Kenneth M. Molson lecture series

Transcript coming soon

GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.  THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AT THE CANADA AVIATION AND SPACE MUSEUM FOR THE KENNETH M. MOLSON LECTURE SERIES.  I’M THE CURATOR HERE.  I WILL BE YOUR EMCEE AND MODERATOR FOR THIS EVENT.  OUR PARENT ORGANIZATION INGENIUM ACKNOWLEDGES OUR SITES ARE LOCATED ON UNCEDED AND UNSURRENDERED TERRITORY OF THE ANISHINABEG ALGONQUIN NATION.  ACROSS ALL OUR SITES, WE ARE TAKING STRIDES TO ADAPT AND IMPROVE THINGS WITH TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION IN MIND.  WE WELCOME DIALOGUE AS WE WORK WITH INDIGENOUS NATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
THIS EVENING WILL CONSIST OF FOUR PRESENTATIONS FOLLOWED BY A Q & A PERIOD WITH OUR SPEAKERS AND A RECEPTION AFTERWARDS.  PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT WILL BE IN ENGLISH.  FOR THOSE ATTENDING IN PERSON, BOTH LIVE FRENCH INTERPRETATION AND ASL INTERPRETATION IS AVAILABLE.  FOR THOSE ONLINE, CAPTIONS IN FRENCH AND ENGLISH AS WELL AS ASL IS AVAILABLE.  I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE CHRIS KITZAN TO THE PODIUM TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
[APPLAUSE]

THANK YOU, ERIN.  GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NAME IS CHRIS KITZAN.
[SPEAKING FRENCH   NO ENGLISH INTERPRETATION]
I AM ONE OF THE    I’M THE DIRECTOR OF ONE OF THE THREE…
WELCOME TO THE 2025 ADDITION OF THE KENNETH M. MOLSON LECTURE SERIES.  THIS YEAR, WE EXPLORE A CRITICAL AND TIMELY TOPIC, SOME WOULD SAY A “HOT” TOPIC.  YEAH, SORRY.  I’M KNOWN FOR ONE THING AROUND HERE, AND IT IS PUNNING.  THAT WAS A LOW GRADE ONE.
AERIAL FIREFIGHTING IN CANADA ON ROTARY WINGS.  AS WILDFIRES BECOME MORE FREQUENT AND SEVERE, THE ROLE OF HELICOPTERS AND DRONES AND SUPPRESSION EFFORTS HAS NEVER BEEN MORE VITAL.  TONIGHT, WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HEAR FROM LEADING EXPERTS WHO WILL SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES IN PILOTING THESE AIRCRAFT, ADVANCING FIREFIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES AND TACKLING THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF BATTLING WILDFIRES FROM THE AIR.
AT THE MUSEUM, OF COURSE, WE’RE DEDICATING TO PRESERVING CANADA’S AVIATION HERITAGE, INCLUDING THE HELICOPTERS THAT HAVE PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN SEARCH AND RESCUE.  BUT INGENIUM IS ALSO COMMITTED TO SHARING STORIES ABOUT CURRENT AND FUTURE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS.
TONIGHT, WE ARE HERE TODAY FOCUSSING ON AN ADULT AUDIENCE.  BUT WE ARE ALSO DEVELOPING AND DELIVERING PROGRAMS ON THESE TOPICS TO YOUTH.  IN RECENT YEARS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROGRAMS AND OUR FOCUS BY DEVELOPING INITIATIVES LIKE OUR DRONE ZONE, WHERE STUDENTS CAN COME IN AND LEARN TO PILOT DRONES AND EXPLORE THEIR REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS.
THROUGH OUR BROADER AIRSPACE EXPERIENCES PROGRAM, WE ARE ALSO WORKING ALONGSIDE GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIC PARTNERS TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS THAT INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF AIRSPACE PROFESSIONALS, TURNING CURIOSITY INTO CAREER PATHWAYS.  IN THE AIRSPACE ACADEMY, FOR EXAMPLE, STUDENTS UNDERTOOK A VARIETY OF DRONE RELATED CHALLENGES, INCLUDING USING MATH TO MAP OUT FLIGHT PATHS FOR DRONES IN FIRE AND RESCUE SCENARIOS.  THESE ACTIVITIES WERE DESIGNED TO SHOWCASE THE WAYS IN WHICH DRONE TECHNOLOGY CAN BE LEVERAGED TO SOLVE REAL WORLD PROBLEMS.
WORKING WITH INDUSTRY MENTORS LIKE OUR ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES HERE TONIGHT, A NUMBER OF THOSE STUDENTS ALSO ENGAGED IN EVEN DEEPER STUDIES OF DRONE TECHNOLOGY, RESEARCHING AND DEVELOPING SOLUTIONS TO SPECIFIC ISSUES FACED BY THE AIRSPACE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING SOME RELATED TO AERIAL FIREFIGHTING AND REFORESTATION.
THE STUDENTS RECOGNIZE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE AS A VERY LARGE COUNTRY AND WERE KEEN TO BRING THEIR CREATIVITY TO THE TABLE TO FIND NEW WAYS TO INNOVATE.  THESE PROGRAMS AND EXPERIENCES HAVE OPENED THE EYES OF THE STUDENTS WHILE ALSO OPENING DOORS FOR THEM INTO POTENTIAL CAREERS.  THESE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES WERE OFTEN VERY INVISIBLE TO THEM.  SO IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE EVENINGS LIKE THIS AND WE SHARE CANADA’S EXPERTISE IN INNOVATION.
WE ARE SIXTH IN THE WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO AIRSPACE AND INNOVATION, YET MOST KIDS, MOST CANADIANS HAVE NO IDEA.  THESE ARE ALL OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO SHARE THOSE STORIES IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
WE ARE NOW ACTIVELY WORKING WITH GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY AND EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS TO EXPAND AND TO DELIVER INTO OTHER PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES.  THE WORK OF AERIAL FIREFIGHTERS AND THE TECHNOLOGIES THEY USE ARE AT THE INTERSECTION OF HISTORY, INNOVATION AND EDUCATION ALL OF WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR MUSEUM’S MISSION.  WE ARE HONOURED TO BRING THIS DISCUSSION TO YOU TONIGHT.  AND I WANT TO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO OUR DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE.  I AM REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO EXPRESS A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE INGENIUM FOUNDATION AND TO THE KENNETH M. MOLSON FOUNDATION FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT IN MAKING THIS EVENT POSSIBLE.  ROBERT ELDRIDGE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE KENNETH M. MOLSON FOUNDATION, IS HERE TONIGHT.  FOR NINE YEARS, ROBERT, YOU HAVE GIVEN US OPPORTUNITIES ON NIGHTS JUST LIKE THIS TO SHOWCASE A WIDE RANGE OF FASCINATING TOPICS, AND FOR THAT WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL.  I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INVITE ROBERT TO COME UP AND TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  WELL, IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE TO SEE SUCH A GOOD TURNOUT FOR THE NINTH LECTURE SERIES.  AND WE’RE JUST DELIGHTED YOU CAN BE HERE, AND WE’RE MOST GRATEFUL TO THE MUSEUM AND TO THE INGENIUM FOUNDATION FOR MAKING IT ALL POSSIBLE.  AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE LECTURE SERIES AND HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT YEAR.  THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  THANK YOU, CHRIS AND ROBERT.  PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING OUR FIRST SPEAK OF THE EVENING.  DR. CHELENE HANES IS A PROMINENT FIGURE IN WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT, CURRENTLY SERVING AS A KEY EXPERT AT THE CANADIAN FOREST SERVICE, CFS.  WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN FIRE BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH, FIRE WEATHER AND IMPACTS ON WILDFIRE ACTIVITY, CHELENE HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS INFLUENCE THE FIRE REGIMES IN CANADA.  HER WORK AT THE INTERSECTION OF SCIENCE AND OPERATIONAL FIRE MANAGEMENT HAS POSITIONED HER AS A THOUGHT LEADER IN PROMOTING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES FOR WILDFIRE PREVENTION AND MITIGATION.
HER ROLE AT CFS INCLUDES ADVANCING WILDFIRE DANGER REDUCTION STRATEGIES, COLLABORATING WITH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS AND CONTRIBUTING TO MAJOR INITIATIVES THAT ADDRESS THE INCREASING COMPLEXITY OF WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE.  KNOWN FOR HER STRATEGIC THINKING AND DEDICATION TO CAPACITY BUILDING, SHE IS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN EFFORTS TO DEVELOP TOOLS AND MODELS WITHIN THE CANADIAN FOREST FIRE DANGER RATING SYSTEM     THAT WOULD BE BETTER AS AN ACRONYM    THE PRIMARY DECISION MAKING TOOL USED BY WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT.  PLEASE WELCOME DR. HANES.
[APPLAUSE]
>> DR. HANES:  THANKS VERY MUCH, ERIN.  THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME HERE TO SPEAK, AND THANK YOU ALSO TO JARED FOR GETTING ME HERE.  YEAH, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR COMING TO LISTEN.  WE HAVE A LOT OF ACRONYMS IN FIRE, BUT I’LL KEEP THEM TO A MINIMUM HERE.
NEXT SLIDE.  CAN I CHANGE THEM?  OH, HERE WE GO.  EXCELLENT.
SO JUST A GENERAL OUTLINE OF WHAT I’M GOING TO TALK ABOUT.  I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU GUYS A GENERAL CANADA WILDFIRE 101.  SO JUST SOME OF THE BIG SCALE THINGS THAT INFLUENCE FIRE ON THE CANADIAN LANDSCAPE.  THEN I’M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE FIRE REGIME ACROSS CANADA.  SO IN CANADA TYPICALLY THE AREA BURNED, THE NUMBER OF FIRES, THEIR SEVERITY, THE SEASONALITY OF FIRES THAT OCCUR.  THEN I’M GOING TO GIVE A BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE LONG TERM TRENDS WE’VE BEEN SEEING IN FIRE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.  SO IN BETWEEN EACH OF THESE SECTIONS, I’VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF EYE CANDY.  I TRIED TO THROW IN SOME PICTURES OF PLANES.  I’M NOT AN EXPERT AT ALL ON AERIAL SUPPRESSION.  THE FOLKS THAT WILL BE CHATTING AFTER ME, YOU CAN ASK ABOUT THESE DIFFERENT AIRCRAFT AND SUCH.  BUT HOPEFULLY I CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE OVERVIEW ABOUT FIRE IN CANADA.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FIRE, WE REALLY FIRST NEED TO TALK ABOUT FUELS, AND FORESTS ARE FUELS.  SO 362 MILLION HECTARES OF FOREST OCCUR ACROSS OUR COUNTRY, WHICH IS ABOUT 40% OF OUR LAND AREA.  THE BOREAL FOREST IS THE MAJORITY OF THAT.  APPROXIMATELY 75% OF OUR FORESTED LAND IS BOREAL.  SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT FIRE IS A NATURAL DISTURBANCE IN THE BOREAL FOREST, AND THAT BOREAL FOREST IS THAT GREEN AREA, THAT DARK AND LIGHT GREEN AREA ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTHERN PARTS OF OUR COUNTRY.
SO AS I MENTIONED, THE BOREAL FOREST EVOLVED AROUND FIRE, SO MANY BOREAL FOREST SPECIES HAVE SEROTINOUS CONES.  SO THESE CONES REQUIRE HEAT TO OPEN THE CONES TO DISTRIBUTE THE SEEDS, AND THEY REQUIRE MINERAL SOIL EXPOSURE TO REGENERATE.  THIS TYPE OF BURN SEVERITY REQUIRES VERY INTENSE STAND REPLACING CROWN FIRES.  SO YOU NEED THAT HEAT UP INTO THE CROWN TO OPEN THOSE CONES AND THEN YOU NEED THAT INTENSE FIRE TO BURN THE ORGANIC MATERIAL ON THE FOREST FLOOR TO EXPOSE THE MINERAL SOIL SO THESE TREES CAN START TO REGENERATE.
SO THE NEXT THING WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHEN WE’RE THINKING ABOUT FIRE IN CANADA IS WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE.  SO THIS MAP IS JUST SHOWING THE GENERAL POPULATION    WHERE THE POPULATION IS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.  WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 41 MILLION PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY, AND 90% OF US LIVE WITHIN THE 100 KILOMETERS OF THE U.S. BORDER.
SO WE SAW WHERE THE FIRES ARE, LARGELY IN THOSE NORTHERN AREAS.  THE PEOPLE ARE LARGELY IN THE SOUTHERN AREAS, BUT WE STILL HAVE THOSE AREAS OF INTERMIX OR INTERFACE WHERE WE HAVE FOREST INTERFACING WITH WHERE PEOPLE ARE.  THAT IS APPROXIMATELY 4% OF THE FORESTED AREA.
SO IT IS REALLY WHEN WE ARE THINKING ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE ARE, WHERE THE FORESTS OCCUR, WE HAVE THIS MAP HERE FROM MY COLLEAGUE LYNN JOHNSTON.  IT IS SHOWING THE RED AREA OF THE MAP IS WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF THE BURNED AREAS.  THE BLUE IS WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE.  WE CAN SEE MOST LARGER FIRES OCCUR AWAY FROM DENSELY POPULATED AREAS IN NORTHERN REGIONS, AGAIN WHERE THAT BOREAL FOREST IS OCCURRING.  AND THE INTERFACE AREAS ARE A BIGGER SUPPRESSION ISSUES BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE OUR VALUES ARE.  THAT’S WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE AND VALUES ARE.  SUPPRESSION IS MORE FOCUSSED.
AND THAT LARGELY INFLUENCES THE SPATIAL PATTERN OF FOREST MANAGEMENT IN CANADA, WHICH IS GOING INTO MY NEXT SLIDE.  SO OPERATIONAL FIRE MANAGEMENT IS CARRIED OUT BY THE PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES AND BY PARKS CANADA FEDERALLY ON PARK LANDS.  SO FIRE SUPPRESSION, THAT INCLUDES FIREFIGHTING CREWS, THE MANAGEMENT OF FIRES, COORDINATION OF RESOURCES AND EQUIPMENT LARGELY IS CARRIED OUT BY THESE FOLKS.  AND SO AREAS THAT RECEIVE FULL SUPPRESSION, SO ALL FIRES RECEIVE ACTIVE SUPPRESSION, IS ESSENTIALLY THAT GREEN AREA ON THIS MAP.
AND THEN MODIFIED SUPPRESSION IS IN AREAS WHERE MOST FIRES ARE LEFT TO BURN NATURALLY.  THAT IS LARGELY THE GRAY AREA ON THE MAP.  THIS MAP IS FROM A LITTLE WHY AGO, SO IT IS A LITTLE DATED.  THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO PRACTICES APPROPRIATE RESPONSE WHERE EACH FIRE IS INDIVIDUALLY DEALT WITH TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF RESPONSE.  BUT, IN GENERAL, IN THAT GREEN AREA, YOU’RE GETTING MORE FULL RESPONSE VERSUS IN THE GRAY AREAS YOU’RE GETTING MORE MODIFIED RESPONSE.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT GAVE YOU A GENERAL PICTURE OF SOME OF THE MAJOR FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE WHERE FIRES ARE OCCURRING.  NOW I’M GOING TO GO OVER SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIRE REGIME IN CANADA.
SO FIRST, WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT AREA BURNED AND NUMBER OF FIRES.  SO OVER 8,000 FIRES OCCUR EACH YEAR IN CANADA THAT BURN APPROXIMATELY ON AVERAGE 2 MILLION HECTARES.  SO THE MAJORITY OF THESE FIRES, SO 97% OF THESE FIRES ARE SMALL.  IN CANADA, WE CONSIDER SMALL FIRES TO BE ANYTHING UNDER 200 HECTARES.  THE REMAINING 3% OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FIRES THAT OCCUR REPRESENT 97% OF THE TOTAL AREA BURNED.  SO THE MAJORITY OF FIRES THAT OCCUR ARE IN AREAS WHERE SUPPRESSION EFFORTS ARE LOW IN THE NORTH AND WHERE EXTREME FIRE WEATHER IS COMMON, TYPICALLY IN THE NORTH AND SOME OF THE WESTERN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
SO NOW WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FREQUENCY, INTENSITY AND SEASONALITY, SO LESS THAN 1% OF THE FOREST LAND IN CANADA BURNS ANNUALLY.  WHEN I SHOW IN THE LATER SLIDES THE BURNING WE HAD IN 2023, THAT WAS 4% OF THE FORESTED AREA SO A LOT LARGER.  THAT IS TYPICALLY NOT WHAT IS BURNED EACH YEAR.
FIRE INTENSITY IS USUALLY LESS FOR SPRING FIRES COMPARED TO SUMMER FIRES.  GENERALLY SPRING FIRES, IT IS COOLER, THE HUMIDITY IS TYPICALLY HIGHER.  AND FIRE INTENSITY IS GENERALLY GREATEST FOR CROWN FIRES IN THE BOREAL REGION.  SO THAT PICTURE ON THE BOTTOM IS A CROWN FIRE WHERE YOU HAVE FULL ENGAGEMENT, TALL FLAMES UP INTO THE CROWNS OF TREES, VERSUS A SURFACE FIRE WHERE YOU JUST HAVE FIRE ALONG THE SURFACE OF THE FOREST FLOOR.
THE FIRE SEASON IN CANADA STARTS IN LATE APRIL, TYPICALLY, AND PEAKS IN JULY AND GENERALLY ENDS IN OCTOBER IN THE COUNTRY.  FIRES ARE CAUSED BY HUMANS, EITHER THROUGH RECREATION, THROUGH INDUSTRY, AND TO MUCH LESSER EXTENT, ARSON AND BY LIGHTNING.  HUMAN CAUSED FIRES OCCUR PREDOMINANTLY IN THE SPRING CLOSE TO POPULATED AREAS.  AND LIGHTING IGNITIONS ARE MORE COMMON IN THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN WE HAVE MORE LIGHTENING STORMS.  IN GENERAL, IT IS A 50/50 SPLIT BETWEEN HUMAN CAUSED AND LIGHTNING CAUSED FIRES DEPENDING UPON THE SEASON AND THE REGION.
NOW I’M GOING TO GO OVER SOME OF THE TRENDS WE’VE BEEN SEEING IN TERMS OF THE FIRE REGIME ACROSS THE COUNTRY.  WE WROTE A PAPER IN 2019.  IT LOOKED AT THE TRENDS IN THE FIRE REGIME FROM 1959 TO 2015.  AND THEN IN RECENT YEARS, WE HAD FIRES LIKE IN 2023, AND SO WE UPDATED THAT.  AND I’M JUST SHOWING YOU GUYS BEFORE WE PUBLISH THE UPDATE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE’VE SEEN.
SO ON THE Y AXIS ON THE LEFT SIDE, WE HAVE AREA BURNED IN MILLIONS OF HECTARES.  AND THEN ON THE OTHER Y AXIS, WE HAVE THE NUMBER OF FIRES.  AND THIS IS FROM 1959 TO 2024.  AND I SHOULD JUST NOTE THAT THE NUMBERS FOR 2024 ARE PRELIMINARY NUMBERS.  IT TAKES US A WHILE TO FINALIZE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED THE PREVIOUS FIRE SEASON.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT YOU TO POINT OUT    FIRST I SHOULD SAY THE ORANGE BARS ARE THE AREA BURNED.  THE GRAY LINE ON THE TOP IS ALL FIRES THAT OCCUR.  AND THEN THE BLACK LINE AT THE BOTTOM IS THE NUMBER OF LARGE FIRES.
SO AGAIN, LARGE FIRES ARE ANYTHING GREATER THAN 200 HECTARES.  THE ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS IT IS REALLY VARIABLE YEAR TO YEAR HOW MANY FIRES OCCUR AND THE AREA BURNED.  AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, ON AVERAGE, WE BURN 2 MILLION HECTARES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT SOME YEARS WE BURN A LOT MORE.  IF WE LOOK AT 2023, WE BURNED A LOT MORE.  PRIOR TO 2023, OUR LARGEST AREA BURNED ON RECORD WAS IN 1989 WHEN WE BURNED JUST ABOUT 7 MILLION HECTARES.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF FIRES, AGAIN, IT IS QUITE VARIABLE.  IT IS ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT IN 2023 WE BURNED A REALLY LARGE AREA, BUT WE DIDN’T HAVE A LOT OF FIRES OUTSIDE OF WHAT WAS THE NORM.  SO WHAT WE HAVE SEEN, AND I’M NOT SHOWING IT HERE, BUT I’M JUST GOING TO POINT OUT WE’RE ALSO SEEING FIRES ARE GETTING BIGGER.  AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, MAJORITY, SO THAT TOP GRAY LINE IS SHOWING YOU THAT ALL THE FIRES THAT OCCUR, BUT AS I MENTIONED, 97% OF THOSE FIRES ARE TYPICALLY SMALL.  SO THAT BLACK LINE AT THE BOTTOM IS THOSE BIG FIRES, AND YOU SEE THOSE BIG FIRES THAT ONLY MAKE UP 3% ARE WHAT MAKES UP THE MAJORITY OF THE ORANGE LINES IN TERMS OF THE AREA BURNED.
SO THESE GRAPHS HERE NOW ARE BASICALLY THE SAME GRAPHS I HAD BEFORE BUT NOW WE HAVE ADDED TREND LINES TO THEM.  SO WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE TREND OVER TIME, AND WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THAT THE AREA BURNED IS INCREASING.  IT IS ALMOST DOUBLED SINCE 1959, AND THAT IS CONTINUING OVER TIME.  WE HAVE ALSO SEEN THE NUMBER OF FIRES IS DECREASING, AND WE THINK THAT IS PREDOMINANTLY DUE TO THE HUMAN CAUSED FIRES.  WE THINK THAT IS LARGELY BECAUSE OF EDUCATION.  PEOPLE ARE REALIZING WHEN THERE IS A FIRE BAN WE SHOULDN’T BE BURNING AND RECOGNIZING THE IMPLICATIONS OF FIRES, PARTICULARLY IN THOSE INTERFACE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE VALUES PEOPLE CARE ABOUT.
WE ARE ALSO SEEING THE NUMBER OF LARGE FIRES IS INCREASING.  WE THINK THAT IS LARGELY BECAUSE OF LIGHTNING IGNITIONS.  THOSE LIGHTNING FIRES, BECAUSE THEY TYPICALLY OCCUR IN THOSE AREAS WHERE WE DON’T HAVE PEOPLE AS MUCH AND SO WE DON’T HAVE AS MUCH SUPPRESSION, AND WE OFTEN JUST LET THOSE FIRES BURN, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE.
