter pilots and six technicians to quality over learn more about their experiences. No one had to tell us the rules of engagement for the interviews. We already knew. We weren’t there to talk about the politics surrounding the federal government’s decision to withdraw the six CF-188s quantity from the Middle East. We were there to talk about the missions that the RCAF flew against ISIL. During the Hornets’ involvement in Op Impact, 1,378 sorties were conducted by the six jets (as of by mike reyno mid-April, another 434 sorties were flown by the single CC-150 Polaris tanker, and 463 reconnaissance Owner/publisher missions flown by the two CP-140 Auroras that were also deployed). The average number of combat missions flown by fighter pilots varied from 10 to 20 missions each. Identified only by their call signs for security reasons, Mouse from 401 TFS flew 17 combat missions over Iraq and Syria, while Darcee from 409 TFS flew 13 missions. They were just two of the nearly 100 Canadian fighter pilots who flew combat missions between October 2014 and the time that combat operations ceased on Feb. 15, 2016. Mouse, a former Royal Navy Harrier fighter pilot turned RCAF fighter pilot, said, “[We] were right at the top of the list in terms of our accuracy.” During combat operations, CF-188s were armed with a variety of air-to-surface weapons, including 500-pound GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway II bombs for the first time, which allowed the Canadian fighter force to make an effective contribution to the operation.