The Pilot Project Podcast

Colonel Todd O’Malley begins a four-part journey through the history of Canadian tactical and special operations aviation. Now Director Air and Space at CANSOFCOM, Todd looks back on the unlikely path that took him from Sault College and an early setback in civilian flight training to earning his RCAF wings and joining 427 Squadron as a CH-135 Twin Huey pilot.
In Part 1, Todd explains how failure reshaped his approach to preparation, recalls the fighter-driven culture of 1980s Moose Jaw, and describes the disappointment of being selected for helicopters. He also takes listeners inside the demanding transition to rotary-wing flying, from hovering and auto-rotations to the hard-earned change in attitude that helped him find his place in tactical aviation. The episode concludes with advice for student pilots whose careers take an unexpected direction.
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Chapters
(00:00:00) Introduction and Welcome
(00:03:02) Meet Colonel Todd O’Malley
(00:04:37) What Drew Todd to the RCAF?
(00:07:48) Sault College and a Different Path
(00:09:29) Being Removed from Flight Training
(00:12:13) The Lesson That Changed His Career
(00:15:14) Pilot Training Culture in 1980s Moose Jaw
(00:20:34) Navigating Phase Two Flight Training
(00:24:05) Coping with a Helicopter Selection
(00:27:56) Why Helicopters Are So Difficult to Learn
(00:30:58) How a Helicopter Autorotation Works
(00:34:37) Learning from Hard Landings
(00:38:46) Re-Caging His Attitude Toward Helicopters
(00:41:35) Finding His Place in Tactical Aviation
(00:44:30) Arriving at a Grieving 427 Squadron
(00:45:30) Twin Huey vs. Griffon
(00:48:43) Making the Most of an Unexpected Aircraft Selection
(00:51:51) Final Thoughts and What’s Next

What does it take to lead one of the world's premier military aerobatic teams?
In the final chapter of our three-part series, Major Maciej "Match" Hatta takes us inside life as "The Boss", aka Snowbird 1 and Team Lead of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. From the demanding selection process and culture of trust that defines the team to the responsibility of leading eight other pilots in close formation, Match shares what it means to lead the team.
We also explore the remarkable people behind the scenes who make every performance possible, the legacy of the CT-114 Tutor, and why the Snowbirds continue to inspire Canadians more than 50 years after their first season.
Join us as we conclude the story behind The Boss.
Chapters
(00:00:58) Introduction and welcome
(00:03:34) What led you to the Snowbirds?
(00:04:50) Deferring Test Pilot School for the Snowbirds
(00:07:01) Why the Snowbirds were turning away jet pilots
(00:08:33) Can you become Snowbird 1 as a first-year Snowbird?
(00:10:07) Going through Snowbird selection
(00:17:23) Snowbirds formation cues
(00:23:34) Are you looking at your instruments during formation flying?
(00:25:58) What was harder than you expected on the Snowbirds?
(00:28:02) Match's mid-air collision
(00:37:33) Did they lose trust in you?
(00:38:54) Lessons from the first tour that still shape Snowbird 1
(00:40:58) Why return to the Snowbirds?
(00:44:42) What did it mean to become Snowbird 1?
(00:46:25) Does it feel different to be the boss?
(00:51:31) Selecting Snowbird 1
(00:53:19) The three qualities of a successful Snowbird
(00:55:14) Why Snowbirds have to be "always on"
(00:59:28) The people behind the scenes who make it happen
(01:03:55) What makes this season special?
(01:05:55) Why preseason flying went so well
(01:08:11) What can audiences expect this season?
(01:12:19) The canopy-to-canopy roll
(01:14:49) The legacy of the CT-114 Tutor
(01:17:51) What should Canadians take away from this season?
(01:20:20) Thanks and what's next!
CONTINUE THE FLIGHT
EXPLORE THE LOGBOOK
More stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilots.
https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes

After flying the CF-18 Hornet in combat and completing his first tour with the Snowbirds, Major Maciej "Match" Hatta set his sights on one of military aviation's most demanding challenges: Experimental Test Pilot School.
In Part 2 of this three-part series, Match takes us inside the United States Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base. He explains the mindset that separates test pilots from operational pilots, the relentless pace of the course, and what it takes to evaluate aircraft at the edge of their flight envelopes.
From deep stalls in the F-16 Viper and low level flying in the C-17 to testing the CF-18's AESA radar and helping modernize the CT-114 Tutor, this episode offers a rare look into the world of flight testing and the people responsible for pushing aviation forward.
Chapters
(00:00:58) Introduction and welcome
(00:02:06) AETE tryouts
(00:08:30) When was it time to go to Test Pilot School?
(00:09:39) Was there a specific school you wanted to attend?
(00:10:40) Moving to Edwards Air Force Base
(00:10:57) Experiencing Test Pilot School as a family
(00:12:28) How COVID changed life in California
(00:15:31) How difficult is Test Pilot School?
(00:18:39) Pilot brain versus engineer brain
(00:21:05) Who excelled and who struggled?
(00:27:30) The hardest part of Test Pilot School
(00:29:25) The mindset shift from operations to test flying
(00:32:53) Lake Mead touch and goes in the Albatross
(00:38:24) Deep stalls in the F-16 Viper
(00:42:12) Flying the F-16 as an extension of your body
(00:48:15) The Sidewinder low level route
(00:53:11) Singing the praises of the C-17
(00:54:06) Joining AETE
(00:58:05) Testing the Hornet's AESA radar
(01:01:45) The first live AIM-9X missile shot
(01:04:20) Rare moments at AETE
(01:09:01) Helping modernize the CT-114 Tutor
(01:16:06) Top test flight moments
CONTINUE THE FLIGHT
EXPLORE THE LOGBOOK
More stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilots.
https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes

Before he became Snowbird 1, Major Maciej "Match" Hatta spent years fighting for the chance to fly.
In Part 1 of this three-part series, Match shares the story behind his journey from Air Cadets in Milton, Ontario, to the cockpit of the CF-18 Hornet. He reflects on the VHS tape that sparked a lifelong dream, the vision issues that nearly ended his career before it began, the challenges of military flight training, and the determination that carried him through Moose Jaw, Fighter Lead-In Training, and operational service.
The conversation also explores flying NORAD missions, deploying on 22 combat sorties over Libya, and the lessons that shaped him long before he would one day lead the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
Join us as we begin the story behind The Boss.
Chapters
(00:00:58) Introduction and bio
(00:03:09) Where did aviation start for you?
(00:05:44) When did flying become the dream?
(00:06:57) The importance of Air Cadets
(00:08:48) Glider and power courses with Air Cadets
(00:09:52) From Air Cadets to the Canadian Armed Forces
(00:10:32) A charted path or uncertainty?
(00:11:16) Vision issues nearly end the dream
(00:14:51) How Match earned his pilot medical
(00:16:48) Keeping the dream alive
(00:19:39) Phase 1 flight training
(00:21:26) Arriving in Moose Jaw
(00:23:16) What kind of student pilot was Match?
(00:24:36) How Match stopped getting airsick
(00:25:36) What came naturally and what humbled him
(00:28:05) When fighters became realistic
(00:33:24) Jumping into FLIT
(00:37:34) What comes after FLIT?
(00:39:33) Learning the CF-18 Hornet
(00:43:53) The flying is not the mission
(00:44:23) Surprises of operational fighter life
(00:47:52) Flying NORAD missions
(00:55:47) Does air-to-air refuelling ever stop being intimidating?
(00:57:35) Flying 22 combat sorties over Libya
(00:58:37) The first combat mission
(01:01:32) Learning from mistakes
(01:02:46) How military flying changed his perspective
(01:07:02) Thanks and what's next!
Check out the video that started it all!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24Z1Q1JBnSk
CONTINUE THE FLIGHT
EXPLORE THE LOGBOOK
More stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilots.
https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes

Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Bray concludes our three-part series with a rare look behind the curtain of Canadian Special Operations Aviation. As the Commanding Officer of 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron, Chris explains how Special Operations Tactical Aviation Course (SOTAC) prepares aircrew for one of the Royal Canadian Air Force's most demanding environments, the qualities that define successful special operations aviators, and how the squadron continues to develop the next generation of capability.
We also discuss leadership, balancing family life with operational service, the Next Tactical Aviation Capability Set (NTACS), and Chris's vision for the future of Canadian Special Operations Aviation. This episode offers a rare perspective on 427 SOAS from the Commanding Officer himself.
CONTINUE THE FLIGHT
EXPLORE THE LOGBOOK
More stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilots
https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes
CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) Introduction and Welcome
(00:01:48) Inside the Special Operations Tactical Aviation Course (SOTAC)
(00:02:54) How SOTAC Changed Special Operations Training
(00:04:07) Learning to Fight Alongside the Rest of the RCAF
(00:05:57) Building the First Generation of SOTAC Graduates
(00:06:44) Creating Canada's Next Special Operations Aviators
(00:07:58) Preparing for the Worst Day of Your Career
(00:11:51) Keeping SOTAC Ready for Tomorrow's Missions
(00:13:19) Is SOTAC a Selection Course?
(00:13:40) Who Can Become a Special Operations Aviator?
(00:15:43) The Role of a 427 Squadron Door Gunner
(00:16:44) The Traits Every SOF Aviator Needs
(00:17:29) Choosing a Career in Special Operations Aviation
(00:20:34) What Separates Success from Failure?
(00:23:49) Driving Innovation Across the RCAF
(00:25:26) The Future of NTACS
(00:28:17) Balancing Operational Service and Family Life
(00:31:39) Supporting Families Behind the Mission
(00:33:28) What It Means to Command 427 Squadron
(00:34:01) Seeing the Squadron Through a Commanding Officer's Eyes
(00:35:02) Leading in a Flat Organization
(00:37:02) The Leader Chris Bray Strives to Be
(00:39:32) The Future of Canadian Special Operations Aviation
(00:41:31) How to Earn a Place at 427 Squadron
(00:44:27) Looking Back with Pride
(00:45:25) Final Thoughts