SO NOW IF WE LOOK AT REGIONAL VERIFICATION, SOTHESE MAPS ARE    BASICALLY WE HAVE TAKEN THE COUNTRY AND BROKEN IT UP INTO AN ECO REGION.  SO THAT IS AN AREA THAT HAS SIMILAR VEGETATION, SIMILAR CLIMATE.  WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE ECO REGIONS WE CAN START TO IDENTIFY THE TRENDS IN TERMS OF AREA BURNED ON THE TOP SET OF MAPS AND THEN IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF FIRES ON THE BOTTOM SET.  AND IN TERMS OF AREA BURNED, THE DARKER RED COLOURS REPRESENT HIGHER INCREASING TREND IN AREA BURNED.  AND WHERE I HAVE PUT DASH MARKS ON IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE STATISTICALLY IN THOSE RESULTS.  IN THOSE AREAS WE’RE SEEING A LOT MORE AREA BURNED, PARTICULARLY IN BOREAL REGIONS, BUT WE ALSO SEE SOME REGIONS THAT ARE RELATIVELY STABLE.  BUT WE DON’T IN TERMS OF AREA BURNED SEE ANY REGIONS THAT ARE DECREASING.
WE DO SEE SOME AREAS THAT ARE DECREASING IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF FIRES, AND LARGELY I THINK THAT IS AGAIN TO DO WITH HUMAN CAUSED FIRES DECREASING.  WE ARE SEEING SOME STABILITY, BUT, AGAIN, NUMBER OF FIRES AND AREA BURNED HAVE BEEN INCREASING OVER TIME ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO WITH THAT, HOPEFULLY I’VE GIVEN YOU A GOOD OVERVIEW OF FIRES IN CANADA.  SOME TAKE HOME POINTS I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TAKE HOME WITH YOU INCLUDE THAT WILDFIRES IN CANADA ARE TYPICALLY LARGE.  200 HECTARES WHEN I TALK TO INTERNATIONAL COUNTERPARTS, THOSE ARE PRETTY BIG FIRES.
FIRE IS A NATURAL PART OF OUR FOREST ECOSYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY.  AND NOT ALL FIRES ARE SUPPRESSED.  THAT ISN’T POSSIBLE NOR IS ALL FIRE UNWANTED.  SO THERE ARE, AGAIN, REGIONS WHERE WE WANT FIRE TO REGENERATE THOSE FOREST ECOSYSTEMS.
YEAR TO YEAR, THERE IS A LOT OF VARIABILITY IN FIRE ACTIVITY.  NOT ALL YEARS ARE LIKE 2023.  WE DON’T EXPECT THEM TO CONTINUE TO BE LIKE 2023.  BUT THE TRENDS ARE SHOWING THAT WE ARE EXPECTING MORE FIRE ON THE LANDSCAPE AND THAT FIRE SUPPRESSION WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE GOING FORWARD.  WITH THAT, I’LL SAY THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  SORRY, I FORGOT TO PUT THIS ONE UP.  ANY QUESTIONS THAT AREN’T ANSWERED, WELCOME TO EMAIL ME ABOUT THEM.
>>  THANK YOU, DR. HANES.  THAT WAS SUPER INTERESTING, AND I THINK IT SETS US VERY NICELY FOR THE NEXT THREE PRESENTATIONS.  I WILL NOW WELCOME OUR SECOND SPEAKER OF THE EVENING.  NITIN SAREEN IS THE HEAD OF MARKETING WITH NORTH AMERICA AIRBUS HELICOPTERS.  NITIN JOINED AIRBUS HELICOPTERS CANADA IN 2008 AND HAS SERVED IN VARIOUS ROLES ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION IN CANADA, U.S. AND FRANCE.  HE HAS OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN SALES, MARKETING AN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACROSS AVIATION, AUTOMOTIVE AND CAPITAL EQUIPMENT SECTORS.
IN HIS CURRENT ROLE, HE LEADS NORTH AMERICAN MARKETING FOR BOTH CIVIL AND MILITARY LINES OF BUSINESS AND IS DEDICATED TO THE AIRBUS GOAL OF PIONEERING SUSTAINABLE AIRSPACE FOR A SAFE AND UNITED WORLD.  MR. SAREEN WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF AIRBUS AND THE WAYS AND WHICH THEIR HELICOPTERS AND HELICOPTER MODIFICATIONS ARE USED IN FIGHTING WILDFIRES.  PLEASE WELCOME MR. SAREEN.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  THANK YOU.  THANKS.
HELLO, EVERYONE.  GREAT TO BE HERE.  AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR INVITING ME AND SPEAKING ON THIS VERY CRITICAL MISSION.  SOME OF US FROM THE HELICOPTER COMMUNITY INDUSTRY WERE LAST WEEK AT WHAT WE USED TO CALL EARLIER HELI EXPO AND NOW IS CALLED VERTI CON.  PAUL AND I STILL CAN’T GET OVER THAT, BUT IT KIND OF SOUNDS MORE LIKE COMIC CON.  [LAUGHER]  BUT IT IS THE BIGGEST HELICOPTER SHOW IN THE WORLD.  AND WE WERE IN DALLAS LAST WEEK AND, OBVIOUSLY, WE SHOWCASED OUR PRODUCTS AND THE CRITICAL MISSIONS THAT WE SERVE WITH OUR PRODUCTS.
AND WE CAN’T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH ON HOW FIREFIGHTING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS BECOME EVEN MORE CRITICAL.  SO I’M GOING TO FOR THE NEXT 10, 15 MINUTES TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT OUR PRODUCT RANGE HAS TO OFFER WITH RESPECT TO THAT.
THEN, OF COURSE, I KNOW PAUL IS GOING TO BE SPEAKING AFTER ME, SO HE IS GOING TO PROVIDE MORE DETAILED INSIGHT INTO IT BECAUSE HE HAS AN OPERATION THAT BASICALLY DOES THIS EVERY YEAR WITH HIS FLEET ACROSS THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY.
I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT AIRBUS.  I HOPE EVERYONE KNOWS AIRBUS.  I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY SUMMARIZE WHAT THE AIRBUS GROUP IS ALL ABOUT.  YOU MENTIONED IN THE INTRODUCTION THE VISION OF AIRBUS, WHICH IS ALL ABOUT BASICALLY FINDING SUSTAINABLE AIR SPACE FOR A SAFE AND UNITED WORLD.
AND REALLY, WE CAN’T EMPHASIZE SUSTAINABILITY ENOUGH IN WHATEVER WE DO ACROSS THE AIRBUS GROUP, AND THAT BASICALLY TRANSLATES INTO HELICOPTERS AS WELL.  THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE IN THE DIVISION WE HAD THE COMMERCIAL AIRSPACE OR AIRPLANES DIVISION AS WELL AS THE DEFENCE AND SPACE DIVISION.
BUT COMING TO SUSTAINABILITY, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT REALLY    WE TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY.  IT IS NOT A BUZZWORD FOR US.  LAST WEEK, WE WERE DOING A BUNCH OF DEMONSTRATIONS AT VERTI CON.  WITH FOUR OF HELICOPTERS, WE DID ABOUT 64 FLIGHTS FOR 200 ODD CUSTOMERS.  AND ALL THOSE FLIGHTS WERE BASICALLY USING SAF, SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL, SO THAT WE CAN CONTRIBUTE OUR LITTLE BIT TO DECARBONIZING THE AVIATION SECTOR.  AND AIRBUS IS ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO THAT.
THEN, OF COURSE, SUSTAINABILITY GOES BEYOND JUST FUEL THAT WE PUT IN OUR AIRCRAFT OR OUR OPERATORS PUT IN THE AIRCRAFT.  SO WE THINK FIREFIGHTING GOES IN THE DIRECTION OF THAT SUSTAINABILITY AS WELL.  THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US AND WHAT WE ARE DOING AT AIRBUS HELICOPTER.
JUST TO TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT AIRBUS IN CANADA, OUR HERITAGE IN CANADA GOES BACK 40 YEARS NOW.  LAST YEAR, IN FACT, WE CELEBRATED 40 YEARS OF BEING IN CANADA.  AND, ACTUALLY, THE FIRST FOUNDATION OF AIRBUS GROUP IN CANADA WAS LAID BACK IN 1984 WITH MBB HELICOPTERS CANADA BACK IN THE DAY THAT PROVIDED A FLEET OF HELICOPTERS TO CANADIAN COAST GUARD WITH THE BO105.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE AIRBUS GROUP TODAY, WE ARE MAKING A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE CANADIAN LANDSCAPE.  WE ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE CANADIAN ECONOMY WITH THE REVENUE THAT WE HAVE UP THERE, WITH JOBS, THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT JOBS THAT WE HAVE AS WELL AS, AS YOU HAVE SEEN, YEAR ON YEAR AIRBUS FLEET IN CANADA INCREASED ACROSS FIXED WING, ACROSS HELICOPTERS AND ACROSS ALL OF THE OTHER OFF PRODUCTS THAT WE OFFER.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU JUST LAST YEAR WE WERE ALSO SELECTED BY THE CANADIAN AIR FORCE FOR THEIR NEXT FLEET OF TRAINING HELICOPTERS WHERE WE WILL BE PROVIDING OUR H135 TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION PILOTS WITH THE CANADIAN AIR FORCE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, A220 HAS BEEN A SUCCESS STORY.  IT IS BORN HERE IN CANADA.  AND IF YOU LOOK AT JUST THE LONG TERM FORECAST WITH THAT AIRFRAME AND THAT IS THE ONLY COMMERCIAL AIRFRAME, AIRLINE OUTSIDE OF EUROPE WHICH IS BUILT HERE IN CANADA FOR US.  IT CONTRIBUTES SIGNIFICANTLY INTO THE CANADIAN ECONOMY AND THE JOB LANDSCAPE.
NOW COMING TO    I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.  COMING TO HELICOPTERS, MY FAVOURITE.  SO HELICOPTERS DO A LOT, RIGHT?  WE ALL KNOW THEY SERVE MULTIPLE MISSIONS.  IF WE WERE TO LOOK AT THE CANADIAN LANDSCAPE FOR HELICOPTERS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL FLEET, THERE IS ABOUT 2500 HELICOPTERS THAT ARE OPERATING IN CANADA.  YOU CAN DIVIDE THEM BETWEEN TURBINE HELICOPTERS AND PISTON ENGINE HELICOPTERS.  SO THE BULK OF THEM ARE TURBINE HELICOPTERS.  THAT IS THE BUSINESS WE’RE IN.  WE PRODUCE TURBINE HELICOPTERS ONLY, SO THERE IS ABOUT 1800 OF THOSE.  AND 75% OF THOSE SERVE BASICALLY WHAT WE CALL THE COMMERCIAL UTILITY BUSINESS.  SO THEY DO A VARIETY OF TASKS, INCLUDING FIGHTING FIRES.
THEN THERE IS, OF COURSE, THE AIR MEDICAL SIDE, THERE IS THE PUBLIC SERVICES SIDE, WHICH IS INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT, INCLUDING THE RCMP THAT BASICALLY BOASTS A FULLY AIRBUS FLEET, AND THEN THERE IS OTHER SORT OF SEGMENTS IN IT, TOURISM, AERIAL TRANSPORTATION, WHICH IS PART OF THE LANDSCAPE.  SO BEFORE I DIVE INTO THE FIREFIGHTING SUBJECT MORE, I HAVE A LITTLE VIDEO TO SHARE WITH YOU WHERE YOU WILL REALLY SEE THE ESSENCE OF HOW HELICOPTERS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO BATTLING WILDFIRES EVERY DAY AROUND THE WORLD.
>>  SO THAT VIDEO LOOKS REALLY COOL, BUT FIGHTING FIRES IS ANYTHING BUT COOL IF YOU TALK TO OPERATORS AND IF YOU TALK TO PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE GROUND.
DR. HANES SHARED A BUNCH OF STATISTICS WITH YOU GUYS ALREADY, SO I’M NOT GOING TO SPEND TOO MUCH TIME HERE.  BUT AGAIN, WE LOOKED AT SOME DATA AS WELL.  WE OBVIOUSLY, AS AIRBUS AND AS HELICOPTER COMMUNITY, WE RELY ON THIS SECONDARY DATA THAT IS AVAILABLE TO US.  AND WE SEE CLEARLY THAT THE INTENSITY OF FIRES AND THE LONGEVITY OF FIRES IS INCREASING.  WHAT WE SEE GLOBALLY AS A TREND IS FIGHTING FIRES IS NOT JUST A SEASONAL THING ANYMORE.  THIS IS BECOMING A YEAR LONG AFFAIR.  WE HAVE SEEN THAT RECENTLY WITH WHAT TRANSPIRED IN LOS ANGELES.  AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE 2023 STATS THERE, BASICALLY THE FOUR YEARS THAT ARE LISTED HERE, 2023 EXCEEDED THAT IN TERMS OF THE UNITS.  AND THAT SHOWS THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS CRISIS THAT WE’RE DEALING WITH GLOBALLY.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, IN CANADA, IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT THE CANADIAN 2023 FIRE SEASON, THE CARBON THAT WAS EMITTED THROUGH THOSE FIRES WAS NEARLY 4 TIMES THAN ALL OF GLOBAL AVIATION COMBINED.  AND THAT IS ALL COMING DOWN ON OUR CITIES AND OUR TOWNS AND WE ARE BREATHING THAT.  SO THIS IS A MAJOR CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TREE LOSS, THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT FOREST FIRES THAT IS QUITE NATURAL.  FOREST FIRES IS NOT A NEW PHENOMENON, IT HAS EXISTED FOREVER.  BUT THE INTENSITY AND THE SEVERITY AND THE WAY IT IS INCREASING IS REALLY ALARMING, BECAUSE IF YOU SEE THE TREE LOSS WE HAD IN 2023 HERE IN CANADA ALONE, IT IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.  AND THAT, I CAN TELL YOU, GETS THE ENTIRE HELICOPTER INDUSTRY TO TAKE NOTICE AND TAKE ACTION.
SO NOW IF I WAS TO JUST QUICKLY SUM UP IN MATERIALS OF WHAT HELICOPTERS DO WHEN IT COMES TO FIGHTING FIRES, THERE IS A VARIETY OF MISSIONS THAT HELICOPTERS DO.  YOU PROBABLY SAW THAT TO AN EXTENT IN THE VIDEO THAT I PLAYED, BUT THERE ARE SOME KEY MISSIONS I LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT.  TRANSPORTING WHEN A FIRE INCIDENT FIRST SURFACES IS PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL ASPECTS OF USING A HELICOPTER BECAUSE THAT CAN REALLY HELP CONTROL THE FIRE BEFORE IT BECOMES BIGGER.  SO THROUGH INITIAL ATTACK TEAMS OR ANY OTHER SORT OF EQUIPMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO THE AREA, A LOT OF TIMES THAT IS INACCESSIBLE BY ROAD, HELICOPTERS PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE.
THEN, OF COURSE, AS THESE FIRES INCREASINGLY ARE HAPPENING CLOSER TO COMMUNITIES, BUILT UP AREAS, EVACUATION AND RESCUE IS ALSO A BIG PART OF WHAT HELICOPTERS DO.  AND THEN THERE IS THE RECONNAISSANCE AND MAPPING.  SO OBVIOUSLY, IDENTIFYING HOTSPOTS, MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE CREWS BECAUSE THERE IS A WHOLE ECOSYSTEM OUT THERE TO FIGHT FIRES.  IT IS NOT JUST THAT THERE IS A BUNCH OF HELICOPTERS THAT ARE DOING IT ALONE.  THAT REQUIRES A LOT OF COORDINATION BETWEEN THE GROUND CREWS AND PEOPLE IN THE AIR AND THEN OTHER SCIENTISTS INCLUDED PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO CURTAIL THE FIRE.  THAT IS ALSO A BIG PART WHAT HELICOPTERS CONTRIBUTE TO.
THE DEMAND AND COORDINATION AND THEN ACTUALLY ATTACKING THE FIRE ARE THE OTHER TWO VERY CRITICAL ASPECTS OF FIGHTING FIRES.  AND AS WE WERE TALKING TO SOME OF OUR OPERATORS EVEN LAST WEEK, WE DID A LITTLE PANEL DISCUSSION ON THE AIRBUS BOOTH WHEN IT COMES TO FIREFIGHTING HELICOPTERS.  WHAT IS REALLY EVIDENT IS THAT IT IS NOT ALWAYS ONE MISSION FOR ONE FIRE ALONE.  THESE MISSIONS EVOLVE VERY QUICKLY, VERY RAPIDLY, AND YOU NEED THE AGILITY WITH THE HELICOPTERS THAT ARE DEPLOYED TO BE ABLE TO REALLY CHANGE FROM TRANSPORTING FIREFIGHTERS TO PROVIDING SOME RECONNAISSANCE OR TO COMMAND AND CONTROL TO ALSO BUCKETING OR USING RETARDANTS TO CONTROL THE FIRE.
ALL THIS HAPPENS VERY QUICKLY.  AND YOU NEED THIS SORT OF A MULTI ROLE ASPECT WHEN IT COMES TO USING HELICOPTERS IN THAT DOMAIN FOR YOU TO MAKE AN IMPACT.  IF YOU SAW WHAT TRANSPIRED IN L.A., AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LOT OF EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT PLAY INTO IT AS WELL.  SO IT REQUIRES A LOT OF COORDINATION, A LOT OF SHARING OF BEST PRACTICES, AND ONLY IF IT ALL COMES TOGETHER CAN YOU REALLY HAVE A SUCCESSFUL SCENARIO IN CURTAILING THE FIRING AND CONTAINING THE DAMAGE.
I JUST WANTED TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU GUYS JUST TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HELICOPTERS THAT ARE USED IN TERMS OF FIREFIGHTING.  SO ON THE TOP BASICALLY IS WHAT THE U.S. FORESTRY SERVICES USES IN TERMS OF THE CATEGORY OF HELICOPTERS USED IN TERMS OF FIGHTING FIRES.  SO THERE IS BASICALLY THREE CATEGORIES, TYPE 1, TYPE 2, AND TYPE 3.
SO TYPE 1 ARE THE BIGGER HELICOPTERS THAT YOU SEE FIGHTING FIRES, GENERALLY WITH A LARGE CAPACITY BETWEEN 700 AND 3,000 GALLON CAPACITY TO USE FOR BUCKETING WATER    FOR DROPPING WATER OR RETARDANTS.  THEN, OF COURSE, YOU CAN WITH THOSE BIGGER TYPES ALSO CARRY MORE PEOPLE, AND THERE IS GENERALLY A LARGER USEFUL LOAD AVAILABLE IN THE BIGGER HELICOPTERS.  BUT THEY ARE JUST ONE PART OF ECOSYSTEM.
IF I WAS TO GIVE YOU SOME STATS IN TERMS OF HOW MANY TYPE 1 HELICOPTERS ARE USED FOR U.S. FORESTRY ALONE, THE AVERAGE OVER THE LAST 10, 12 YEARS WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE STATS WAS ABOUT LESS THAN 30 TYPE 1 HELICOPTERS USED.  BUT THEN WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE STAT IN 2022, JUST FOR U.S. FORESTRY, THOSE TYPE 1 HELICOPTERS USED WAS MORE THAN 100.  THAT ALSO THEN GIVES YOU A SENSE OF, AGAIN, WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN TERMS OF FIRES BECOMING LARGER, MORE RAPID AND LONGER.
THEN THERE ARE THE TYPE 2 CATEGORY HELICOPTERS IN WHICH YOU HAVE BETWEEN 300 TO 700 GALLON CAPACITY IN TERMS OF THE CARRYING CAPACITY FOR WATER RETARDANTS.  9 TO 14 PEOPLE IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU CAN CARRY.  AND THE NUMBER THERE FOR EXCLUSIVE USE FOR THE U.S. IS ONLY ABOUT 30.  AND THEN THERE IS SOMETHING NEEDED ON TOP.
AND THEN THERE IS THE TYPE 3 CATEGORY, AND THESE ARE, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE LARGEST NUMBER OF HELICOPTERS USED IN TERMS OF THE FLEET.
I THINK I’LL SKIP THAT BECAUSE I’M RUNNING BEHIND SCHEDULE.  BUT HERE IS, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SUMMARY IN TERMS OF WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT EQUIPMENT TYPES THAT ARE USED ON THE HELICOPTERS, SO THERE ARE HELICOPTERS THAT USE ON A LONG LINE A BUCKET TO DROP WATER.  THERE ARE HELICOPTERS THAT ARE FITTED WITH BELLY TANKS.  THEN THERE ARE SIRENS, CABLE CUTTERS, ALL SORTS OF OTHER EQUIPMENT TO MAKE THE PILOT’S LIFE EASIER, LIKE BUBBLE WINDOW SO THAT THEY HAVE THEIR EYES AT THE RIGHT SPOT THAT WE SEE ALL ACROSS OUR PRODUCT RANGE AND ALSO OTHER HELICOPTERS THAT ARE AVAILABLE OUT THERE TO EFFECTIVELY FIGHT FIRES.
I JUST WANTED TO ALSO MENTION TO YOU THAT WE ARE GROWING OUR PRODUCT RANGE TO INCLUDE EVEN DRONES ON THAT SORT OF A MISSION.  THERE IS A PICTURE OF FLEXROTOR, WHICH IS PART OF OUR PORTFOLIO.  THIS PARTICULAR DRONE HAS AN ENDURANCE OF, DEPENDING ON THE PAYLOAD, BETWEEN 12 TO 14 HOURS WHERE THIS CAN WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR HELICOPTER FLEET TO PROVIDE THE INITIAL RECONNAISSANCE AND SURVEILLANCE, WHICH AIDS FIREFIGHTERS TO PLAN.
AND JUST TO TELL YOU THAT THERE IS STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE WHEN IT COMES TO REALLY MODERNIZING THE FLEET FOR FIGHTING FIRES, NOT ONLY IN THE WORLD BUT HERE IN CANADA AS WELL.
TO SUMMARIZE, IF I HAD TO SAY A FEW THINGS IN A LITTLE PROVOCATIVE WAY IN TERMS OF WHAT WE REALLY NEED IN CANADA WITH RESPECT TO THIS, WE DON’T EVEN HAVE A NATIONAL AGENCY TO FIGHT FIRES IN CANADA.  THEN THERE IS A FLEET WHICH IS PRETTY OLD.  IN FACT, THE AVERAGE FLEET FOR UTILITY HELICOPTERS IN CANADA IS 37 YEARS OLD.  SO WITH THAT, YOU DON’T GET NECESSARILY THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY, THE MOST MODERN TECHNOLOGY TO BE ABLE TO TACKLE THIS INCREASING PROBLEM.
THEN WE ARE SEEING SOME RESTRICTED CATEGORY HELICOPTERS COME INTO CANADA, WHEREAS THERE ARE SEVERAL CERTIFIED HELICOPTERS THAT ARE THERE THAT CAN DO THIS JOB EFFECTIVELY.  AND WITH THAT, WE ARE KIND OF COMING UP WITH A DOUBLE STANDARD IN TERMS OF CERTIFYING HELICOPTERS BETWEEN WHAT THE TRANSPORT CANADA NORM IS AND WHAT IS BEING LET IN.
