The Pilot Project Podcast

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.

For episode 100, we have RCAF Commander Lieutenant-General Jamie Speiser-Blanchet on some early lessons learned from her career, modernization, global threats, and the future of Canada’s Air Force.

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.