OPERATORS ACTUALLY NEED MORE GOVERNMENT SUPPORT.  I MEAN, ALBERTA PROBABLY INCREASED THEIR TARIFFS FOR OPERATORS FOR FORESTRY LAST TIME 10 OR 12 YEARS BACK.  AND THEN ENOUGH SAID ABOUT THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY.  THERE IS TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE THAT IS DEPLOYED ON HELICOPTERS IN DIFFERENT MISSIONS, BUT WE JUST NEED TO BRING IT ALSO IN TERMS OF FIGHTING FIRE AS WELL.  SO I THINK I’M OVER TIME.  I WILL TAKE QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AGAIN.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  THANK YOU, MR. SAREEN, THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING.  ON TO OUR THIRD SPEAKER.  PAUL SPRING IS CEO AND OPERATIONS MANAGER WITH PHOENIX HELI FLIGHT INC.  PAUL BEGAN HIS DECADES LONG EXPERIENCE WITH WILDFIRES AS A HELICOPTER AME AT THE KEANE CREEK ALBERTA FIRE IN 1980.  LICENSED AS BOTH A FIXED WING AND A ROTARY WING PILOT IN AME WITH OVER 15,000 HOURS IN THE AIR, 7 SUCCESSFUL AUTO ROTATIONS AND 49 YEARS IN AVIATION.
AFTER YEARS OF WORKING FOR ASSOCIATED HELICOPTERS IN FORT MCMURRAY, PAUL USED HIS VAST EXPERIENCE IN WILDFIRE WORK TO START PHOENIX HELI FLIGHT IN 1991.  NOT LONG AFTER STARTING PHOENIX, PAUL WAS INTRODUCED TO THE SCIENCE AND ART OF AERIAL IGNITION.  UNDER THE MENTORSHIP OF AERIAL IGNITION PILOT BILL BERESKA, PAUL GAINED A REPUTATION AS THE GO TO PILOT FOR AERIAL IGNITION OPERATIONS IN ALBERTA.  PAUL IS STILL ACTIVELY FLYING AND READY FOR HIS NEXT WILDFIRE CHALLENGE.  PLEASE WELCOME PAUL.
[APPLAUSE]
>>  THANK YOU.
OKAY.  GOT TO FIGURE OUT THE TECH HERE.  WELCOME, EVERYBODY.  GLAD TO SEE YOU OUT HERE ON A THURSDAY NIGHT HEARING ABOUT HELICOPTERS AND WILDFIRES AND AVIATION.  MY BIGGEST THANK YOU GOES OUT TO MY HIGH SCHOOL GIRLFRIEND, THEN WIFE, ANDREA.  IT IS HER BIRTHDAY TODAY, AND SHE LET ME COME AND TALK ABOUT AVIATION INSTEAD.
[APPLAUSE]
SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY.  SHE’S BEEN A SUMMER AVIATION WIDOW FOR MOST OF OUR LIFE TOGETHER.  SHE KNOWS THAT I’M GOING TO GO OUT AND FIGHT FIRES, AND I’LL BE BACK WHEN I’M BACK.  SO THAT IS JUST THE WAY IT’S EVOLVED.
SO THAT PICTURE THERE, PRETTY TELLING.  THE FOREST FIRE IS ABOUT TO OVERRUN OUR HANGERS IN FORT MCMURRAY IN 2016, SO WE BROUGHT OUR MEDEVAC MACHINE IN TO GRAB ALL THE FLIGHT SUITS, HELMETS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES WE COULD FIND BECAUSE WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BE STAGED AWAY FROM BASE FOR A WHILE BUT STILL PROVIDING MEDEVAC SERVICES NOW NOT FOR THE COMMUNITY, THEY HAD EVACUATED, BUT FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE RUSHING IN TO HELP TO FIGHT THE FIRES THE FORT MCMURRAY.
THERE YOU GO.  HELICOPTERS ARE THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE OF AVIATION OF FIREFIGHTING, AND THE REALLY BIG SWISS ARMY KNIFE.  IF YOU HAD ONE, YOU WANTED THE ONE WITH THE SCISSORS, THE TWEEZERS, THE SPOON, WE HAD THAT ONE, THE REALLY BIG FAT ONE.  WE TAKE ALL THE JOBS WE DO NORMALLY OUT IN THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR, AERIAL CONSTRUCTION, RECONNAISSANCE, MAPPING, MOVING PEOPLE, SEARCH AND RESCUE, MEDEVAC, WE PUT THAT TOGETHER IN THE FIREFIGHTING ENVIRONMENT.
NITIN HAD MENTIONED SOME OF THE CATEGORIES IN THE U.S. AND CANADA.  YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE WE HAVE THE FOUR BASIC CATEGORIES ON FIRES, WHICH IS THE LIGHT HELICOPTERS, BELL 206; THE SMALLER ONES, SMALLER HELICOPTERS, OLDER USUALLY; THE INTERMEDIATES, LIKE THE BELL 407, THE A STAR SERIES.  THEN UP TO THE MEDIUMS WHICH ARE BELL 212, BELL 205, SOME OF THE OLDER VIETNAM STYLE HELICOPTERS.  AND THEN WHEN WE GET INTO THE HEAVIES, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT K MAXES, SIKORSKY S61, 64S, NOW THE PUMAS, SO A 225 OR A 332 AND SO ON AND EVEN INTO CHINOOKS AND LIKE 214STS.
SO ALL THE JOBS WE DO UP THERE, I’M JUST GOING TO GO THROUGH THEM ALL SO I GIVE YOU A BASIC LOWDOWN.  I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE Q & A SESSION.  I COULD TALK FOR THE NEXT 8 HOURS ON HELICOPTERS AND AVIATION AND WILDFIRE, BUT I’M REALLY INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT YOU FOLKS WANT TO KNOW ABOUT.  SO I’LL GO THROUGH THE ALL THE CATEGORIES, WHAT WE DO, AND ANSWER QUESTIONS LATER.
SO PRESUPPRESSION IS THE ACTIVITIES BEFORE A FIRE STARTS, AND WE’RE INVOLVED IN ALL SORTS OF PRESUPPRESSION STUFF EVERY SPRING.  YOU SEE THIS PICTURE HERE, WE’RE PUTTING A BRAND NEW CUPOLA ON A LOOKOUT TOWER.  ALBERTA STILL UTILIZES A SERIES OF FIRE LOOKOUT TOWERS.  SOME PROVINCES HAVE GONE TO PATROL AIRCRAFT INSTEAD.  ALBERTA USES A MIX.
I’M GOING TO TALK MOSTLY ABOUT ALBERTA EVEN THOUGH I FIGHT FIRE ALL THROUGH WESTERN CANADA.  ALBERTA IS WHERE I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME IN THIS ROLE.  LOOKOUT SERVICING, THOSE PEOPLE NEED TO GET THERE IN THE SPRING TO OPEN THE TOWER.  THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR FOOD AND DRINKING WATER BROUGHT IN, TAKEN OUT FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS, ETC., ETC.
WE HAVE A RADIO NETWORK ALL THROUGH THE PROVINCE THAT HAS TO BE MAINTAINED.  SOME ARE VERY REMOTE SITES RUN BY SOLAR PANELS.  THEY HAVE TO BE UP AND RUNNING EVERY YEAR.  REMOTE WEATHER STATIONS TO KEEP THE INPUTS COMING INTO THE DATA CENTER SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT HFIS, THE HEAD FIRE INTENSITIES, ARE AND WHAT OUR DEAF MOISTURE CODES ARE, FINE FUEL MOISTURE CODES, ALL THE COMPONENTS THAT GO INTO DECIDING WHERE TO DEPLOY AIRCRAFT AND WHEN TO HIRE AIRCRAFT.
LIGHTNING DETECTORS, VERY IMPORTANT.  THEY TRIANGULATE LIGHTNING STRIKES SO THAT WE CAN CONCENTRATE OUR PATROL EFFORTS ON AREA OF THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF A START.  RAIN GAUGES HAVE TO BE READ AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR SO WE KNOW THE MOISTURE LEVEL IN THE SPRING.  AND, OF COURSE, HELICOPTERS DON’T RUN ON GOOD LUCK AND DAISIES, THEY RUN ON FUEL.  AND ONCE YOU GET OUT FIGHTING A FIRE, YOU NEED FUEL CLOSE BY.  YOU CAN’T BE TAKING AN HOUR TO GET FUEL AND GET BACK, THE FIRE WILL TAKE OFF BY THEN.
FUEL CACHES ARE STASHED USUALLY AT LOOKOUT TOWERS SO THE CREWS CAN COME BACK IN AND GET FUELLED FOR THEIR NEXT MISSION.  ONCE YOU GET INTO SUPPRESSION, OUR ROLES KIND OF SWITCH OVER.  WE HAVE INCIDENT COMMAND.  MOST OF THE PROVINCES ARE RUNNING THE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM, WHICH IS A STANDARDIZED HIERARCHY FOR ANY DISASTER, COULD BE FIRE, FLOOD, ANYTHING.
SO YOU HAVE RECONNAISSANCE FOR THE TEAM THAT IS MAKING THE DECISIONS ON HOW BEST TO ATTACK A WILDFIRE.  HELIPAD CONSTRUCTION, WHEN YOU GET TO A FIRE, THERE IS NO PLACES TO LAND, THE FIRST PLACE YOU FIND IS USUALLY THE ONLY SWAMP IN THE AREA WITH NOTHING THAT WILL HIT THE ROTOR BLADES.  AND THEN AFTER THAT, YOU’RE GOING TO WANT SOMETHING DRYER AND EASIER TO ACCESS.  SO THE CREWS WILL GET IN, START BUILDING PADS AROUND THE FIRE AREA PERIMETER SO THE HELICOPTERS CAN GET INTO DOING CREW MOVES AND LOGISTICS.
EQUIPMENT DELIVERY, FUEL DELIVERY, AND THE AT THE END OF THE FIRE, ALL THAT HOSE, ALL THOSE PUMPS, ALL THE HAND TOOLS ALL HAVE TO BE MOVED BACK OFF THE FIRE AND BACK TO THE WAREHOUSE FOR CLEANING FOR THE NEXT FIRE.
THIS IS A TYPICAL PICTURE OF A FIRE CREW LOADING UP.  THE TWO GENTLEMEN ARE STANDING ON A NYLON    OR POLY CARGO NET.  THEY ARE LOADING UP BAGS OF FUEL HOSE AND PUMPS AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES WITH A PUMP KIT.  THAT WILL BE PICKED UP BY A HELICOPTER AND SLUNG OUT TO THE FIRE LINE TO SUPPLY THE CREW THAT IS WORKING ON THE FIRE LINE.
SO AN EXAMPLE OF INTERAGENCY WORK, THERE IS SOME ONTARIO FIREFIGHTERS WORKING WITH AN ALBERTA SUPERVISOR AND ONE OF THE PADS BUILT ON THE EDGE OF THE FIRE AFTER SUPPRESSION EFFORT STARTED.  AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACKGROUND THERE BEHIND THE GENTLEMAN THAT WHITE PILE OF THINGS ARE CALLED MELON ROLLS.  THAT IS FIRE HOSE THAT IS ROLLED BACK UP IN KIND OF A MELON.  IT WILL BE TAKEN BACK FOR CLEANING AND THEN ROLLED UP IN A NICE ORGANIZED ROLL FOR REUSE ON THE NEXT FIRE.
CREW TRANSPORT, BIG ROLE FOR THE HELICOPTERS.  THE CREWS DON’T LIVE ON THE FIRE LINE.  WE’LL TYPICALLY SET UP, IF THERE IS ROAD ACCESS NEARER THE FIRE, SET UP A CAMP NEARBY.  IF NOT, THE CREWS WILL BE FLYING BACK EVERY NIGHT TO THE NEAREST ACCOMMODATION, A CAMP OR A TOWN OR A VILLAGE WHERE SOMETHING HAS BEEN SET UP AND THEN THEY ARE TAKEN BACK OUT TO THE FIRE EVERY DAY.  THAT IS A BC CREW LOADING INTO A BELL 205 HEADING EITHER OUT TO THE FIRE LINE OR BACK HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY.
AND PROTECTION OF TRAPLINES AND CABINS, ANYTHING OUT IN THE WOODS, YOU SEE A CREW FROM ONTARIO, THEY ARE SETTING UP A SPRINKLER SYSTEM ON A TRAPPER’S CABIN.  AND WE’LL SET UP A PUMP IN A NEARBY LAKE.  ALREADY THE SPRINKLERS ARE ACTIVE, AND THEY WILL CHECK ON THAT EVERY DAY JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT GENTLEMAN OR A FAMILY DOES NOT LOSE THEIR TRAPLINE CABIN.
BULLDOZERS PLAY A BIG ROLE WHENEVER THEY CAN BE USED WITH WATER TANKS ON THE BACK, ANY TRACKED EQUIPMENT, AND THEY HAVE TO BE REFUELLED.  SO ALL THE DIESEL FUEL KEEPING THE DOZERS GOING AND THE LUNCHES THE OPERATORS EAT AND THE CREW MOVES FOR THOSE OPERATORS ARE ALL SUPPLIED BY HELICOPTERS COMING IN AND OUT AS WELL AS THE DOZER BOSS FLIES AROUND ALL DAY KEEPING AN EYE ON THE DOZERS AND DIRECTING THEM ON WHERE TO GO AND WHAT HE WANTS THEM TO DO TO HELP SECURE THE FIRE LINE.
THIS IS A SATELLITE TRACK OF A HELICOPTER OUT.  I HAVE A FEW SATELLITE TRACK SLIDES JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE DAY WE SPEND IN THE AIR.  AND THIS IS A DIVISION SUPERVISOR JUST DOING RECON FLIGHTS ON THE FIRE WE’RE ON.  THIS IS THE FORT MCMURRAY FIRE IN 2016, SO IT MOVED FROM THE LEFT OF THE SCREEN THERE THROUGH TOWN AND OFF TO THE RIGHT.  FAIRLY BIG FIRE.  IT HAD MANY HEADS ON IT.  AND YOU CAN SEE THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF COLOURING THERE ARE CIRCLES.  SO THE HELICOPTER WAS DOING ORBITS.  THERE IS SOMETHING INTERESTING THERE FOR THE DIVISION SUPERVISOR.
HE WAS PROBABLY DIRECTING GROUND CREWS OR LOOKING AT ACCESS, AND WE SPENT TIME GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES AND THEN BACK TO A FUELLING LOCATION, WHICH ARE THE BOTTOM RED DOT OR THE TOP RED DOT WERE THE TWO FUELLING SPOTS WE HAD THAT DAY.
SO AS MENTIONED EARLIER, LIGHTNING IS A BIG CAUSE OF THE FIRES.  WE DO SEE LIGHTNING MAPS.  IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO HAVE 50 TO 150,000 LIGHTNING STRIKES IN ALBERTA AND BC IN ONE AFTERNOON.  YOU CAN END UP WITH HUNDREDS OF FIRES AT THE END OF THE DAY.  BUT IF YOU DON’T GET FIRES THAT DAY, IT DOESN’T MEAN THEY’RE NOT GOING TO START.  SOMETIMES THEY SLEEP FOR A WHILE.  THEY GET UNDER A CONFER TREE THAT PROTECTED THEM FROM THE RAIN THAT CAME WITH THAT THUNDERSTORM AND LIGHTNING.  THAT SPARK WILL GET AT THE BASE OF THE TREE.  IT GETS INTO THE DUFF LAYER, THE OLD NEEDLES, AND SMOLDER THERE FOR DAYS PROTECTED BY THE BRANCHES ON THE TREE.
IT WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE OFF AND START SPREADING AS A SMOLDERING GROUND FIRE.  AND SOMETIMES WHEN THESE FIRES COME UP, IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE HOW LARGE THEY ARE ON INITIAL DETECTION BECAUSE THE TREES HAVE PROTECTED THEM.  AND THEN WE GET A HOT WINDY DAY AND THE FIRE JUMPS UP AND THERE YOU HAVE IT.  SO LOADED PATROL IS A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO IN INITIAL ATTACK.  SO WE HAVE AN INITIAL ATTACK CREW THAT COULD BE DISPATCHED TO FIGHT A FIRE THAT HAS JUST BEEN DETECTED.  BUT IF WE DON’T HAVE ANY FIRES DETECTED THAT DAY, WE TILL GO OUT AND DO WHAT IS CALLED A LOADED PATROL.  SO WE HAVE AN IA CREW WITH ABOUT 300 POUNDS OF GEAR, A WATER BUCKET FOR THE HELICOPTER AND ENOUGH FUEL TO STAY OUT FOR ABOUT 1.5 HOURS.  WE WILL GO LOOK FOR FIRES.  IF WE DON’T FIND ANY, WE SIT DOWN, AND MAYBE THREE HOURS LATER GO OUT ON ANOTHER TOUR.
WE ALSO DO ASSESSMENT.  SO THE PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE, IF WE HAVE 80 NEW STARTS IN AN AFTERNOON, HAVE TO KNOW WHICH TO GO AFTER.  VALUES AT RISK PLAY INTO THAT, WHETHER IT IS HUMANS OR INDUSTRY AND THE TYPES OF TREES.  A CONFER TYPE OF TREE WILL BURN A LOT FASTER THAN A SMOLDERING FIRE AT THE BASE OF AN ASPEN STAND.  THAT IS A TYPICAL INITIAL ATTACK FIRE.  GET THERE, FIND THE SMOKE, DO A CIRCLE, DO WHAT IS CALLED A WHITE MESSAGE.  SO WE’LL CALL INTO THE OFFICE, TELL THEM WHAT THEY HAVE FOR TREE COVER, WHETHER IT IS A C2 CONFER STAND OR ANOTHER TYPE OF STAND THAT WILL BURN SLOWER.  THE SLOPE AND ASPECT OF THE FIRE AND THEN CARRY ON AND START FIGHTING THE FIRE.
AND THAT IS A LARGER FIRE.  YOU CAN SEE THE BLACK SMOKE COLUMN THAT’S STARTED, SO THIS FIRE IS ABOUT TO TURN INTO A CROWN FIRE WHICH IS GOING TO MAKE IT A LOT TOUGHER TO FIGHT.  SO WE CAN EXPECT THAT MORE RESOURCES WILL BE DISPATCHED TO HELP OUT THIS HELICOPTER CREW.  LIKELY BOMBERS WILL BE LAUNCHED AND A SECOND HELICOPTER.
HAPPY LOOKING FIRE CREW.  WE JUST GOT THAT FIRE OUT.  THAT WAS THE FIRST EC130 EVER TO FIGHT A FIRE IN NORTH AMERICA OR THE WORLD PROBABLY AND A NATIVE FIRE CREW OUT OF FORT CHIPEWYAN ALBERTA.
BAMBI BUCKETS, YOU SAW A LOT OF BAMBI BUCKETS.  THIS IS A CANADIAN INVENTION.  THE BUCKETS BEFORE THIS WERE HIDEOUSLY HEAVY AND HARD TO USE.  THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST INVENTIONS EVER IN FIREFIGHTING, AND YOU CAN SEE THEY’RE NOT THAT SMALL ONCE YOU START STANDING THEM UP.  SOME OF THEM WEIGH HUNDREDS OF POUNDS, BUT ONCE YOU FILL THEM WITH WATER, THEY PUFF UP NICELY AND A GREAT FIREFIGHTING TOOL.  ONE OF THE REAL ADVANTAGES WE HAVE.  AGAIN, THIS IS A WATER BUCKETING MISSION.  YOU SEE THE MACHINES ARE GOING AROUND AND AROUND IN CIRCLES, COLLECTING WATER, DUMPING WATER, COLLECTING WATER.  WE WILL DO THAT ALL DAY LONG FOR ABOUT 10 HOURS AND STOP FOR FUEL ABOUT FOUR TIMES.  NOBODY EVER GETS TO HAVE LUNCH OR GO TO THE WASHROOM.  YOU JUST KEEP FIGHTING FIRE.
THERE IS AN S61 WITH A BUCKET ON A LARGER FIRE.  THIS IS FORT MCMURRAY IN 2016.  YOU CAN SEE THE FIRE SORT OF IN THE MIDDLE THERE IS CREEPING UP ON BUILDINGS.  LUCKILY, THERE WAS A BEAVER DAM NEARBY.  THE HYDRANTS HAD ALL GONE DRY IN TOWN FROM FIGHTING RESIDENTIAL FIRES, SO THE HELICOPTERS WERE BROUGHT IN.  YOU CAN SEE THE ACTION WHERE THEY ARE GOING UP TO THE UPPER PART OF THE SCREEN THERE, UPPER LEFT HAND PART OF THE SCREEN AND GOING BACK TO A BEAVER POND TO GET WATER.  MANAGED TO SAVE THAT INDUSTRIAL AREA, ONLY LOST ONE BUILDING ON THE EDGE.
AS MENTIONED, THERE IS BELLY TANKS AND BOMBING.  SO YOU SEE A PICTURE OF AN S64 WITH A BELLY TANK ON IT.  YOU SEE THE HOSE HANGING DOWN.  AND IT HAS AN OPERATOR, CRANE OPERATOR AREA THAT LOOKS BACKWARDS.  I’LL GIVE YOU A VIEW FROM THERE, SO THAT IS LOOKING BACKWARDS BEHIND THE COCKPIT.  THAT BIG HOSE IN THE MIDDLE IS SUCKING THE WATER FROM THE LAKE INTO THE TANK.  THAT IS RETARDANT COMING OUT OF THE TANK ONTO A FIRE AS THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK OPENS UP.
THIS IS 9.6 HOURS OF CIRCLES.  WE ALSO DO A ROLE CALLED HELCO, HELICOPTER COORDINATOR.  SO WE FLY AROUND IN A SMALLER HELICOPTER DOING ORBITS DIRECTING THE LARGER HELICOPTERS HOW TO FIGHT THE FIRE.  AND AFTER DOING LEFT HAND CIRCUITS ALL DAY LONG, YOU GET HOME AND YOU’RE STILL GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES.  IT DOESN’T STOP.  AND THEY NEVER LET YOU GO THE OTHER WAY.  IT IS ALWAYS LEFT HAND. [LAUGHTER]
AERIAL IGNITION, AS MENTIONED, IT IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS.  THIS IS USING FIRE TO FIGHT FIRE.  IT IS A REALLY VALUABLE TECHNIQUE.  IN THIS CASE, IT IS A HELI TORCH USING JELLIED FUEL THAT IGNITES COMING OUT OF THE TORCH.  WE ALSO USE WHAT ARE CALLED PING PONG BALLS WHICH ARE REALLY GOOD IN THE SHIELD COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY STICK AROUND.  AND IT IS A PING PONG BALL WITH POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE INSIDE.  IT IS INJECTED WITH GLYCOL WHICH CAUSES THE PING PONG BALL TO START OF FIRE ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER.
THERE IS A GOOD VIEW OF THE TORCH UNDER A 130.  TANK OF FUEL AND IGNITION SYSTEM.  WE ALWAYS USE ROADS AS TIE IN POINTS.  SO OVER THE YEARS I HAVE SAT ON A LOT OF ROADS FOR FIRES TO CATCH UP AND THEN JUMP ON THEM AT JUST THE IDEAL MOMENT.
AND THERE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF BULLDOZERS WORKING TO MAKE A CAT GUARD, AND THEN WHEN THE WINDS ARE IDEAL, IT TOOK 8 HELICOPTERS WITH TORCHES TO BURN IN 52 MILES OF FIRE LINE ON A 1 MILLION ACRE FIRE NEAR MARIANNA LAKE IN 1995.  VERY SUCCESSFUL BURNOUT.
MAPPING AND RECONNAISSANCE WAS MENTIONED.  THIS IS A HELICOPTER WITH A CAMERA AND MAPPING SYSTEM ON IT.  WE USE SEVERAL TYPES OF THESE CAMERAS.  THERE’S LOTS OF DIFFERENT ONES OUT THERE, SIDE MOUNTS OR NOSE MOUNTS.  IN THIS CASE, YOU SEE SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY IN THE CABIN WITH THE PILOT.  THIS MACHINE IS JUST GOING DOWN TO JASPER LAST YEAR TO DO AN INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT OF ALL THE POWER LINES AND PIPELINES IN THE AREA AROUND JASPER SO THEY COULD START PLANNING THE REBUILD.
GETTING TO PEOPLE TO EVACUATE, SOMETIMES THEY DON’T WANT TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES.  WHAT THESE FOLKS DON’T KNOW WHEN I’M DOWN THERE TALKING TO THEM SAYING YOU’VE TO GO, THE ONLY ROAD OUT OF THE SUBDIVISION IS NOW IN FIRE.  IT IS DOWN THE VALLEY.  THEY’RE AT THE HOUSES THINKING THEY’RE GOING TO BE OKAY BECAUSE THEY’RE IN THE BLUE, BUT THEIR ESCAPE ROUTE IS FULLY BURNED OVER.  SO WE EVENTUALLY EVACUATED A WHOLE PILE OF DOGS AND CATS AND KIDS AND ADULTS.  WE DID NOT TAKE THE LADY WITH HER 8 DUCKS, THOUGH.  THEY WENT BY RIVER. [LAUGHTER]
AND, UNFORTUNATELY, HELICOPTERS AND AIRPLANES WORKING FIRES, LONG DAYS, HARD WORK, I WILL SAY I HAVE TWO CRASH PICTURES.  BOTH PILOTS SURVIVED.  AND IN BOTH CASES, FUEL EXHAUSTION.  IT IS A DAY WHERE YOU GET SO BUSY AND THEY KEEP THROWING MORE TASKS AT YOU AND SAY CAN YOU DO THIS, CAN YOU DO THAT.  SOMETIMES YOU GET A LITTLE PREOCCUPIED AND RUN OUT OF FUEL.  THEN THOSE PEOPLE NEED TO BE RESCUED AS WELL.
AGAIN, GENTLEMAN IN THIS HELICOPTER SURVIVED, ALSO THE PILOT OF THIS AIRCRAFT, A SASKATCHEWAN TRACKER THAT RAN OUT OF FUEL ENDED UP IN THE TREES.  VERY TOUGH AIRPLANE.  WELL BUILT, AND THE PILOT WALKED AWAY FROM THAT ONE.
BUT WHEN THEY DON’T WALK AWAY, WE’RE READY TO HELP THEM FLY AWAY STILL IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION.  SO MEDEVAC IS A CRITICAL ROLE.  WE CAN HAVE CHAINSAW ACCIDENTS OUT ON THE LINE, AXES, FALLING TREES HITTING PEOPLE.  UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS A MEMORIAL COMING UP SOON IN EDSON IN ALBERTA FOR A FIREFIGHTER THAT THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA LOST LAST YEAR.
AND THIS IS GOING TO BRING IT TO AN END.  AS I SAID, SWISS ARMY KNIFE OR A MULTI TOOL.  WE CAN DO IT ALL FOR FIRES.  IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE OUT THEIR IN WILDFIRE FIGHTING.  LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONS LATER.  THANK YOU.  [APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU, PAUL, THAT WAS REALLY FASCINATING.  WHAT A CAREER YOU HAVE HAD.  LOTS OF GREAT STORIES, WHICH I’M SURE WE’LL HEAR LATER.
NOW, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, OUR FINAL SPEAKER.  JOWETT WONG IS A CHIEF PILOT FOR STINSON AERIAL SERVICES.  JOWETT HAS BEEN FLYING FOR 7 YEARS AND HAS SPENT HIS PAST 5 SUMMERS FLYING DRONES TO HELP RESPOND TO WILDFIRES.  HE LEADS TRAINING FOR ALL STINSON PILOTS TO OPERATE DRONES BEYOND NORMAL OPERATING LIMITS UNDER SPECIAL FLIGHT OPERATIONS CERTIFICATES FROM TRANSPORT CANADA.  JOWETT LEARNED TO FLY DURING HIS TIME AS AN EMERGENCY PROGRAM SPECIALIST FOR THE CITY OF VICTORIA RESPONSIBLE FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.  HE IS ALSO AN INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AID WORKER, WORKING WITH THE TORONTO BASED NGO GLOBAL MEDIC AND HAS RESPONDED TO HUMANITARIAN CRISES WORLDWIDE.
HE IS ALSO AN URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE SPECIALIST AND TRAINS WITH A SEARCH K9 FOR THE BC BASED SEARCH AND RECOVERY DOG ASSOCIATION IN VICTORIA.  SO JOWETT ALSO HAS SOME INTERESTING STORIES TO SHARE WITH US.  I WOULD LIKE YOU TO WELCOME HIM TO THE PODIUM.
[APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.  THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR COMING, AND THANK YOU TO THE MUSEUM FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
SO I JUST WANT TO START OFF BY READING A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT STATEMENT AS WELL.  I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE INGENIUM CENTER AND OUR THREE MUSEUMS ARE SITUATED ON THE TRADITIONAL AND UNCEDED TERRITORY OF THE ANISHINABEG ALGONQUIN NATION.  WE APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO WORK AND LEARN ON THIS LAND.  WE ARE GRATEFUL TO ALL THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WE HAVE WORKED WITH THROUGHOUT INGENIUM’S HISTORY.  WE ARE COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING UPLIFTING AND DEEPENING THESE RELATIONSHIPS.
SO THIS VIDEO HAS BEEN SPED UP THREE TIMES.  IT IS FROM THE DRONE ITSELF, AND IT IS A LITTLE MISLEADING BECAUSE WE OFTEN    WE WORK EXCLUSIVELY AT NIGHT.  SO YOU CAN SEE THE VIDEOS ARE IN THE DAYTIME, BUT WE DID STOP FOR THIS FIRE BECAUSE IT WAS BEYOND WHAT WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR AND WE NEEDED TO CAPTURE THE DATA POINTS FOR IT.
SO WHAT YOU SEE IN THE LARGER VIDEO IS THE COLOUR CAMERA CAPTURING COLOUR VIDEO.  IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT IS THE THERMAL CAMERA THAT IS ACTIVE AND IS CAPTURING HEAT SIGNATURES WHICH ARE INDICATED BY THE WHITE DOTS OR THE WHITE BLOBS ON THE SCREEN.  SO YOU CAN SEE HOW EFFECTIVE A THERMAL CAMERA IS IN DETECTING HEAT EVEN DURING THE DAY.
WORKING AT NIGHT, THE REASONING BEHIND WORKING AT NIGHT IS WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR IS THERMAL CONTRAST.  SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE HOTTEST HOT AND THE COLDEST COLD GIVES THE CAMERA OPERATOR THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO SPOT HOTSPOTS IN A WILDFIRE OR ANY HOT OBJECT.
SO USING THE READY, SET, GO MENTALITY, I’LL WALK YOU THROUGH OUR COMPANY OR ANY DRONE OPERATOR AUTHORIZED BY BC WILDFIRE SERVICES IN BC GETS DEPLOYED.
SO THE WILDFIRE SEASON TYPICALLY STARTS IN APRIL.  NOT EVERY FIRE REQUIRES A THERMAL SCAN.  THE INCIDENT COMMANDER ON EACH FIRE CAN REQUEST A THERMAL SCAN BY DRONE OR HELICOPTER BY FILING A SERVICE REQUEST THROUGH THE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM.
THE VIDEO YOU’RE SEEING IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW FEROCIOUS A RANK 5 OR THE HIGHEST ACTIVITY FIRE CAN BE.  YOU CAN SEE THE EMBERS FEEDING OFF OF THE BURNING TRUNKS, AND THEY SPREAD FOR KILOMETRES.  AND GIVEN THE RIGHT CONDITIONS, WHETHER IT IS DROUGHT OR ENOUGH DRY FUEL, THE FIRE CAN SPREAD QUITE QUICKLY.
SO IN THE READY PHASE, IT IS THE OFF SEASON.  WE’RE DOING OFF SEASON PLANNING FOR THE WILDFIRE.  WE’RE GOING THROUGH OUR AFTER ACTION REPORTS AND PILOT REPORTS AND LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE OUR WORK FLOWS, THE COMPUTER WORK FOR TRAINING, FLYING AT NIGHT, FIGHTING WILDFIRES TAKES A LOT OF TRAINING.  WE’RE ALSO WORKING ON OTHER CLIENT PROJECTS.  WE DON’T EXCLUSIVELY WORK FOR BC WILDFIRE.  WE HAVE A LOT OF FIRST NATIONS CLIENTS, LAND MANAGEMENT, INDUSTRY, FORESTRY PROJECTS WE WORK ON.  WE ALSO HAVE AN EDUCATION ARM TO TRAIN PILOTS IN TRAINING TO BECOME BASIC AND ADVANCED PILOTS THROUGH TRANSPORT CANADA.
SO THE TWO PICTURES YOU’RE SEEING ON THE RIGHT ARE THE SAME PICTURE.  AGAIN, THE TOP IS A COLOUR CAMERA, BIT WE’RE OBVIOUSLY FLYING AT NIGHT.  AND ALL YOU CAN SEE IS THE HEADLIGHTS KIND OF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PICTURE.  AND IN THE BOTTOM IS THE EXACT SAME PICTURE, BUT IT’S TAKEN WITH A THERMAL CAMERA.  IN THIS CASE, THE WHITE IS INDICATING HIGHER SOURCES OF HEAT, BUT THE RED THAT YOU SEE IS THE HIGHEST SOURCE OF HEAT.  SO YOU CAN SEE THE HOOD OF THE ENGINE, TO THE REAR OF THE TRUCK IS A GENERATOR THAT WE RUN TO PROVIDE POWER, AND THE RED DOTS AT THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK ARE PEOPLE OR THE DRONE CREW THAT ARE OPERATING THE DRONE.
IN THE SET PHASE, WE HAVE RECEIVED A REQUEST FOR SERVICE.  SO BC WILDFIRE INCIDENT COMMANDER HAS REQUESTED OUR SERVICES.  WE’RE ONE OF FOUR COMPANIES THAT ARE AUTHORIZED TO FLY WILDFIRES IN BC.  WE ARRIVE WITHIN 24 HOURS, AND WE GET A BRIEFING FROM THE INCIDENT COMMANDER OR THEIR DESIGNATED PERSON.  WE SIGN IN AND RECEIVE SAFETY BRIEFINGS AND OPERATIONAL BRIEFINGS.  SO SAFETY BRIEFINGS ARE WILDLIFE ACTIVITY, A CLASSIFICATION OF THE FIRE ITSELF, WHAT RANK THE FIRE IS, EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, IF ONE OF US HAPPENS TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT.
OPERATIONAL BRIEFINGS ARE MORE RELATED TO THE FIRE ITSELF.  WHAT DOES THE INCIDENT COMMANDER WANT TO SEE FROM THE DRONE SCANS, WHETHER IT IS A PERIMETER SCAN, SO JUST FLYING AROUND THE FIRE, MAYBE A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET ON THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE, OR WHETHER THEY WANT AN ENTIRE SCAN OF THE FIRE, SO THE INTERIOR OF THE FIRE COMPLETELY SCANNED.
AGAIN, THESE PICTURES ARE ALL THE SAME PICTURE.  THE TOP PICTURE IS THE COLOUR PICTURE THAT A COLOUR CAMERA WOULD CAPTURE.  IN THE BOTTOM LEFT PICTURE IS THE THERMAL CAMERA.  YOU CAN SEE THERE IS A RED OBJECT.  THAT IS ACTUALLY A DEER.  AND IT IS THE HOTTEST THING IN THE PICTURE, SO IT IS INDICATING AS A RED OBJECT.  AND THE BOTTOM RIGHT PICTURE IS A ZOOMED IN PICTURE OF THE DEER ITSELF.  I’M NOT SURE IF YOU CAN MAKE IT OUT THERE, BUT THERE IS A DEER THERE.
SO DURING OUR OPERATIONAL BRIEFING WITH THE INCIDENT DEMANDER, WE RECEIVE WHAT IS CALLED A FIRE PERIMETER.  A FIRE PERIMETER IS OFTEN GIVEN TO US IN A SHAPE FILE.  FOR PEOPLE WHO KNOW COMPUTERS, IT IS A KMZ OR KML FILE AND WE LOAD IT INTO OUR LAPTOPS AND WE GET WHAT YOU SEE UP THERE ON THE LEFT.  THE FIRE PERIMETER ITSELF IS DRAWN IN RED.  IT INDICATES THE OUTER PERIMETER OF A FIRE.  THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT IS A COMPLEX.  SO THERE IS A SERIES OF FIRES WITHIN THE SAME REGION MAKING IT A COMPLEX FIRE.  AND WHAT WE DO IS WE CONVERT THE KML WE RECEIVED FROM THE INCIDENT COMMANDER INTO WHAT WE CAN FEED INTO OUR DRONE CONTROLLER, AND WE GET AN IMAGE OR MAP FILE THAT YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT.
AND WE USE THAT TO FLY THE FIRE ITSELF.  WE FLY MANUALLY, SO IT IS A PILOT CONSTANTLY CONTROLLING THE DRONE.  WE DON’T AUTOMATE OUR MISSIONS.  WE FIND WE FIND MORE HOTSPOTS THAT WAY, AND IT IS AN ADDED DEGREE OF SAFETY RATHER THAN RELYING ON AUTOMATED FLIGHTS AND THE SENSORS THEMSELVES ON THE DRONES TO AVOID COLLISIONS.
IN THE GO PHASE, WE’RE DEPLOYING.  WE HAVE LOADED THE TRUCK.  WE HAVE DONE OUR INTERNAL SAFETY BRIEFINGS.  WE HAVE ENSURED THERE IS COMMUNICATIONS IN PLAY, WHETHER IT IS A RADIO CHECK IN OR WE HAVE SATELLITE MESSENGERS TO CHECK IN WITH OUR COMPANY AND DISPATCH.  SAFETY FIRST ALWAYS.  IF WE DETERMINE THAT THE FIRE IS TOO DANGEROUS OR THERE IS NO ACCESS OR EGRESS POINTS THAT WE CAN USE, WE’LL HAVE TO REASSESS THE FIRE ITSELF, AND WE’LL HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE INCIDENT COMMANDER.  AND WHETHER WE INSERT BY HELICOPTER OR BY ATV, IT IS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS.  BUT SAFETY IS ALWAYS OUR PRIMARY CONCERN.  IF IT IS NOT SAFE, WE’RE NOT GOING TO DO IT.
AGAIN, WE FLY EXCLUSIVELY AT NIGHT BECAUSE WE’RE LOOKING FOR THAT THERMAL CONTRAST.  IT GIVES THINGS IN THE ENVIRONMENT A CHANCE TO COOL DOWN AT NIGHT USUALLY.  SOMETIMES WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A HEAT DOME OR HEAT WAVE, AND THINGS IN THE ENVIRONMENT CAN STILL BE QUITE HOT AT NIGHT, UNFORTUNATELY, MAKING OUR JOB THAT MUCH HARDER AND RELYING ON THE CAMERA OPERATOR, THE PAYLOAD OPERATOR TO FOCUS IN ON THE JOB THAT MUCH MORE.
AGAIN, WE’RE LOOKING EITHER AT A PERIMETER SCAN OR AN AREA SCAN.  SO PERIMETER SCAN WE’RE FLYING A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE PERIMETER LOOKING FOR HOTSPOTS OR EMBERS THAT HAVE ESCAPED THE FIRE LINE.  AN AREA SCAN WOULD BE THE INCIDENT COMMANDER WANTS US TO FLY THE ENTIRE FIRE ITSELF.  SO DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE FIRE, IT MAY TAKE SEVERAL DAYS TO COMPLETE AN AREA SCAN OF A FIRE.
AND WE WORK ON 14 DAY ROTATIONS, SO WE CAN WORK FOR 14 DAYS IN A ROW, AND WE HAVE MANDATORY TWO DAYS OFF.  SO SPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE FIRE OR WHETHER IT IS A COMPLEX FIRE OR MULTIPLE FIRES IN THE SAME AREA, WE CAN BE ON THE SAME SETS OF FIRES FOR 14 DAYS IN A ROW OR BEYOND.  AND IF WE HIT THAT MARK, WE HAVE TO DO A CREW ROTATION, AND WE’LL SWAP OUT CREWS WHO ARE FRESH FROM THE OFFICE.
SO THIS IS THE DRONE WE USE.  IT IS CALLED A M30T.  DJI IS THE MANUFACTURER, AND M30T IS THE MODEL.  IT IS A FAIRLY COMPACT DRONE, AND IT IS MEANT FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE.  SO EVERYTHING ON THE DRONE ITSELF FOLDS IN ON ITSELF, SO THE BATTERY CASE AND THE STORAGE CASE IS QUITE SMALL.
YOU CAN SEE A 3D RENDERING ON THE TOP, AND ON THE BOTTOM TWO VIDEOS IS ACTUALLY MYSELF GOING THROUGH PREFLIGHT CHECKS, CHECKING THE DRONE AND ACTUALLY TAKING OFF ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, BOTTOM RIGHT VIDEO.
SO THIS IS WHAT THE PILOT SEES.  THIS IS ACTUALLY THE CONTROLLER.  I DID A SCREEN CAPTURE BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO HAND IN THIS PRESENTATION ON THURSDAY.  IT WAS YARD BURN DAY WHERE WE’RE ALLOWED TO BURN YARD WASTE IN THE MUNICIPALITY THAT I LIVE IN.  SO I RECORDED THIS SCREEN CAPTURE OF THE THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA IN PLAY, AND I’VE BEEN SWITCHING BETWEEN THE COLOUR CAMERA AND THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA.
WHAT YOU WANT TO TAKE NOTE OF IS THERE IS A LOT OF MOVING NUMBERS.  THE DRONE ITSELF IS IN A HOVER POSITION RIGHT NOW, SO NOT A LOT OF NUMBERS ARE MOVING.  BUT AS A PILOT, YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE OF A LOT OF DATA COMING AT YOU, THE TELEMETRY, THE WIND SPEED, WHAT THE CAMERAS ARE TELLING YOU, AND OF COURSE BEING AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS.  AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, A LOT OF WILDFIRES HAPPEN IN REMOTE AREAS.  SO WHETHER YOU ARE WORKING IN AN ACTIVE ROAD OR HAVE TO BE AWARE OF WILDLIFE, THERE IS SO MUCH INFORMATION COMING AT THE PILOT.
NOT ONLY IS IT DRAINING TO WORK OVERNIGHTS, THE INFORMATION MENTALLY IS QUITE DRAINING, SO WE CONSTANTLY ROTATE PILOTS.  AND WE’RE ALSO DOING CHECK INS WITH EACH OTHER ASKING IF THEY WANT TO SWITCH OFF OR THEY WANT TO TAKE TIME OFF, SIT IN THE TRUCK AND WARM UP.  IRONICALLY, SOMETIMES FIRES HAPPEN IN REMOTE AREAS IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND IT CAN GET COLD JUST STANDING THERE FLYING A DRONE.
SO AT THE END OF THE NIGHT, THIS IS WHAT WE COME UP WITH.  IN THE MIDDLE, THERE IS A MAP.  IT IS WHAT IS CALLED A GEO REFERENCED MAP.  WHAT A FIREFIGHTER DOES IS THEY LOAD IT ONTO THEIR PHONE OR THEY DOWNLOAD IT WHEN THEY’RE IN WIFI RANGE OR CELLULAR RANGE.  AND IT IS ACTUALLY A PDF FILE, ANYWHERE BETWEEN 5 AND 10 MEGABYTES, SO FAIRLY SMALL.  AND THEY LOAD IT INTO A PROGRAM THAT WILL TURN THAT PHONE, EVEN IF IT IS OFFLINE WITH NO WIFI OR CELLULAR RECEPTION INTO A GPS TRACKING.  AND THEY WILL APPEAR AS A BLUE DOT ON THE MAP IF THEY’RE IN THE AREA.  AND THEIR JOB WILL BE TO GO TO EVERY RED DOT ON THE MAP.
I DON’T KNOW IF YOU MAKE IT OUT.  BUT WE DID A PERIMETER SCAN, SO ALL THE RED DOTS ARE WITHIN PROBABLY 400 FEET OF THE RED LINE.  IT IS THE FIREFIGHTERS JOBS TO PUT OUT    FIND THE HOTSPOTS AND THEN TO EXTINGUISH THEM.  ALSO HELICOPTERS PILOTS LIKE PAUL CAN BUCKET WATER USING OUR HOTSPOT MAP TO NARROW DOWN WHERE HOTSPOTS NEED TO BE EXTINGUISHED.  AGAIN, THE VIDEO HAS BEEN SPED UP THREE TIMES, SO THEY’RE NOT ACTUALLY FLYING THAT FAST.
AND THEN, IN CLOSING, WILDFIRE DRONE FLIGHTS ARE SOME OF THE MOST CHALLENGING FLYING A DRONE PILOT CAN PERFORM.  I WOULD LIKE TO IMPRESS ON YOU THAT DRONES AREN’T JUST A TOY.  YES, THEY ARE A TOY.  YOU CAN SPEND $50 TO SKY IS THE LIMIT FOR DRONES IN TERMS OF THE RUGGEDNESS AND WHAT APPLICATIONS YOU’RE USING.  OBVIOUSLY, MILITARY DRONES ARE ON THE HIGHER END OF COST.  THE DRONES WE USE RUN ANYWHERE BETWEEN 15 AND $20,000.  AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU HAVE TO EQUIP THEM WITH BATTERIES, CHARGING STATIONS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
BUT THE FLYING AT NIGHT BEYOND LINE OF SIGHT AND IN VERY CHALLENGING CONDITIONS IS VERY TRYING.  SO NOT JUST A NEW PILOT    IT IS NOT SOMETHING A NEW PILOT CAN DO ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT A LOT OF TRAINING AND PRACTICE.
WILDFIRE DRONE FLIGHTS, THERE ARE MANY HAZARDS, ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, THE MENTALLY DRAINING CAPACITY OF THE CONSTANT INFORMATION THAT IS COMING TOWARDS A DRONE PILOT.  AND ONE OF THE MAJOR HAZARDS IS DRIVING.  SOMETIMES THERE ARE NO ACCOMMODATIONS OR WE HAVE TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES TO GET TO THE FIRE.  AND THEN AT THE END OF THE NIGHT, WE HAVE TO TRAVEL THAT SAME DISTANCE BACK TO OUR ACCOMMODATIONS WHERE WE’RE WITHIN WIFI RANGE TO CREATE THE GEO REFERENCED MAP FOR FIREFIGHTERS AND TO PROVIDE THE MAP TO THE FIREFIGHTERS’ EMAIL INBOX IN THE MORNING.
DRONE PILOTS WHO FLY WILDFIRES MUST BE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND EXPERIENCED.  BUT AT THE SAME TIME, DESPITE ALL THE DANGERS AND HAZARDS, IT CAN BE SOME OF THE MOST REWARDING WORK.  I HAVE SEEN PLACES VERY FEW HAVE SEEN IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, AND THERE IS JUST SO MUCH OF BC THAT I DIDN’T KNOW WAS OUT THERE BEFORE I STARTED FLYING.
THE VIDEO IS KIND OF HARD TO MAKE OUT.  THIS IS WHAT A DRONE PILOT CAN SEE.  IT IS TWO VIDEOS COMBINED.  THERE IS A LEFT AND A RIGHT VIDEO.  AND THAT IS LITERALLY ALL YOU SEE AS YOU LAND.
THERE ARE LANDING LIGHTS AS YOU APPROACH APPROXIMATELY 10 METRES ABOVE GROUND, AND THEY DO LIGHT UP.  BUT AS YOU ARE LANDING, YOU CAN ONLY SEE THE TRUCK IF WE HAVE LEFT IT RUNNING, ITS TAILLIGHTS.  SOMETIMES WE USE AVE LIGHTING IF WE KNOW WE ARE GOING TO BE THERE FOR A WHILE, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT IS QUITE CHALLENGING TO LAND IN WILDFIRE CONDITIONS.
ON THE RIGHT HAND VIDEO, IT IS LANDING AGAIN AT NIGHT, BUT IT IS HARD TO SEE, BUT THERE ARE CLOUDS OF MOSQUITOS.  IT IS ANOTHER ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD THAT WE FACE.  AND FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, THE MOSQUITOS ARE QUITE ATTRACTED TO ME.  SO MY TEAMMATES LOVE IT WHEN I’M WITH THEM BECAUSE I’M THE GUY THAT GETS BIT.
AND THIS IS MY CONTACT INFORMATION AND OUR COMPANY’S CONTACT INFORMATION IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO MY BOSS AND COMPLAIN ABOUT ME OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
[LAUGHTER]
BUT THIS PICTURE ON THE RIGHT IS ONE OF THE FIRST PICTURES I HAVE EVER TOOK ON A WILDFIRE.  IT WAS DURING MY FIRST SEASON.  I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS GETTING INTO.  IT WAS QUITE A HARSH SEASON.  I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHAT CONDITIONS WE WOULD BE WORKING UNDER.  WE ARE DRIVING INTO DANGER, SO THE PICTURE IS QUITE SYMBOLIC AND QUITE MEANINGFUL TO ME.  AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AGAIN.
[APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, JOWETT.  NOW WE’RE GOING TO MOVE INTO THE Q & A PERIOD.  I’M SURE YOU HAVE MANY BURNING QUESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO    HA HA, I HAD TO DO IT    THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK OUR PRESENTERS.  SO I’M GOING TO INVITE THEM TO JOIN ME ON THE STAGE UP HERE, AND WE WILL BEGIN.
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAVE BECAUSE THESE LIGHTS ARE INTENSE.  WE HAVE A QUESTION.
>>  [INAUDIBLE]
>>  WE HAVE OUR PILOTS ON SHIFTS SO WE’RE ON WHAT IS TYPICALLY A CALL WHEN NEEDED CONTRACT SO WITH SASKATCHEWAN, ALBERTA, BC.  THEY KNOW WE HAVE AVAILABLE.  WE SEND IN AVAILABILITY LISTS TO OUR LOCAL FIRE OFFICE, OR IF IT IS EDMONTON AND THEY WANT TO SEND YOU DOWN TO, SAY, THE GAP OR SOMEWHERE DOWN SOUTH, THEY CALL AND SEE WHAT YOU GOT.
BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE A GROUP OF PILOTS ON STAFF READY TO GO.  OUR DEAL IS, IN FIRE SEASON, THEY USUALLY DON’T COME IN UNTIL 10 IN THE MORNING.  WE LIKE TO START THE DAY LATER BECAUSE WE ARE RESTRICTED BY FLIGHT TIME DUTY REGULATIONS IN CANADA.  AND, TYPICALLY, THE FIREFIGHTING HELICOPTERS GO OUT AROUND 10 OR 11 IN THE MORNING, BUT YOU COULD STAY OUT UNTIL 10:00 AT NIGHT.
SO IF WE HAD TO GET MORE GUYS GOING, WE WOULD.  BUT TYPICALLY WE HAVE 4 OR 5 PILOTS AVAILABLE ALL THE TIME.
>>  ANOTHER QUESTION.  SO JARED IS GOING TO BE RUNNING AROUND WITH MICROPHONES SO THAT OUR FRIEND ONLINE CAN SEE.
>>  OVER HERE.  WE’VE GOT A SPEAKER OVER THERE.  SORRY, SIR.
>>  MY TURN?
>>  GO AHEAD.
>>  I SAW SOME INTERESTING COUNTRY THAT YOU WORK IN.  I ONCE SPENT ABOUT A YEAR ONE MONTH IN RED EARTH CREEK.
>>  I KNOW IT WELL.
>> I’M SURE YOU DO.  ANYWAY, WHAT IS YOUR GENERAL OPERATIONS?  ARE YOU GOING ACROSS TO WABASCA AND OVER TOWARDS MANNING AND RAINBOW LAKE, OR ARE YOU GOING MORE EAST?
>>  WHEREVER THE CALL COMES IN FIRST.  SO IF IT IS IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, WE’LL BE DISPATCHED, USUALLY IF IT IS OUT OF OUR FOREST AREA, WHICH IS THE LAC LA BICHE FOREST, THE REQUESTS WILL COME OUT OF THE PROVINCIAL FOREST FIRE CENTER IN EDMONTON.  AND THEY’LL MOVE US.  WE COULD GO DOWN TO PINCHER CREEK OR THEY COULD SEND US UP TO HIGH LEVEL, SO WE NEVER KNOW.  BUT WE ALSO GET REQUESTS OUT OF THE FIRE CENTRE IN PRINCE ALBERT TO GO TO SASKATCHEWAN.  AND THEN BRITISH COLUMBIA IS IN FOUR DIFFERENT FIRE ZONES, SO YOU COULD GET REQUESTS TO GO TO BRITISH COLUMBIA AS WELL.  AS WELL, WE LOOK AFTER SOME OF THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, SO THE FORT SMITH AREA THAT BURNED PRETTY HEAVILY THE LAST COUPLE YEARS BETWEEN THERE AND YELLOWKNIFE.
>>  JOWETT, YOU SHOULD GO TO RAINBOW LAKE ALBERTA, AND YOU’LL FIND MOSQUITOS.  [LAUGHTER]
>>  NO THANK YOU.
>>  SO WHERE THERE IS FIRE, THERE IS SMOKE AND THERE IS WIND.  OVER HERE.  THE SMOKE AND WIND, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THE OPERATION BOTH ON THE DRONE SIDE AND HELICOPTERS?
>>  JOWETT YOU GO FIRST ABOUT THE DRONES.
>>  WIND, EACH DRONE HAS ITS WIND LIMITS.  WE DO HAVE TO BE VERY AWARE AND CARRY AN ANEMOMETER, AND USE JUDGEMENTS IF IT’S TOO WINDY.  AGAIN, SAFETY FIRST, SAFETY OF THE DRONE, SAFETY OF THE CREW.
SO IF AS A CREW WE DETERMINE IT IS TOO WINDY, WE’RE GOING TO GROUND THE DRONE AND WAIT OUT THE WIND HOPEFULLY.  IF NOT, WE’RE GOING TO CALL IT A NIGHT AND PACK IT IN.  THE SMOKE THE DRONE CAN OPERATE THROUGH.  WE ARE ALLOWED TO OPERATE BEYOND VISUAL LINE OF SIGHT, SO IT IS NOT A PROBLEM.  IT DOESN’T REALLY AFFECT THE THERMAL IMAGING SYSTEM THAT MUCH, SO NOT A PROBLEM THERE.
>>  I THINK FOR US, WIND, WE’LL REACH A LIMIT EVENTUALLY.  YOU START GETTING UP IN THAT 40 NAUGHTS, GUSTING 45 RANGE, IT GETS PRETTY HARD TO DO ANYTHING.  IF YOU REMEMBER THE SLAVE LAKE FIRE YEARS AGO, WE HAD TO QUIT THAT DAY.  THE WINDS WERE JUST SO STRONG WE COULDN’T FLY EFFECTIVELY.  AND EVERYBODY TOOK THE HELICOPTERS AND GOT OUT OF TOWN.  WE KNEW THE TOWN WAS GOING TO BURN, SO WE GOT OUT OF THERE.
SMOKE, AGAIN, WE’LL FLY DOWN TO ABOUT HALF A MILE IN LIFE SAVING MODE AT A FIRE.  ALBERTA STANDARD IS TO STOP OPERATIONS WHEN VISIBILITY GETS BELOW 1 MILE HORIZONTALLY.  THAT IS BECAUSE YOU’RE IN THE AIRSPACE WITH OTHER HELICOPTERS.  SO THE SYSTEMS ARE GETTING BETTER.  THERE IS A RULE COMING TO CANADA FOR ADDING ADSB.  TRANSPORT CANADA HAS BEEN PRETTY SLOW TO PUSH IT, BUT WE MAY SEE ALBERTA FIRE PUSH IT AHEAD OF TIME AND MAKE ADSB MANDATORY SO THAT ALL HELICOPTERS AND ALL FIXED WING CAN WEE THE OTHER AIRCRAFT AROUND THEM.  AND WE ARE ALREADY EQUIPPED FOR IT AND READY.  IT IS A GREAT SYSTEM.
>>  FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.  THEY ARE FANTASTIC.  I EXPECTED TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT DRONES AND FIRE SUPPRESSION.  I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON HEAVY LIFT DRONES SWARMS ATTACKING FIRES.
>>  YEAH, SURE.  STINSON, OURSELVES, WE DON’T HANDLE THE SUPPRESSION SIDE.  WE ARE STRICTLY INTELLIGENCE GATHERING FOR THE HOTSPOTS.  BUT THERE IS A LOT OF WORK ON THE SUPPRESSION SIDE OF HEAVY LIFT.  SWARMS, YEAH, YOU INTRODUCE A LOT OF VARIABLES WHEN YOU’RE FLYING MULTIPLE DRONES, ESPECIALLY IN A WILDFIRE SITUATION.  AND SWARMS TYPICALLY ARE SMALLER DRONES, SO THAT MEANS LESS WATER.  SO I’VE NOT DONE ANY RESEARCH OR READ INTO IT MYSELF, BUT I QUESTION THE EFFICACY OF A SWARM OF DRONES SUPPRESSING A WILDFIRE.  I BELIEVE THE KEY WOULD BE HEAVY LIFT HELICOPTER DUMPING HUNDREDS OF GALLONS.
>>  WE SHOULD TALK.  WE HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THAT.
[LAUGHTER]
>>  I’LL JUST ADD TO THAT THAT AERIAL SUPPRESSION, AS MUCH AS IT SOUNDS LIKE WE’RE PUTTING OUT FIRES.  AERIAL ASSETS DON’T PUT OUT FIRES.  GROUND CREWS PUT OUT FIRES.  WE SLOW THEM DOWN ENOUGH AND MAKE IT SAFE TO WORK.  SO I DON’T THINK IN ALL MY YEARS OF FLYING HELICOPTERS I’VE EVER PUT A FIRE OUT JUST WITH A LOAD OF WATER FROM A WATER BUCKET.
>>  AND IF I CAN ADD TO THAT, WHAT WE’RE ALSO SEEING IS DRONES AND HELICOPTERS WORK IN TANDEM, WHAT WE’RE CALLING, MAN UNMANNED TEAMING OR CREW UNCREW TEAMING BETWEEN UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS AND HELICOPTERS.  THAT’S STARTING TO EMERGE AS WELL.
>>  HI, ERIN, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM SOME OF THE FOLKS ONLINE.
>>  OKAY.  SURE.
>>  PAUL, THIS IS A PERSON NAMED LESLIE WHO SAYS SHE KNOWS YOU FROM SHELLBURNE HIGH.
[LAUGHTER]
>>  WOW, THERE IS SOME REACH.
>>  YEAH.  SO HER QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT NORMAL PEOPLE CAN DO TO MAKE YOUR JOBS EASIER AND MORE EFFECTIVE?  SO I GUESS THIS IS TO THE PANEL.
[LAUGHTER]
>>  MAYBE START WITH YOU, DR. HANES.
>>  THE HUMAN FACTOR.
>>  YOU HAVE THE STATS ON HUMAN CAUSED FIRES.  THEY’RE STILL OUT THERE.
>>  HUMAN CAUSED FIRES, WELL, I’M NOT A FIRE MANAGER.  I’M A FIRE SCIENTIST.  SO YOU DID MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT THE FIRE DANGER RATING SYSTEM, AND SO WE MEASURE THE WEATHER WHICH THEN GIVES AN INDICATION OF WHAT THE FIRE DANGER IS.  WHEN YOU DRIVE DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND SEE THE SIGN THAT SAYS THE FIRE DANGER IS LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH, EXTREME, THERE’S A BUNCH OF MODELS THAT WE HAVE CREATED BEHIND THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY BASED ON WEATHER VARIABLES.
SO WHEN THE FIRE DANGER IS HIGH OR EXTREME AND THE FIRE MANAGEMENT AGENCIES HAS SAID NO BONFIRES AND PEOPLE NEED TO BE CAREFUL, I THINK PEOPLE REALLY NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.  BECAUSE, AS WE SAID, 50% OF THE FIRES ARE CAUSED BY HUMANS, AND SO WE CAN REALLY REDUCE SOME OF THOSE FIRES FROM OCCURRING IF WE PAY ATTENTION TO THAT INFORMATION THAT IS GIVEN OUT BY THE FIRE MANAGEMENT AGENCIES.
>>  SORRY, I THOUGHT YOUR GRAPH WAS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU COULD SEE IN 2020 WHEN WE WERE IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC THAT THAT MARKER WAS VERY, VERY LOW.  SO NOBODY WAS OUTSIDE DOING ANYTHING.
>>  YEAH.  SO PART OF THAT TOO IS THE EDUCATION PORTION OF GROUPS LIKE FIRE SMART, WHICH IS PREVALENT IN MANY PROVINCES.  AND THAT’S TEACHING PEOPLE ABOUT HOW TO CLEAN UP AROUND THEIR HOMES TO STOP SPARKS.  YOU SAW THE VIDEO FROM JOWETT OF THE SPARKS FLYING THROUGH THE AIR.  A LOT OF THE URBAN WILDFIRE INTERFACE PROBLEMS WE’VE HAD ARE SPARKS COMING INTO A COMMUNITY.  AND WHETHER IT IS LANDSCAPING OR DRY MATERIAL ON THE GROUND THAT HELP PROPAGATE THESE.  AND IF YOU’VE GOT ENOUGH WIND, AS WE LEARNED IN MCMURRAY, ONCE HOUSES GET ON FIRE, THEY JUST START SPREADING TO THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR AND IT IS A DOMINO EFFECT.  SO ANYTHING A HOMEOWNER CAN DO OR A PROPERTY OWNER CAN DO TO REMOVE THOSE FINE FUELS THROUGH FIRE RESISTANT LANDSCAPING MATERIALS, FORGET THE DRIED UP WOOD CHIPS, GO WITH GRAVEL, THOSE ARE MAKING HEADWAY AND MAKING OUR COMMUNITIES MORE RESILIENT TO FIRE.
>>  THAT’S A GREAT POINT.
>>  ARE THERE ANY CHANGES TO BUILDING CODES IN THESE BOUNDARY AREAS THAT ARE [INAUDIBLE] …
>>  ABSOLUTELY.  UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD THE EXPERIENCE IN FORT MCMURRAY, OUR SON LOST HIS HOME JUST NEAR ONE OF THOSE SLIDES I TOOK.  THAT WAS HIS COMMUNITY BURNING.  AND WHEN WE REBUILT IT, SO HOUSES ARE FURTHER APART NOW.  SO WE CHANGED THE SHAPE OF THE REBUILT HOUSE,PUT IT DEEPER IN THE LOT, MADE IT A LITTLE SKINNIER.
IF YOU ARE CLOSER TO ANOTHER HOUSE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A FIREPROOF WALL ON ONE SIDE.  THEY ARE CHANGING SIDING MATERIALS, ROOFING MATERIALS.  AND NOW THE GREEN BELT, WHICH EVERYBODY LOVED HAVING TREES AND SQUIRRELS AND OWLS AND EVERYTHING RIGHT UP NEXT TO THEIR HOUSE, THAT HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK.  AND THE CITY HAS MADE A BUFFER ZONE AROUND THE CITY TO GIVE AN AREA TO HELP FIGHT FIRES IF THEY COME AGAIN, WHICH THEY WILL COME AGAIN.
>>  HI THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS, ALL FOUR OF YOU.  DR. HANES, I’M JUST CURIOUS, CONCERNING FOREST MANAGEMENT IN CANADA, ESPECIALLY CONCERNING FIRES, HOW ARE WE DOING?  ARE WE GETTING BETTER?  ARE WE GETTING WORSE?  WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT?
[LAUGHTER]
>>  OH, JEE.  IN TERMS OF FOREST MANAGEMENT, I THINK WE’RE STARTING TO GET SOMEWHERE BECAUSE I THINK FOREST MANAGEMENT AND FIRE MANAGEMENT, WHICH HAVE TYPICALLY BEEN VERY SILOED, ARE STARTING TO TALK.  AND THERE IS A RECOGNITION THAT WE CAN USE FOREST MANAGEMENT AND WE CAN START TO LOOK AT THE FUELS AND WE CAN START TO IDENTIFY WAYS THAT WE CAN MODIFY THE FOREST THROUGH FOREST MANAGEMENT TO REDUCE, PARTICULARLY    LIKE WE’RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS ACROSS THE ENTIRE LANDSCAPE, BUT AROUND COMMUNITIES, SO WE CAN START TO REDUCE SOME OF THE FUEL LOADS AND TRY TO AUGMENT THE FUELS IN WAYS THAT WILL REDUCE THAT FIRE BEHAVIOUR SO THAT WE MAY GET A SERVICE FIRE THAT IS MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE VERSUS A FULL CROWN FIRE IN WHICH OUR SUPPRESSION RESOURCES AND OUR OPTIONS BECOME MUCH MORE LIMITED DEPENDING UPON HOW THAT FIRE IS BEHAVING.  SO I THINK THERE IS SOME HOPE, BUT THERE IS STILL A WAYS TO GO.
>>  ARE WE DOING BETTER OR NOT?
>>  WE ARE DOING BETTER, BUT WE’RE FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE.  SO THE FIRE WEATHER IS BECOMING MORE INTENSE, AND A NUMBER OF PEOPLE MENTIONED MORE INTENSE FIRES, LONGER FIRE SEASONS, SO THERE IS A LOT HAPPENING.  BUT WE’RE NOT GOING TO SUPPRESS OUR WAY OUT OF THAT.  THAT IS ONE PIECE OF THE TOOLS IN THE FIRE MANAGEMENT TOOLBOX.  SO WE REALLY HAVE TO START LOOKING AT MITIGATION, THINGS LIKE FIRE SMART, WHAT INDIVIDUALS CAN DO, WHAT GOVERNMENTS CAN DO, AND FOREST MANAGEMENT IS ONE OF THOSE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE AS WELL.
>>  THIS QUESTION IS FOR JOWETT, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.  BUT WHAT IS THE AUTONOMY TYPICALLY ON A    AND IT IS A BATTERY OPERATED DRONE OR A MULTI BATTERY?  SO WHAT IS THE AUTONOMY WITH THE BATTERY, ONE SET?
>>  A SET OF BATTERIES ON THE M30 CAN LAST ANYWHERE BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MINUTES, JUST DEPENDING ON WHETHER IT IS FIGHTING WITH THE WIND OR WORKING WITH THE WIND AND HOW MUCH MOVEMENT WE INTRODUCE INTO THE OPERATION, WHETHER WE HAVE TO INVESTIGATE A HOTSPOT, LOWER OR RAISE THE DRONE, SO ON AND SO FORTH, SO BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MINUTES.
>>  THE SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION WOULD BE DO THEY HAVE AN AUTO RETURN TO BASE IF THE BATTERY GETS BELOW A CERTAIN LEVEL OR DISTANCE?
>>  YES.  YES AND NO.  SO IT CALCULATES THE TIME REMAINING ON THE BATTERY.  BUT ONCE YOU INTRODUCE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS SUCH AS HEADWIND OR TAILWIND, THAT SAFETY MARGIN MAY OR MAY NOT MAKE IT HOME.  BUT IT DOES HAVE AN RTH, RETURN TO HOME FUNCTION, ONCE IT DROPS BELOW A CERTAIN BATTERY PERCENTAGE THAT YOU CAN CHANGE.
>>  THANK YOU.
>>  YES, I’D LIKE TO REITERATE THE THANKS FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING.  THEY’RE BRILLIANT.  I WORK AT THE BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION.  I HAVE AN EARLIER CAREER IN MARITIME AVIATION, SO MY MANTRA THROUGH LIFE IS HELICOPTERS, YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH OF THEM.  [LAUGHTER]
MY QUESTION, HOWEVER, IS WHAT DETERMINES WHETHER YOU USE WATER, FOAM OR SUPPRESSANT ON THE FIRES, AND HOW EASY IS IT TO ROLE CHANGE MID FLIGHT OR MID NINE HOUR SHIFT OR WHATEVER?
>>  TYPICALLY, SO ON THE IA ROLE WITH THE LIGHT AND INTERMEDIATE HELICOPTERS IT IS TYPICALLY WATER ONLY BECAUSE WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND A WATER SOURCE AT THE FIRE INITIALLY.  SO YOUR INITIAL ATTACK, TYPICALLY WITH THE ROTARY WING, IT IS WATER.  WE DO HAVE SOME FOAM INJECTION SYSTEMS WE CAN USE WHICH GIVES YOU A LONGER STAYING TIME THAN THE WATER.  BUT ON AN IA FIRE, THE OBJECT IS TO KEEP IT FROM BECOMING A CROWN FIRE, KEEP IT ON THE GROUND AND SUPPORT YOUR GROUND CREWS AFTER YOU KNOCK IT OUT OF THE CROWNS BACK TO THE GROUND, SUPPORT THEM WITH DIRECT DROPS.  WHEN YOU GET INTO A FIRE THAT IS IN A LONG TERM SUPPRESSION MODE, THEN YOU’VE GOT TIME TO SET UP MIXING SITES FOR THE HEAVIES WHO CAN THEN SNORKEL RETARDANT IF YOU’RE BUILDING LINE.
SO IT SORT OF DEPENDS ON ROAD ACCESS, TURNAROUND TIMES AND THE STAGE THE FIRE IS AT, WHETHER IT IS A LARGE FIRE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE FIGHTING FOR A MONTH OR WHETHER IT IS GOING TO BE OUT IN TWO DAYS.
THE DUCKS WILL TYPICALLY SEE ALL 415S, MOST OF THEM ARE TURBINE NOW, TYPICALLY HAVE A FOAM INJECTION SYSTEM ON BOARD.  THE BIGGER BOMBERS LIKE THE ELECTRAS AND SOME OF THE AIRLINERS AND DASH AND Q400S NOW ARE SHOWING UP AS BELLY BOMBING AIRCRAFT TYPICALLY ARE LOADING AT A BASE AND GETTING RETARDANT.  SO THEY’RE BUILDING FIRE LINE, AND WHEN THE FIRE GETS THERE, THEY DON’T WANT IT TO CHEW THROUGH IT VERSUS HELICOPTERS THAT ARE USUALLY DIRECT ATTACK.  AND I LIKE YOUR COMMENT, MORE HELICOPTERS.
>>  OKAY.  OBVIOUSLY, FIRES AREN’T ADHERING TO BORDERS.  WHAT KIND OF INTERPROVINCIAL CONFLICT OR COOPERATION DO YOU SEE?  DOES JURISDICTION EVER COME INTO PLAY WHERE YOU ARE LIMITED IN WHAT YOU CAN DO?  ARE THERE ARGUMENTS OVER FUNDING, PREVENTION, BLAME?  ANY OF THOSE THINGS?
[LAUGHTER]
>>  ALL OF THE ABOVE.  BUT THE FIRST JOB, LIKE MEDEVAC, THE FIRST JOB IS TO LOOK AFTER THE TASK AT HAND.  THE PROVINCES OUT WEST HAVE WHAT IS CALLED A BORDER AGREEMENT.  SO IF WE GO 10 MILES, IF WE’RE IN ALBERTA, WE ARE ALLOWED TO GO 10 MILES INTO SASKATCHEWAN AND 10 MILES INTO THE TERRITORIES AND 10 MILES INTO BC AND FIGHT THE FIRE AND SEND THEM THE BILL.  THEY CAN DO THE SAME ON OUR SIDE.  SO IF THEY COME INTO ALBERTA, THEY CAN DO THE SAME THING.
IT GETS A LITTLE TRICKIER IN OUR AREA BECAUSE WE HAVE A FEDERAL PARK.  WE HAVE WOOD BUFFALO NATIONAL PARK.  THE PARK, THEY TRY TO MAINTAIN IT AS A NATURAL ECO ZONE, SO THEY WILL LET THEIR FIRES TYPICALLY BURN RIGHT UP THE EDGE.  AND IF THEY COME INTO ALBERTA, THEY JUST HAND IT OVER AND SAY, HERE, IT IS YOURS.
[LAUGHTER]
SO IT IS BETTER NOW.  FORT SMITH WAS UNDER SIEGE TWO YEARS AGO, LAST YEAR ALMOST AGAIN.  I THINK THERE IS A LOT MORE AWARENESS OF THAT.  BUT, AGAIN, IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW WELL THE AGENCIES HAVE LIAISED PRIOR TO FIRE SEASON AND SET UP COMMUNICATION LINES AHEAD OF TIME.
>> [INAUDIBLE] FUNDING.
>> I DON’T WORRY ABOUT FUNDING.  WE FIGHT A FIRE.  WELL, SOMEBODY WILL PAY US.  THAT’S THE THEORY, ANYWAYS.
>>  JUST TO ADD TO THAT, SO WITHIN CANADA, WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED THE CANADA INTERAGENCY FOREST FIRE CENTER.  AND SO IT IS A BROKER OF RESOURCES ESSENTIALLY.  SO SAY ONTARIO IS NOW DEPLETING    THEY ARE USING ALL THEIR RESOURCES AND NOW THEY NEED TO IMPORT.  SO THEY WILL THEN PUT OUT A CALL TO THE OTHER PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES TO IDENTIFY WHAT THE NEED IS, WHETHER IT IS AIRCRAFT OR HOSE OR PEOPLE.  AND THEY WILL THEN PUT THAT REQUEST OUT.  WHATEVER PROVINCE IS NOT BUSY OR TERRITORY COULD THEN EXPORT TO THAT PROVINCE AND VICE VERSA.
AND THEN WE GET TO A POINT WHERE LIKE IN 2023 WHERE THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, WE HAD USED ALL THE RESOURCES WE HAVE IN THE COUNTRY.  SO THEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THEN STARTS TO LOOK INTERNATIONALLY.  THAT’S WHEN WE START BRINGING CREWS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.  THERE IS SHARING PROVINCE TO PROVINCE AND THERE ARE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN CERTAIN PROVINCES.  YOU KNOW, YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TO THE AGENCY.  EVENTUALLY, YOU GO TO THE AGENCY TO BE ABLE TO SHARE RESOURCES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
>>  AND I THINK I SAID THAT IN MY WRAP UP THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE SEEING LIKE ON THE U.S. SIDE, IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT IT, ABOUT 10 YEARS
>> [INAUDIBLE].
>> YEAH, I KNOW, I AGREE.  I AGREE.
[LAUGHTER]
BUT ON THIS, WHAT WE HAVE TO SEE IS THE U.S. FORESTRY STARTED A MODERNIZATION OF U.S. FIRE FLEET ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO.  THEY ARE BASICALLY INCENTIVISING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO BE PART OF THIS FIREFIGHTING EFFORT.  WE ARE NOT SEEING THAT YET ON OUR SIDE, ON THE CANADIAN SIDE.
WHAT THAT DOES IS THEN YOU HAVE SOME OF THE LEGACY FLEET.  PAUL MENTIONED IN HIS PRESENTATION THAT A PILOT IS UP THERE FIGHTING FIRES 10, 12 HOURS AT A STRETCH, YOU KNOW, JUST CONSTANTLY REFUELLING, GOING AGAIN.  RIGHT?  AND THEN WE DIDN’T TALK ABOUT IT, BUT THERE IS ALSO THE START OF NIGHT FIREFIGHTING CAPABILITY BECAUSE FIRES ARE NOT GOING TO WAIT FOR IF IT IS DAY OR NIGHT.  THEY JUST KEEP GOING.  WITH THAT, YOU NEED CERTAIN DIFFERENT SET OF EQUIPMENT THAT YOU NEED IN THE HELICOPTERS, NBG AND SOME OF THE OTHER EQUIPMENT.
AND TODAY WHAT WE SEE IN OUR COUNTRY IS THAT WE ARE NOT INCENTIVISING THAT MODERNIZING OF THE FLEET, AND WE ARE JUST USING THAT OLD LEGACY FLEET OVER AND OVER AGAIN.  AND THAT’S WHERE RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY SOMETIMES BECOMES A QUESTION MARK WHEN THE RESOURCES ARE STRETCHED TO THE MAXIMUM, LIKE YOU MENTIONED IN 2023.  SO WE DO NEED SOME EFFORT THERE FROM THE GOVERNMENT SIDE AS WELL FOR US TO JUST EXPEDITE THIS CHANGE.
>>   [INAUDIBLE]
[LAUGHTER]
>>  WELL, THE HERD IS THINNING ON ITS OWN.  WE NEED MORE PILOTS.  WE’RE REAL LITTLE FINDING RIGHT NOW, AND WE’VE GOT PILOTS IN OUR ORGANIZATION, WE HAVE 26 PILOTS ON STAFF I THINK THIS YEAR.  AND SOME OF THEM NEVER WANT TO FIGHT A FOREST FIRE.  THEY SAY, NO, PUT ME ON ANY OTHER JOB EXCEPT FIRES.  THEY DON’T LIKE THEM.  I DON’T KNOW.
SO WE NEED TO GET MORE YOUNG WOMEN AND MEN INVOLVED IN FLYING HELICOPTERS.  THERE ARE HELICOPTERS ON THE GROUND EVERY SUMMER THAT COULD BE OUT HELPING COMMUNITIES THAT DON’T HAVE ANYBODY TO FLY THEM.  THEY ARE JUST SITTING.  AND IT IS OUR INDUSTRY’S OWN FAULT, BUT THANKS TO THINGS LIKE THIS, INGENIUM, MAYBE THE WORD GETS OUT, WE GET SOME PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE CAREER PATH AND GET SOME MORE FOLKS IN IT BECAUSE I’M GOING TO HANG IT UP EVENTUALLY.  I CAN’T DO THIS FOREVER.  SO, YEAH.  CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU GUYS FOR SPREADING THE WORD THAT THIS IS HAPPENING OUT THERE AND WE NEED PEOPLE.  WE NEED MECHANICS AND PILOTS.
>>   [INAUDIBLE].
>>  SO WITH THE MODEL THAT WE USE IS CALLED A QUAD COPTER, FOUR PROPELLERS.  WHAT THAT ALLOWS US TO DO IS TO INVESTIGATE THE HOTSPOT.  WHEREAS FIXED WING, YOU HAVE TO STAY IN CONSTANT MOTION.  SO YOU GET ONE PASS AT THAT HOTSPOT.  WAS IT A HOTSPOT OR NOT?  SO OUR PILOTS AND PAYLOAD OPERATORS CAN INVESTIGATE THE HOTSPOT.  IS IT A HOT ROCK, IS IT A DEER OR IS IT ACTUALLY A HOTSPOT.
>>  [INAUDIBLE]
>>  SORRY?
>>  [INAUDIBLE]
>>  I GUESS SO, BUT WITH A HEAT SIGNATURE, YOUR BEST READING WILL BE DIRECTLY ABOVE, LIKE GRAVITATIONAL CENTER TOWARDS THE HOTSPOT.  SO IT JUST GIVES US MORE CONTROL OVER BEING ABLE TO INVESTIGATE THAT HOTSPOT.
>>  JUST TO HIGHLIGHT, AGAIN, THE SPECTRUM OF TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE THAT IS AVAILABLE THERE, THERE ARE DRONES AVAILABLE WHICH WILL TAKE OFF VERTICALLY AND THEN FLY LIKE A FIXED WING WITH ADDITIONAL ENDURANCE AND REACH AS WELL.  BUT, AGAIN, IT COMES BACK TO AGAIN YOU KIND OF NEED ALL KIND OF AIRCRAFT, DRONES, FOR THAT FULL ECOSYSTEM.  WHAT IS THE MOST EFFICIENT IS WHAT THE AGENCIES HAVE TO TAKE A CALL ON, RIGHT, FOR THEIR OWN DOMAIN.
>>  I HAVE A QUESTION HERE, AND YOU MENTION HELICOPTERS AND DRONES WORKING TOGETHER.  NOT EVERYBODY IS EQUIPPED YET WITH ADSB.  WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT AIRCRAFTS IN THE AIR?  WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE IN THIS SITUATION?
>>  IT DEPENDS ON HOW BIG THE FIRE.  SO IF IT IS AN INITIAL ATTACK FIRE AND WE HAVE, SAY, FOUR HELICOPTERS AND A BOMBER GROUP THERE, THE BIRD DOG FROM THE BOMBER GROUP WILL ASSUME COMMAND OF THE AIRSPACE.  SO THEY ARE THE DE FACTO AIR OPS BOSS AS WELL AS LEADING IN THEIR BOMBERS.
SO THE HELICOPTERS WILL GENERALLY BE GROUNDED OR EXCLUDED FROM THE BOMB RUN AREA.  AND AS SOON AS THE BOMB RUN IS OVER AND THE BOMBERS GO BACK TO REFILL, WHETHER IT IS DUCKS HEADING FOR A LAKE OR A Q400 HEADED FOR THE AIRPORT, THE HELICOPTERS WILL COME IN, THE BIRD DOG WILL JUMP UP TO ABOUT 5,000 FEET AND BECOME AIRBORNE AIR OPS AT THAT POINT.
IF THERE IS NO BIRD DOG THERE AND THERE IS A BUNCH OF HELICOPTERS, IT IS SEE AND BE SEEN.  I AM PROUD TO SAY WITH OUR FLEET IT IS VERY MODERN, NOT SO MUCH THE AIRFRAMES, BUT THE INSTRUMENT MODEL.  SO WE ARE INTO GARMIN, THE EVOLUTION OF GARMIN H500 INTO TXIS NOW.  WE HAVE GARMIN 800 TRAFFIC SYSTEMS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT.  ALL OF OUR TRANSPONDERS ARE OVER TO ADSB NOW.
SO I HAVE BEEN OUT WORKING FIRES, AND I CAN SEE EVERYBODY AROUND ME THAT IS TRANSPONDER EQUIPPED.  IT WOULD BE BETTER INFORMATION IF IT WAS ADSB, BUT WE’LL TAKE WHAT WE GOT.  BUT IT DOESN’T WORKER PERFECTLY.  LAST YEAR, THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WHERE A 412 CUT THE BUCKET OFF THE BELLY OF AN A STAR.  AND THE REMAINING AMOUNT OF SYNTHETIC LONG LINE ON THE A STAR WAS 26 FEET, SO THEY WERE 26 FEET AWAY FROM A FATAL FOR BOTH CREWS.  AND NEITHER ONE OF THEM KNEW IT.
THE A STAR PILOT THOUGHT HE LOST HIS BUCKET, SNAGGED IT, AND THE 412 WAS STILL FIGHTING FIRE AND HAD TO BE TOLD TO RETURN TO BASE.  HE’D HAD A MIDAIR AND DIDN’T KNOW IT.  SO LUCKY.  SO THERE IS STILL A MATTER OF LUCK GOING ON OUT THERE.  THAT’S WHY I SAY, PUSH FOR ADSB.  I HOPE IT IS IN EVERY CONTRACT FOR EVERY CALL WE NEED AN AIRCRAFT AND WE CAN START SEEING EACH OTHER IN THE SMOKE.
>>  I HAVE A QUESTION.  THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE.  THOSE WERE SO INCREDIBLE THE PRESENTATIONS.  MY QUESTION IS HOW HAS YOUR WORK, PAUL, CHANGED WITH SOME OF THE STUFF JOWETT HAS BEEN DOING OVER TIME?  HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR WORLD CHANGE?  DO YOU EVER GET TO WORK TOGETHER.  ALSO I’M VERY EXCITED    HOPEFULLY AFTERWARDS WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT BAMBI BUCKET.  BECAUSE AS A CURATOR AT AN AVIATION AND SPACE MUSEUM, I LOOK FORWARD TO MAYBE BRINGING IN PIECES LIKE THAT FOR THE FUTURE, BUT THANK YOU, EVERYONE.
>>  THERE’S TWO PARTS OF IT.  SO WITH THE DRONE SPACE, TO ANSWER A QUESTION FROM THIS SIDE OF THE AUDIENCE, WE’RE NOT THERE YET WITH THE DRONES.  WE WOULD HOPE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD COME OUT WITH THE NEW DRONE LEGISLATION, I THINK IT IS 900 SERIES.  WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.  IT WILL HELP US.
ON FIRES, WE DON’T REALLY NEED IT BECAUSE IT IS CLOSED AIRSPACE.  EVERY FIRE IS AUTOMATIC NO TAM, SO IT EXCLUDES EVERY AIRCRAFT EXCEPT FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT.  SO, THEREFORE, LIKE JOWETT SAID, WE CAN GET A SPECIAL FLIGHT OPERATIONS CERTIFICATE AND WE CAN GO DO THE FIRES.
SO I DIDN’T WANT TO MOW JOWETT’S LAWN, BUT WE HAVE IN OUR COMPANY, WE’RE GOING TO DRONES NOW.  WE SEE THEM AS COMPLEMENTARY TECHNOLOGY.  WE HAVE A DRONE CALLED A TECH AR3.  IT CAN STAY UP FOR ABOUT 8 HOURS, AND WE WERE CLEARED LAST YEAR TO SCAN A FIRE AT 9,000 FEET, WHICH IS GREAT FOR US BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE TO BE AT THAT ALTITUDE BECAUSE OUR CAMERA IS POWERFUL ENOUGH THAT WE CAN FOCUS IT DOWN.  THE HIGHER WE ARE, THE BETTER SWATH WE SEE.
OUR PROBLEM IS DATA PROCESSING.  WE’RE NOT QUITE THERE YET.  WE HOPE TO BE THERE THIS SPRING.  BUT WE ARE ALREADY $2.5 MILLION OF INVESTMENT IN AND HAVEN’T SEEN A PENNY IN REVENUE YET.  SO IT IS A VERY LEADING EDGE, BLEEDING EDGE TECHNOLOGY AT THIS POINT.
WE SEE A FUTURE IN IT.  IT’S GOING TO TAKE SOME OF THE JOBS FROM HELICOPTERS.  WE ARE HOPING IT TAKES THE JOBS WE NEVER WANTED TO DO ANYWAYS, AND THEY CAN STAY UP.  WORKING NIGHTS IS INSIDE YOUR WINDOW OF CIRCADIAN LOW.  I WOULD RATHER BE IN BED.  SO AS MUCH AS WE HAVE NIGHT VISION HELICOPTERS NOW, I WON’T BE FLYING ONE.
AND FOR THE BAMBI BUCKET, YEAH, THE BUCKETS BEFORE THE BAMBI BUCKET WERE HIDEOUS THINGS.  IN THE AUDIENCE HERE, ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN ASKED A QUESTION WHO WAS MY FORMER OPERATIONS MANAGER FROM SASKATCHEWAN, AL, HE KNOWS WHAT WE USED TO DEAL WITH WITH A GRIFFITHS WATER BUCKET AND A WATER BOY.  THEY WERE HORRIBLE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT, SO THE BAMBI REVOLUTIONIZED OUR WORK, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE ONE ON DISPLAY.
>>  HI, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.  AND I HAVE A QUESTION I THINK REGARDING THE ADSB STUFF.  SO IF YOU DON’T KNOW AND YOU SAID THAT YOUR SPACE IS CLOSE TO EVERYBODY ELSE, THEN IF THE DRONES ARE FLYING IN THAT AREA, WOULD THERE BE A CHANCE THAT MAYBE JOWETT’S COMPANY AND PAUL’S COMPANY, YOU ARE BOTH WORKING IN THE SAME AREA.  ONE IS DOING THE DRONES, THE OTHER IS DOING THE HELICOPTERS, SO WOULD THERE BE A CHANCE OF INCIDENCE IN THAT CASE?  OR THERE IS TIME ALLOTTED THAT THIS IS A TIME FOR HELICOPTERS AND THIS IS THE TIME FOR DRONES?
>>  TYPICALLY, LIKE JOWETT SAID, THEY FLY AT NIGHT.  YOU GET A BETTER CONTRAST ON THE THERMAL IMAGING.  WE ARE SEEING NIGHT TANKERING RIGHT NOW.  ONE OF THE PICTURES THAT NITIN HAS WAS TALON HELICOPTERS OUT OF VANCOUVER.  THEY HAVE A DAUPHINE WITH A BELLY TANK AND MVG CAPABILITY.  WE HAVE TWO AIRCRAFT SET UP FOR SCANNING AT NIGHT WITH MVG.  THE AIRSPACE WOULD BE RESTRICTED TO THE DRONE OR THE HELICOPTER.  IT WILL BE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.  SO THERE IS NO WAY A FOREST SERVICE OPERATIONS AND INCIDENT COMMANDER IS GOING TO ALLOW BOTH AIRCRAFT IN THAT AIRSPACE AT THE SAME TIME.
THAT SAID, I KNOW WITH OUR PACKAGE, OUR UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM, WE HAVE ADSB OUT ON THE AIRCRAFT SO HELICOPTERS CAN SEE IT.  ARE YOU USING TRANSMITTERS ON YOURS?
>>  THE DJIS HAVE IT, MOST.
>>  SO IF YOU HAD A SYSTEM ON A HELICOPTER, YOU WOULD SEE IT ANYWAYS.
>>  AND WOULD YOU FACE AN ISSUE WHERE THERE WILL BE PEOPLE OR PEOPLE FROM YOU OR SOMEWHERE ELSE TRYING TO GET THEIR DRONES IN THE AREA WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE WILDFIRES?
>>  WE SAW THAT THE PACIFIC PALISADES FIRE THIS YEAR.  THE QUEBEC GOVERNMENT, A CL415 WAS STRUCK BY A DRONE WHILE TRYING TO FIGHT THAT WILDFIRE.  THE FBI DID CATCH THE INDIVIDUAL INVOLVED, WHO IS EXTREMELY WEALTHY AND EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND HAD LOST CONTROL OF THE DRONE APPARENTLY.  SO, YEAH, WE FACE THESE PROBLEMS EVERY TIME WE GO FIGHT FIRES NOW.  WE’RE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR DRONES.  IF THERE IS AN UNKNOWN DRONE IN THE AREA, IT GROUNDS ALL AVIATION ASSETS.  FIXING AND ROTORING, EVERYBODY IS TOLD TO GO TO BASE UNTIL THEY GET THE DRONE OUT OF THE SKY, SO THEY ARE A HUGE HAZARD.
>>  I HAVE ANOTHER LAST QUESTION FOR JOWETT.  SO YOU SAID THE DRONE FLIES FOR ABOUT 20 TO 30 MINUTES, RIGHT, AND THEN IT COMES BACK TO BASE FOR CHARGING.  SO HOW MANY DRONES WOULD YOU TYPICALLY TAKE ON YOUR 14 DAY TRIP?  YOU SAID THERE ARE PEOPLE WORKING FOR 14 DAYS, AND THEN THEY NEED A TWO DAYBREAK.  SO HOW MANY DRONES WOULD YOU TAKE AND HOW MUCH IS THE CHARGING TIME FOR THE DRONE THAT WOULD BE DISCHARGED?
>>  SO WE SOLVED THAT PROBLEM BY HAVING MULTIPLE SETS OF BATTERIES.  TYPICALLY, FIVE SETS OF BATTERIES WILL ALLOW US TO BE CONSTANTLY IN THE AIR.  THE FOUR SETS ARE ON CHARGE OR WAITING TO BE USED, AND THEN THERE WILL BE ONE SET IN THE DRONE.  IT IS JUST A CYCLING OF THE BATTERIES.  WE CARRY A BACKUP CRAFT, TWO M30TS IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN TO THE FIRST ONE.  WHETHER IT IS MECHANICAL OR A CRASH, WE HAVE A BACKUP DRONE WITH US.  AND IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE BACKUP, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER AIRCRAFT OR TWO DISPATCHED FROM OUR BASE IN COURTNEY TO WHEREVER WE ARE.
>>  [INAUDIBLE]  ALL RIGHT.  RAPIDLY COMING OVER.
>>  FOR OUR FRIENDS ONLINE.
>>  I WAS GOING TO SAY.  THE QUESTION I JUST SAID WAS YOU MENTIONED FIRES NEEDED TO IN FACT ALLOW TREES TO RESEED THEMSELVES AND GROW FURTHER.  I READ SOMEWHERE ONCE THAT FIRES ARE GETTING HOTTER, BUT I DON’T KNOW HOW THAT CAN BE.  AND IT IS ACTUALLY DESTROYING    IT’S GONE BEYOND SORT OF REGENERATION OF THE FOREST, IN FACT, JUST DESTROYING IT PERMANENTLY.  IS THAT TRUE?
>>  I DON’T KNOW THAT THEY’RE NECESSARILY GETTING HOTTER IN THE SENSE THAT THE INTENSITY, BUT WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS GREATER NUMBER OF FIRES THAT ARE EXTREMELY INTENSE.  SO FIRES THAT START TO CREATE THEIR OWN WEATHER, WHICH ARE CALLED PYROCUMULONIMBUS, YOU ARE GETTING LIKE LIGHTNING COMING OFF THESE FIRES.  AND IN CANADA IN 2023, WE SAW A RECORD NUMBER OF THOSE TYPES OF FIRES.  IT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE INTENSITY, BUT IT IS ALL THIS LARGER AREA IS BURNING AND SO THERE IS JUST MORE CONTRIBUTING TO THAT FIRE AND IT IS BECOMING EXTREMELY INTENSE.
IN TERMS OF WHEN YOU ARE GETTING FIRES HAPPENING IN COMMUNITIES, I THINK THAT, YEAH, THAT IS A WHOLE OTHER BALL GAME IN TERMS OF HOUSES BURNING AND THIS SORT OF THING.  THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE, AS THE WILDFIRE RESEARCH COMMUNITY, HAVE JUST STARTED TO INTEGRATE WITH THOSE IN THE STRUCTURAL COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON IN THESE AREAS, BUT, YEAH.
>>  WE’RE STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THOSE FIRES, WE CALL THEM STERILIZATION FIRES BECAUSE THE GROUND DOES NOT COME BACK.  AND WITH THE FIRES HAPPENING MORE OFTEN NOW, WE’RE SEEING CASES WHERE FIRES THAT I FOUGHT 40 YEARS AGO, WE’RE REFIGHTING IN THE SAME PLACE.  AND THE DEAD AND DOWN MATERIAL, IT LOOKS LIKE PICK UP STICKS LAYING ALL OVER THE GROUND.  THEY HAVE NOW BECOME THE FOREST FLOOR.  YOU HAVE GOT 30, 35 YEARS OF RE GEN ON TOP OF IT, AGAIN IN A PINE, USUALLY A PINE STAND OR A SPRUCE STAND.  AND WHEN YOU GET ANOTHER FIRE IN THERE, IT IS USUALLY TYPICALLY IN A SANDIER TYPE OF SOIL ENVIRONMENT, YOU GET A VERY INTENSE GROUND FIRE FROM ALL THAT MATERIAL THAT IS LAYING ON THE GROUND.  AND WE’VE GOT AN AREA NORTH OF FORT MCMURRAY THAT FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS HAS NOT GROWN ANYTHING.  IT JUST BECAME SAND.
SO, YEAH, AND THE MOISTURE LEVEL IN THE GROUND IS GOING DOWN AND DOWN WITH CONTINUOUS DROUGHT YEARS, SO THE FIRES ARE BURNING DEEPER INTO THE DUFF LAYER, WHICH CAUSES SOME OF THAT PERMANENT LOSS OF THE VEGETATION STRUCTURE.
>>  SO I GUESS THIS IS FOR PAUL.  SO IN THE SMALLER HELICOPTERS OR MEDIUM SIZED HELICOPTERS, IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THERE IS ROOM FOR A LOT OF CREW TO FIT EVERYTHING ELSE IN.  SO APART FROM THE ODD PILOT WHO SAYS HE DOESN’T WANT TO DO FIRES OR SHE DOESN’T WANT TO DO FIRES, IS A HELICOPTER PILOT EXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO RUN A CAMERA AND PUT A STRETCHER IN AND OUT AND FIGURE OUT A SEARCH PATTERN FOR RESCUE AND EVERYTHING?
>>  NOT ON THE FLY.  SO THERE IS A MENTORING SYSTEM.  AND THE FOREST SERVICE IN ALBERTA, AT LEAST, I CAN TALK TO THEM BECAUSE I KNOW THEM FIRSTHAND, THEY HAVE A MENTORING SYSTEM NOW WHERE THEY WILL ALLOW US TO TAKE ALONG A SECOND PILOT AS A TRAINEE WITH A CREW.  NOW, IT DOES RESTRICT OUR FUEL LOAD IN A SMALLER VEHICLE LIKE A B2.  YOU MIGHT BE CHALLENGED FOR FUEL.  IN A B3 OR A 130 OR A 407, YOU MAY HAVE THE POWER TO DO THAT.  BUT, TYPICALLY, YOUR CAREER PATH IN FIRES WILL BE YOU HAVE TO HAVE 500 HOURS PILOT AND COMMAND TIME TO BE ELIGIBLE TO FIGHT A FIRE IN ALBERTA, WHICH IS A PRETTY LOW BARRIER TO ENTRY.  SO THOSE TYPICAL JOBS WOULD BE RECONNAISSANCE MAPPING THE PERIPHERY OF THE FIRE, THE STUFF NOT THE INITIAL ATTACK OR DIRECT ATTACK JOBS, AND THEN YOU’LL GROW INTO THAT.
BUT I KNOW WITH OUR COMPANY, WE TEACH EVERYBODY HOW TO WATER BUCKET.  WE TEACH THEM ABOUT FIRE BEHAVIOUR TECHNIQUES AND SAFETY.  SO, YEAH, IT IS A BIT OF A TRIAL BY FIRE KIND OF THING.  YOU GET OUT THERE AND YOU HAVE NEVER FOUGHT A WILDFIRE BEFORE AND YOU’VE BEEN TRAINED, AND NOW YOU’RE FIRST, THIS YOUR CHANCE.  YOU’VE GOT TO COME.
AND I HAD LOTS OF FAILURES.  I COULDN’T HIT ANYTHING WHEN I STARTED FIGHTING FIRES.  THE OLD GUYS WOULD SHAKE THEIR HEAD, OH, MY GOD, YOU KIDS, YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING THESE DAYS.  SO WE ALL GO THROUGH THAT.  DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOUR CAREER IS.  I THINK EVERYBODY STARTS OUT LEARNING AS THEY GO, BUT THE INDUSTRY IS READY TO TEACH THOSE PEOPLE.  THE END USERS ARE READY FOR THEM TO JOIN OUR GROUP, SO WE’RE ACCEPTING AND WILLING.  THEY WILL GET TRAINED, AND WE’LL TEACH THEM.
>>  WE HAVE FOUR MINUTES LEFT NOW, SO PROBABLY TIME FOR TWO MORE QUESTIONS.  AND JARED’S GOT ONE UP THERE.
>>  I TAKE IT.  DR. HANES, COULD YOU MAKE SOME COMMENTS, FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS A SATELLITE COMING.  AND I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU TO TALK ABOUT THAT.  AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SAY SOME THINGS, I COME FROM REMOTE SENSING WORLD.  AND THERE’S BEEN SOME WONDERFUL WORK DONE IN GOVERNMENT LABS THAT PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE NEVER HEAR, I’M TALKING OUT ENERCAN, CCRS, NOT JUST CFS.  CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BUT ABOUT THOSE TWO THINGS, PLEASE?
>>  SURE.  SO THE ONE THING IN TERMS OF    SO WILDFIRE SAT, I’M ASSUMING THAT’S WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.  SO WILDFIRE SAT IS A SATELLITE THAT WILL BE    SO IT IS FOLKS THAT I WORK WITH DOWN THE HALL FROM ME AT THE GREAT LAKES FORESTRY CENTER IN SAULT STE. MARIE.  SO IT WILL BE A SATELLITE THAT IS INFRARED BASED.  AND THE DIFFERENCE WITH THAT SATELLITE TO OTHER SATELLITES THAT CURRENTLY EXIST IS IT WILL BE STATIONED OVER CANADA SUCH THAT IT CAN MONITOR AND DETECT FIRES AT PEAK BURN WITHIN THE NORTHERN REGIONS.  AND SO THAT SHOULD BE LAUNCHED IN 2029.  AND THEN WHAT WAS THE OTHER QUESTION THAT YOU HAD?
>>  THE OTHER QUESTION WAS AROUND THE RESEARCH THAT HAS GONE ON IN GOVERNMENT LABS, AND AS I SAID, CCRS, OTHER PARTS OF THE GOVERNMENT, OTHER PARTS OF CFS.
>>  YEAH, SO THERE IS A LOT OF REMOTE SENSING WORK GOING ON IN ADDITION TO WHAT IS GOING ON WITH WILDFIRE SAT.  MYSELF AND OTHER FOLKS ARE INTERESTED IN USING REMOTE SENSING TO LOOK AT MOISTURE.  SO BEFORE THINGS START BURNING, SO WHAT ARE THE MOISTURE CONDITIONS?  AS WE MENTIONED, MOISTURE IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE IN TERMS OF THE FOREST FLOOR.  WHAT ARE THE MOISTURE CONDITIONS HELPS US PREDICT WHAT FIRES, WHEN THEY WILL HAPPEN, HOW THEY WILL BURN AND SUCH.  SO WE ARE DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH AROUND JUST REMOTE SENSING IN GENERAL IN TERMS OF BOTH MOISTURE, THE CONDITION OF THE FOREST IN TERMS OF GREENNESS, WHEN THE SEASON IS GOING TO START, WHICH WE START TO PAY ATTENTION TO THINGS LIKE SNOW.  WE WOULDN’T THINK SNOW IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR FIRE, BUT WHEN THE SNOW IS GONE, THAT’S WHEN THE FIRES START.
AND SO WE’RE TRYING TO IMPROVE OUR ESTIMATION OF SNOW AND HOW THAT INFLUENCES DROUGHT BECAUSE DROUGHT INFLUENCES FIRE.  SO THERE IS A LOT OF THESE MANY DIFFERENT PIECES OF THE PUZZLE THAT ARE IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF REMOTE SENSING AND THE USE OF SATELLITES TO IMPROVE OUR ABILITIES TO LOOK AT FIRE AND DIFFERENT ASPECTS.  HOPEFULLY THAT TOUCHES ON SOME OF THE BITS YOU WERE INTERESTED IN.
>>  THANKS A LOT.
>>  EMILY, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION UP THERE?
>>  HI, FOLKS.  THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.  SO TONIGHT WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH, PROPER EQUIPMENT, SKILLED PEOPLE AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY.  SO WITH A FEDERAL ELECTION LIKELY BEING CALLED ON SUNDAY, WHAT IS ONE THING THAT EACH OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE BEING TALKED ABOUT ON ELECTION CAMPAIGN TRAILS IN REGARDS TO FOREST FIRES?
[LAUGHTER]
>>  NO COMMENT.
>>  THAT CUTS TO THE QUICK.
WHY DON’T WE START, JOWETT AT YOUR END AND MAKE OUR WAY OVER THIS WAY.
>>  CAN I SAY NO COMMENT?
[LAUGHTER]
>>  DEFINITELY.  NO PRESSURE.
>>  PERSONALLY, I WOULD, I GUESS, DRIVE HOME THE FACT THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL AND THAT WE’RE IN FOR A CHALLENGE.  IT IS GOING TO REQUIRE RESEARCH.  IT IS GOING TO REQUIRE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.  IT IS GOING TO REQUIRE ENTIRE AN ECOSYSTEM, LIKE OTHERS HAVE SAID.  I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE DRIVEN HOME.
>>  PAUL?
>>  MORE DEDICATED FUNDING.  SO MOST OF THE HELICOPTER PILOTS DON’T KNOW IF THEY’RE GOING TO FIGHT FIRE EVERY YEAR.  THE CREWS THAT WE FLY AROUND ARE TYPICALLY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS.  IT IS A SUMMER JOB.  AND IF WE HAVE ENOUGH FIRE SEASON THAT EXTENDS INTO OCTOBER, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, I FOUGHT LOTS OF FIRES IN OCTOBER, ALL THOSE FIREFIGHTERS WE WERE WORKING WITH WENT BACK TO SCHOOL AT THE END OF AUGUST, AND THERE IS NOBODY LEFT.
SO IT IS NOT CONSIDERED A JOB.  IT IS NOT CONSIDERED A CAREER AS OPPOSED TO THE U.S. WHERE THEY HAVE DEDICATED CREWS THAT THIS IS THEIR JOB.  THEY FIGHT FIRES.  THAT IS WHAT THEY DO.  SO IF THERE WAS FUNDING FOR IT, FEDERAL FUNDING FLOWING TO PROVINCIAL AREAS OF EXPERTISE, PROVINCIAL FUNDING TO AT LEAST HAVE A DEDICATED GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT YOU COULD COUNT ON YEAR AFTER YEAR, THAT WOULD PROBABLY HELP.
>>  YEAH, I THINK I’LL ECHO THE SAME.  BASICALLY, WILDFIRES IS A REALITY, AND WE NEED TO BE CONSCIOUS OF THAT.  AND WE DON’T NEED TO HOPE THAT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2023 WILL PROBABLY NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.  SO WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT.  AND THAT MEANS THAT, AGAIN, IT IS EASY FOR US, ME REPRESENTING AIRBUS TO SAY THIS, BUT THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE FIGHTING FIRES, RIGHT?  AND THEY NEED TO BE EQUIPPED IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY, IN TERMS OF FUNDING, IN TERMS OF RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED BECAUSE THIS IS NOT GOING AWAY.
THIS IS GOING TO ONLY INCREASE.  WE ARE THE SECOND LARGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.  WE HAVE A LOT OF LAND MASS.  WE HAVE A LOT OF CONDITIONS THAT ARE REALLY RIPE FOR FIRES OVER AND OVER AGAIN.  WE JUST NEED TO EQUIP OUR OPERATORS, OUR AGENCIES, OUR SCIENTISTS AND ANYONE ELSE THAT IS IN THIS ECOSYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE READY WHEN THE TIME COMES.
>>  I’M AN EMPLOYEE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
[LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE]
>>  BUT…OKAY.  THEY HAVE NOT DROPPED THE WRIT YET.  BUT JUST PERSONALLY, I THINK ECHOING WHAT EACH OF THE FOLKS BEFORE ME HAVE SAID, CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL, AND IT IS CAUSING A LOT OF THESE PROBLEMS.  AND I THINK A LOT OF US WITHIN FIRE ARE TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE OF SOCIETY APPROACH.  WE CAN’T DO THIS AS INDIVIDUALS.  WE NEED THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON.  WE NEED THE PUBLIC TO PLAY THEIR PART.  WE NEED WORK ON RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT WITH FIRE MANAGEMENT, FOLKS AT THE PROVINCIAL AND TERRITORIAL LEVEL.  THAT IS A BIG ISSUE.
IT IS A COMPLEX ISSUE, AND WE JUST REALLY NEED TO PUT SOME    AND THERE IS EFFORT GOING ON, DEFINITELY AND THERE IS SOME FUNDING BEING INJECTED IN.  BUT IT’S NOT GOING AWAY.
>> OKAY.  WELL, I THINK THAT IS A GOOD SPOT FOR US TO LEAVE IT FOR THIS EVENING.  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS.  THAT WAS A VERY ENGAGING SESSION.
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO JOIN US IN THE LOBBY FOR OUR RECEPTION WHICH WILL LAST ABOUT AN HOUR, AND WE WILL HAVE MORE TIME TO CHAT.  THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[APPLAUSE]

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good evening everyone thank you for joining us at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and online via Zoom for the
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8th Annual Kenneth Molson lecture series my name is Aaron Gregory and I’m the curator here at km your MC and moderator
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for this
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event Erin Gregory
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before we begin I wouldd like to acknowledge that ingenium and its three museums including the Canada Aviation and Space Museum are situated on the
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traditional and unseated territory of the aliv to work and learn as settlers on
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this land this evening will follow a slightly
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different structure than we have in the past instead of three presentations followed by a Q&A with our speakers the
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evening we’ll start with a short presentation on the history of the rural Canadian Air Force followed by a fire side chat with our three incredible
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guests about their equally incredible
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careers the structure of this evening this will be slightly different the
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evening instead of re having three presentation and a question and answer
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with our speakers this evening we start with a short presentation on the story of the Royal Canadian Air Force followed
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by a fireside chat with our incredible guest about the equality in and credible
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carriers yet it is important to also mention that we are offering interpretation in French and English as
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well as sign language interpretation our interpreters will do our
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thank you Erin good to see a good crowd tonight it looked beautiful out there but I hear it’s it’s a little bit nippy
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so thanks for coming in Chris kit my name is Chris kit I am the
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director of the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum I would like to take the opportunity to welcome you to this well
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well received KF mson lecture service and of course at the moment we
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will be
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also the Year we’re we’re grateful we’ve long been grateful for the strong ties
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that we have uh with the Royal Canadian Air Force uh our collection which began
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with three or four different collections one of which was a Canadian military collection stands as a testament to this
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long-standing tradition and it runs right up until today so very recently actually in November of 2023 we acquired
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our most recent acquisition the uh Davin Buffalo cc15 which now has a place of prominence
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in our Hangar and you can go over there and see it’s beautiful and it’s right at the beginning of our tours that run through that particular space now more
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than 60% of our collection is made up of RCF military um uh aircraft so it it’s a
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significant part of what we do and we’re deeply grateful to the RCF for their long-standing tradition of sharing that
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collection with us and with the country through that collection obviously we’re able to tell the stories
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about the individuals and about the Technologies themselves that have helped shape our country our Museum in turn has
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been steadfast in its dedication to the preservation of this invaluable collection through our exhibits we aim
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not only to preserve that history but also to educate and Inspire our visitors
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and in part through that Legacy of the rcaf so tonight’s lecture as I’ve noted
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is one of several ways that we will be celebrating this year another is with our major upcoming permanent exhibition
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opening of the Cold War um and so that will be opening on April 5th and I hope that you’ll all come back and uh enjoy
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that exhibition with us as well so before I go I would like to
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express um our our deep thanks and gratitude to the engum foundation and
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you’ll be hearing from Amelia very soon um from them and from the Kenneth M mson
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Foundation both of which help to make these events um free and available to
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all of you their commitment to preserving and promoting our Aviation Heritage has made all of these types of
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public programs possible I’d also like to say a special thanks to Robert eldrich the president of the Kenneth M
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Molson Foundation who could not be here with us today he typically is and I want to recognize how much we appreciate the
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support that he and the foundation have provided over the years for these lectures and for many other programs
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that we provide they’ve also supported that cold war exhibition that I was noting earlier so very grateful to the
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support that we’ve gotten from both groups uh I look forward to tonight’s evening that they’ve helped us uh promote and celebrate so without further
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Ado let’s continue with our
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program I’ll now invite Emilia putterer to come up and speak on behalf of the engineer
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Foundation thank you Ain good evening and welcome to all
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thank you very much for all have being here it always a pleasure to see the participation in these type of gathering
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I very happy to see how many of
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you the 100 Years of the Royal Canadian Air Force uh for a century the Royal
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Canadian Air Force has been an emblem of Excellence of bravery of innovation in
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the Aerospace industry from pioneering missions breakthrough Technologies the
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RCF have consistently pushed boundaries of what’s possible inspiring generations
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of Canadians to reach for the stars I try to kind of put a few puns in so you know just watch out for them the inum
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foundation is steadfast and its mission to make science available to all tonight’s lecture series is not just a c
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cration of the royal Canadians Air Force Centenary um it’s a testament to our commitment to ensuring that every
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Canadian has the opportunity to learn and and to be inspired um I would like
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to also express our deepest gratitude to the kenis molsen foundation for their
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generous support without their unwavering commitment um events like this uh series would not be possible
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their dedication to preserving our Aviation Legacy ensures that stories of our past continue to inspire and educate
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for years to come as we look ahead to The Next Century of Aviation Excellence
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let us continue to inspire curiosity to Foster Innovation and to build a future
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where everyone has the opportunity to soar to new heights all right all right
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right thank you very much to all and have a wonderful evening
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okay so I’m now going to go through uh basically a very very quick presentation
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so bear with me please um the Royal Canadian Air Force is celebrating 100 years of service to the country called
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Canada in times of peace and War it was not the first iteration of an Air Force here but certainly the most lasting this
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presentation will provide a very brief overview of the history of the rcaf its contributions to the country and indeed
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the world I really have 10 minutes so this is like 30 seconds a decade um so what did the RCF look like
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when it was established on April 1st 1924 and what did it
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do help if I can advance the slides um at the time it consisted of a permanent
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full-time active air force a non-permanent active Air Force which trained a few weeks a year and a reserve
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force to be called upon in times of national emergencies there were 62 officers in the permanent active Air
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Force Force four in the non-permanent active air force and 262 non-commission
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members William Barker one of the most decorated servest people in the history of the Canadian Armed Forces and famed
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World War I Ace was put in charge for the first couple of months throughout the 1920s the RCF was
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focused mainly on civil government air operations such as forestry and fishery patrols aerial mapping and participation
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in Northern exploration such as the Hudson straight ex expedition in 1927 19
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28 with a few servicemen and a few airplanes rcaf Pilots came to be known
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as Bush pilots in uniform and the service itself was equated with the Vicor vet flying
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boat I missed that one all right here we go the 1930s was a complex time that
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began with a biting 20% reduction of the rcaf and its budget cut in half in the wake of the Great Depression and ended
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with the beginnings of War war in Europe by 1935 the economy improved and the growing tensions in Europe led to
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rearmament and a focus on military flying activities rather than civil ones in 1938 the chief of the air staff
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became directly responsible to the minister of National Defense which officially made the rcaf equal in status
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to the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Navy that year the rcaf reorganized itself into Western and
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Eastern Air Commands when war broke out in September 1939 the rcaf mustered 4,061 people and
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270 aircraft only 19 of those aircraft could be reasonably considered modern at
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the time what happened next was the beginning of a dramatic transformation in this service at its peak the rcaf was
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215,000 strong including 177,000 women serving in the women’s division there were 47 squadrons they served in fighter
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command bomber command Coastal command and transport command and in theatres of war from Europe to the Far East East on
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the home front the transformation was equally dramatic on December 17th 1939 Canada
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signed an agreement with the United Kingdom Australia and New Zealand the basis of which was that Canada would be
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the site of a large training operation known as the British Commonwealth air training plan or
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BCP from February 1940 to 1944 over 130 air crew from all over the Commonwealth
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and many European countries trained here as Pilots Navigators Wireless operators
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bomb aimers Gunners and more over 150 training facilities were built across
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the country and their construction and use transformed the communities nearby my favorite stat is that the amount of
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concrete used in the construction of all of these sites could build a 20- foot highway from Ottawa to
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Vancouver the aviation industry in the country owes much to this program as well as over 10,000 aircraft were built
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here to support it at the end of the second world war the rcaf was the fourth largest Air
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Force in the world and its golden age was Yet to Come demobilization led to the reduction of personnel to about
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12,000 by 1948 however as the Cold War heated up Canada found itself geographically
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sandwiched between ideologically opposed superpowers the United States and the Soviet Union this war was very real
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although it had a very different character and air power was essential to defense as ever Canada joined International
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organizations such as NATO for the protection of Europe NORAD for the protection of North America and the
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United Nations for the protection of the world these commitments led to unprecedented peacetime growth in this
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service and the rcaf was 50,000 Strong by the end of the 1950s fighter squadrons served in France
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and West Germany raidar lines were built and operated across the country and peacekeeping missions were executed in
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the Middle East and in Asia the 1960s saw the RCF introduce
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nuclear weapons with the starf fighter the voodoo and bowar missile to a great feel of controversy the 1960s were also
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the beginning of a long period of financial restraint and the gradual reduction of Canada’s military efforts
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to save money led to the unification of the can of Canadian Army the Royal Canadian Navy and the rcaf to form the
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Canadian Armed Ser or Canadian Armed Forces or the calf unification meant that the air arms of the na of the Army
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Navy and Air Force were now the air element the 1990s saw yet more dramatic
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changes and further cuts to military spending the Air Force shrank from 20,000 strong to
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13,500 whole fleets were disposed of and bases were closed but demand for Air Services was still high as Canadian
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Maritime transport and fighter aircraft and Personnel went into went into combat for the first time in 40 years during
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the Persian Gulf War in 1990 1991 later that decade cf-18s and Crews
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were in combat once more in kovo in support of NATO un missions in Africa and the Far East were also supported
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more recently the for supported International counterterrorism operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and
14:02
also served in Libya but the Air Force doesn’t just operate internationally it also serves
14:09
Canadians at home in many ways including saving lives through search and rescue Services protecting borders and assets
14:15
through Maritime and sovereignty patrols and is often called upon to assist in the event of natural disasters and other
14:21
domestic crises the Air Force assisted Canadians during the 1997 Red River flood and the 1998 ice storm it
14:28
transported personnel equipment and vaccines during the covid-19 crisis and evacuated folks from towns and cities at
14:34
risk from wildfires as I said this is but a brief overview of what our Air Force has
14:40
accomplished in the last 100 years we at the Museum are privileged to share this proud history with Canadians through the
14:46
collection exhibitions and programs like tonight’s lecture which leads me to the moment we’ve all been waiting for and
14:52
thank you for indulging me allow me to introduce our three wonderful guests who have graciously agreed to share their
14:57
personal experiences of serving with the rcaf so I’d like to bring up uh lieutenant General Le bong who is the
15:04
Deputy commander of military personnel command RCF command Chief Warrant
15:09
Officer John Hall and last but not least Captain Edward soy currently serving as snowboard 10 in from newra
15:19
[Applause] tonight
15:27
hello all right okay so first question is a tough one
15:33
obviously you guys will be experts in all of these topics because they’re yours um so I’ll start uh with Le and
15:40
we’ll just go across this question is kind of for everybody um how did you come to join the military and what led
15:47
you to the Air Force specifically
15:55
thanks so do the presentation in English I think it will be easy but if in during The Question period if there’s any
16:01
question in uh French I will be happy to respond in your language of
16:15
choice and uh to get a degree and as I showed up at the recruiting center they
16:20
asked what what do you want to do and I’m like I want a degree and they’re like no no no you got to pick an
16:25
occupation and I’m like I don’t know what do you have and uh it was pretty interesting because at the time it was
16:31
exactly when they were opening all the occupation for women so they they gave me the list and uh you know First Choice
16:37
was logistic second choice was MP and then the guy uh because it was a guy said uh what about a pilot and I’m like
16:45
okay well I’m just doing it for five years because then I’m going to quit and go do something else so that’s uh that’s
16:52
how they got me into the military H as an Air Force and I fell in love the day
16:59
I went to sea flying the seeking and it’s been a lot of years something like
17:04
37 years and I almost every day I love what I’m doing so it was a good choice
17:10
and you have 2200 hours on seeking so that’s she’s pretty she’s pretty
17:16
awesome so John when you share your story uh yeah thanks Aaron so um I was a
17:23
less than Stellar student uh so postsecondary wasn’t really in my future
17:29
uh and I wanted to do something and I’d been an Air Cadet for 5 years and it was very interesting to me uh so I went to
17:35
the recruiting center in October of 1986 and they said what are your occupation choices and I said uh Aero engine tech
17:43
airframe tech or poet air and poet is performance oriented Electronics technician uh so they called me in
17:50
January of 1987 with a job offer and they said poet land and I’m like no I I
17:55
wanted air and they said all we’ve got is land and I I said okay so what about
18:01
Aon they said just asking corn Wallace you can change when you get to Corn Wallace so uh not knowing it was a a bit
18:08
of a line that i’ been fed I I took it hookline and sinker I ended up in corn Wallace in in February of 1987 as an
18:14
army uh poet recruit uh ended up a year and a bit later as an army radtech and
18:20
then came to the Air Force in 1995 when they reorganized the trades uh so it was
18:26
cly because I I wanted to do something and postsecondary education was not in my future and I I was just interested
18:33
with doing something and it at the time it was it was a job and it turned into a
18:39
career thank you so uh I actually tried to join the regular Force three times
18:46
and the reasons evolved over that period uh I was the opposite of the general I specifically wanted to be a pilot but uh
18:52
when I applied uh when I was in high school i’ had been an AET and uh wanted to go to RMC but uh my eyes didn’t meet
18:59
the vision acurity requirements at the time so I had to do something else um I
19:05
I ended up joining the reserves uh to teach with the architect program uh because I could do that uh but it wasn’t
19:11
until I was finishing my masters uh in 2009 that I I was able to reapply because rules changed you could get
19:18
laser vision correction so I had that done um and uh as a reservist I was finishing my masters at the Military
19:24
College of all places um and when I went into the recruiting center they said Direct pilot is closed sorry so I ended
19:31
up working in finance for 10 years uh before I said uh this is something I really want to do before I get too old
19:37
uh let’s give it another try and here we are you made it well that’s great um John I have or
19:45
well actually I guess um how did your family and friends react to your decision to
19:50
join for all of you team yeah that’s uh I was the baby in the family so when I
19:56
told uh my parents that I was going and I was 16 so dad had to sign for me to
20:03
join the military and uh he was a bit nervous cuz no family history whatsoever
20:08
and my mom reached out then and said don’t worry she’s never going to make it in so he signed the
20:14
paperwork uh he signed the paperwork and you know FL you know FasTrack six months
20:19
forward when I got the phone call and uh that I was in uh mom had a bit of a yeah
20:25
a reaction uh but you know again uh being the baby it was it was it was
20:31
great and uh I don’t know I I guess they just saw how happy I was and uh and they
20:39
just encouraged me and um yeah thanks I
20:44
I’d say the my parents were probably a little hesitant when I I came with the news we didn’t have a family history
20:50
same as general b we didn’t have a family history of of service to to Canada likely in the war time we did but
20:57
nobody that had made it Aur career um but when my dad came to my my Cornwallis
21:02
graduation he he saw that it was a good thing because he saw a very positive of change in me over the 10 weeks that I
21:08
had had gone through so it changed very quickly over the 10 week uh period but initially was Frosty but was very warm
21:14
after was good no no panic attacks is nice uh so so much the same in terms of
21:21
no family history in the military um my mother was also not thrilled with the concept but has come to be quite proud
21:27
of where I’ve ended up uh in terms of uh when this happened I was in my mid-30s I
21:32
was working for an investment firm in Toronto and people thought I was crazy to walk away from that and join the Air
21:38
Force as a second Lieutenant um I think they’ve all come to see the light in terms of what’s happened over the last four or five years um and the key piece
21:46
in terms of me uh having the support to join the military was uh my husband Tom
21:51
uh he and I had met when uh after I’d applied but before I’d been accepted and so we’ been able to make all the kind of
21:57
career decision choices together along the way and without that sport I wouldn’t be here doing this right now
22:03
that’s nice was helpful um so this I guess I’ll ask we’ve got two two
22:10
pilots helicopter and fixed Wing do you think that there’s a
22:15
difference between the between the two be honest of course um you know
22:22
helicopters uh have much better hands and feet um real pilots fly helicopters
22:30
um uh but you know like but but it’s funny because because I I’ve never Dre
22:36
like I’m not like Ed where I wanted to be a pilot so when I first arrived to uh to Portage and started flying I I
22:43
actually hated it because there were so many rules you know it’s a beautiful sky in in in Manitoba but we had to fly at
22:50
1200 feet and 70 knots and I’m like really like really um but that’s kind of
22:57
have you you got to go to training but actually helicopter has a lot less rules than fix wi so for me that was uh you
23:05
can land anywhere honestly so that was the flexibility I guess that was my Wild Side that made me go helicopters and and
23:13
it was good it was good nice have a response Ed uh I mean I would concur
23:19
that helicopter Pilots are probably better hands and feet or least feet Pilots than the jet types and I come at
23:26
that as a tail Drager pilot first right I joined the military with um 1,500 hours of flying and probably 30 types
23:32
that i’ flown so uh going through the military training process has certainly instilled rigor and particularly going
23:38
down the jet the jet route has has done that um but I would agree I think uh
23:44
Pilots don’t use their feed very much and uh ta wheel Pilots helicopter Pilots have a have a a different skill set sure
23:52
W and so John this one is for you so you’re you are an an NCM non-commission
23:57
member can can you speak to kind of the the difference in that that role in the in the calf versus the officers um in in
24:05
the aircraft world without the ground crew Pilots are just people with cool sunglasses and a leather
24:11
jacket um uh when it when it comes to the RCF as a whole the you know the
24:17
differences are are Authority and accountabilities the the officers have command they have uh a commission and
24:24
they have authorities and accountabilities that they uh that they have to take care of and the ncms we
24:30
rely on them to be you know technical experts in their field and whether that’s being a technician or a human
24:35
resources administrator or or a supply Tech we ask them to be an expert in their field because they’re enabling the
24:41
operations that that we need them to op so there’s a a difference it’s it’s not thinkers and doers it’s it’s a team we
24:49
are absolutely a team to uh to push forward for the the RCF but the the ncms
24:54
are are key in that that everybody that does it whether they cloth or feed or pay or maintain the aircraft they’re all
25:00
supporting the operations it’s one big team and I think that I’m just going to add here is on the Air Force side the
25:08
that teamwork aspect is so important like I mean ncms are important in the Navy and of course in the Army but in
25:13
the Air Force you know I I would sign for an aircraft that was fixed by a
25:18
technician and I made I put my life in in in their hands every day uh making
25:24
sure that the aircraft was ready to go so that karad and and that faith and that teamwork uh
25:31
Pilots are nothing without the technician and the the supporting because we wouldn’t be able to go flying
25:37
and uh and and that’s important to recognize and I guess you would agree too now being on the snowbirds team
25:43
where that’s I mean skill professionalism teamwork these are the things that we’re out to share with Canadians and people across the country
25:51
uh so I I couldn’t agree more with that that teamwork element both with pilots and with with the the technical side and
25:57
uh just to go back to what the chief started with uh I came to Ottawa from Musa with not one but two leather
26:03
jackets a civilian and a military one so there is there is something to that just
26:09
decide which one you want on a given day next
26:14
um and I think we will go towards uh the training so maybe if you guys can all
26:20
describe your experience in basic basic training and what that was like
26:26
and was it fun did it break your spirit well you know it it’s interesting
26:33
because when you arrive on basic training you you you don’t know anything unless you have uh you know families
26:40
that can tell you um uh it’s it’s it’s
26:45
scary you know from uh from going to a civilian that has no idea to this
26:51
military environment um being screamed at which we don’t anymore by the way so
26:56
anyone that wants to join the military it’s a much better military uh but at the end of the day you always have to
27:02
remember like they can’t hurt you and they can’t take your birthday away but it takes a while to get to that level
27:08
and uh you know being yelled in your face with the spit flying all over the place it’s it’s true okay it it h it
27:15
happened it doesn’t happen anymore but uh at some point you just switch off and
27:20
uh they they they stop because you know it doesn’t make a difference anymore uh but uh it was it was interesting so was
27:27
it co that stopped them from spitting in your face so can’t do that stuff anymore yeah
27:33
yeah but it was funny cuz I I joined very young uh well you know 17 but in 6
27:38
weeks I lost about almost 40 lbs because it was all baby fat alcohol it baby fat
27:44
so when my mom came to see me on the first parade she did not recognize me she thought they were starving you like
27:51
I don’t know but uh it was it was certainly interesting it was a good diet anyone that’s interested that’s for sure
27:58
John how about you yeah it was uh I was in corn Wallace for 10 weeks I showed up
28:04
on the I think it was the 9th of February and it snowed every Monday uh for six weeks so we avoided the obstacle
28:11
course we avoided a bunch of Ruck marches because it was snowing and we we couldn’t do it uh but absolutely we we
28:16
showed up and and I learned new vocabulary very quickly uh we had a new
28:22
finlander that was our platoon sergeant and on the very first day I I found verb
28:27
words that that could be used as verbs nouns adjectives and adverbs that I never thought that they could be used in
28:33
that manner uh but they we don’t do that anymore we don’t do that anymore either we’re it’s a uh it’s not that we’re
28:40
Kindler and gentler it’s that we found a more efficient way to achieve the effect that we’re trying to achieve through
28:45
basic training um but they had a they had a role and the role was to to really
28:51
make everybody equal as a foundation and and then build you up and they did it in
28:57
their way um whether that was standing over you on a locker when you’re changing for PT and screaming at you to
29:03
hurry up and just giving you timelines that that were unachievable just because they could yell more um and then you
29:10
came out of it at the other end and it was like well that’s over and you went into the mess hall in Kingston one where
29:16
I went for my threes course and and nobody was yelling and that was such a foreign thing that no one was yelling at
29:21
you you actually had time to eat and that was half of the diet is we didn’t have the time to get everything down
29:26
range uh during it cuz were either sleeping or being yelled at cuz it’s and
29:31
my my my wife still hates the fact that I can fall asleep like that but that’s a learned skill in basic
29:38
training yeah eat eating quickly is definitely still a basic training core skill uh so I I went through a little
29:43
more recently in 2018 um and I was 34 when I went through which is not the norm I would say or it hasn’t been
29:50
historically uh and especially someone who had been in AET and had taught drill and knew how to wear a uniform a lot of
29:56
what they were indoctrinating me into a HS some background in um and so that whole building process of of allowing
30:04
the platoon to come together as a team was was uh important but from my perspective I had to balance I know a
30:11
lot of what’s going on and I have some context how do I share that without seeming like a knowt all uh and I think
30:16
that process worked out fairly well um but yes you you do eat a lot and you are very active those things have not
30:22
changed over time good and um
30:29
do you think that process it was 10 weeks was that that was sufficient to adjust to
30:34
military life so when you went to your first posting you felt prepared for that or was it still quite kind of foreign I
30:42
kind of had the uh the longer training than that because I spent five years at the mil which was kind of a military
30:50
University so it was a much longer indoctrination uh period where we did a
30:56
little bit more and uh but I was a training institution for five years and then uh you know you go back to a
31:03
training institution as you’re going through your wings and again it’s a school where you’re a student and um and
31:09
then finally you make your way to your first operational Squadron as an adult
31:14
and you’re no longer uh a student and um and there’s you know there’s I would not
31:21
like the status of a student or a status of a qualified person is quite different
31:26
and being grown up up really in your first operational posting uh for the first time although I was almost 24 by
31:33
that time it’s uh it’s it’s a different world and it was nice to be uh considered as a as someone qualified in
31:41
a grownup at that point that’s always K John how did you find it it uh so I
31:48
followed up corn Wallace with just over a year of electronics training in Kingston and and there was still it was
31:54
still in the military indoctrination period there was still uh we parades getting you out on the parade square and
32:00
and there was weekly PT uh and then all of a sudden in May of 1988 when I was
32:06
posted to Alder Grove out in British Columbia uh I show up at the unit and you’re a contributing member of society
32:13
you’re not a trainee anymore you’re not you’re not getting yelled at to get out of bed and there’s not a parade on
32:18
Friday you you have to get after it uh fairly quickly I I think I was prepared
32:23
for it I had done five years like like Ed I had done some time in the cadet so I kind of knew what I was getting into
32:30
um with it and I I was ready for it uh but it was nice to be done like I don’t know if I could have dragged out a
32:36
military indoctrination period as long as as a pilot trainee does with mil call
32:41
and and then the time in the Stream might have driven me driven me crazy but I was I was happy to get through it and
32:47
I think I was prepared okay my supervisors at the time may have said something different but I thought I was prepared should call them and
32:55
see and so my my journey was fairly really direct uh you know I finished basic training as a direct entry officer
33:01
and had a little bit of a weight uh so I went back to Toronto on on what they call on the job training um and then
33:07
from there I went to musall and uh spent a few years in training through the pandemic and then became an instructor
33:14
and stayed in musall and a few years after that uh here I am as a snowbird so it’s been a very direct path and uh I
33:22
arguably haven’t done anything operational yet uh but basic felt like just kind of step along the way and I’d
33:29
been been warned that it’s basically a bit of a game you need to kind of understand how they are um trying to
33:37
build you and work within that process and you know it’s part of the journey to Pilot training but it’s in some ways
33:42
very distinct from I think the pilot training Journey as a as a technical exercise and what was it what was it
33:48
like doing the training um during covid-19 how do you think that was different from regular training I think
33:55
the biggest impact for for people um was that uh depending where you were in your
34:03
training it could have sped things up or slowed them down from a pilot standpoint the whole school stopped for a month uh
34:09
but then um during that period uh some people elected to go home wherever they were from and some people stayed in MOA
34:15
and when they started back up they only started with the people who stayed in MOA and so if you if you happen to make
34:21
that decision you made quite rapid progress uh before they brought back the rest of the students and that was the
34:26
situation I was in uh so it made for not
34:31
a continuous training Journey but uh it it wasn’t a massive delay at least from my perspective
34:37
okay for the two of you having gone through pilot training is there anything kind of were there any notable notable
34:45
moments in your training where you felt like oh my God what am I doing or like it was it all pretty pretty smooth what
34:50
was your first solo like just any experiences that stand out for you when you were learning well I think my my my skill
34:58
came when I got to Portage on the helicopter because again uh flying fixed
35:03
Wing is is hard but it’s much easier than flying a helicopter so you know
35:09
every you know you finish moja then you fly a jet you can fly a Tor like come on
35:15
how hard is that little thing so you know we all get there and then they they
35:20
they send you on the jet Ranger which is a a small uh Bell Helicopter and oh my
35:26
God like you know it’s it’s very difficult like we try to hover in a field like a farmer’s field and you
35:34
can’t do it like it’s um it’s humbling to say the least um and then it takes a
35:40
while and and it’s magic it’s it’s truly magic they always tell you that you get imported you start flying helicopter
35:46
they’re like yeah yeah around s six to seven hours of flying there’s a switch
35:52
and you know it gets thrown on and then you’ll be okay and you’re like in the first 5 hours you’re like oh my God I’m
36:00
never going to be and then it’s magic around that you know as they said the switch gets on and then you can stay uh
36:06
within that farmer field and um and then of course you get solo at like the 10
36:12
you know around the 10 hours and and it’s and it’s scary okay because if you’re not scared I think there’s
36:17
something wrong with you honestly uh because uh but it was a lot of fun
36:23
helicopters always make me nervous because I feel like you’re asking something from A system that doesn’t really want to give it to you whereas
36:28
like an airplane wants to fly and it’s almost harder to get down sometimes and stuff but yeah so I don’t fly on
36:34
helicopters so I not not respect but I mean too many fiery crashes I am kind of
36:41
with Aaron technically helicopters do frighten me somewhat I’m glad I don’t fly them uh but uh going through pilot
36:47
training as someone with prior experience um is interesting because the military wants you to fly the airplane
36:54
in a very specific way and for good reasons and uh I’ve seen this both uh as
36:59
an instructor and experienced it as a student the best way to get through pilot training with prior experience is to say nothing about your prior
37:06
experience the worst thing you can say to an instructor even if you’re genuinely trying to understand why is
37:12
you know I used to do it this way or here’s another way of doing something and the answer is really I will do it
37:18
the way you want how can I do it better um so people uh I guess to summarize there
37:26
are people who G gone through pilot training with prior experience who are not very malleable and it doesn’t go well um so bringing experience can be
37:34
beneficial um but it can also be a hindrance and uh I think in my case it’s worked out well um particularly coming
37:40
from a civilian formation team it’s nice to be able to bring that kind of context into pilot training and into what I do
37:46
with the snowbirds John for you what was uh did you have like a a moment where early on
37:52
in your maybe your first posting or something where you’re just like oh my God I don’t know what I’m doing here and hope nobody
37:59
notices um I have those moments all the time I yeah I have them all the time now
38:04
um you think I’d get it right after 37 years but I’m still learning I I don’t
38:10
think there’s been the day where I felt absolutely lost like I kind of found when I got
38:17
into electronics that I actually had a knack for it that I I was a good student when I got into to electronics uh and I
38:25
really enjoyed uh my time working on it um I guess
38:30
the didn’t happen to me it happened to my shift supervisor and uh when he he
38:36
took a molt meter so looking at very small um measurements and he put it on a
38:43
10,000 volt line um and there was a bit of smoke and a and a big bang so it
38:49
didn’t happen to me it happened happened to the other guy but it was more like okay that’s that’s the Wake Up Call
38:55
there’s a lot of power here and and we had a trans transmitter you could walk past with a fluorescent light bulb and it would light up and there’s nothing
39:01
connected to it it was just the 250 kilow of fun uh as you as you walk by
39:07
and it would light up the tube so you know it was maybe seeing the the power but not W witnessing it myself okay uh
39:14
but being very close when someone else did and worried that that guy’s going to blow you up eventually
39:21
like so I’m not going to work with him anymore um I guess move on to more kind
39:27
of operational experiences uh following your first posting do any of you have
39:33
kind of a like a memorable Mission or a memorable operation that you were part of something that really stands out to
39:41
you as uh kind of like this is why I do this is is why I serve kind of thing well I you know I I when I I’ve
39:49
always wanted to be a helicopter pilot so I wanted to fly a tactical Helicopter
39:55
Army and um and then I was chosen to go seekings and it was just as the the the
40:01
replacement for the seeking uh helicopter was announced and and cancelled so I showed up on the East
40:07
Coast pretty depressed um and I didn’t want to be there at all okay uh but I
40:14
got qualified on the seeking and and and went to see for the first time and that’s really when I saw like I don’t
40:20
know there was a seeking in there you can go have it it’s a huge machine it’s an incredible helicopter and uh I feel
40:27
like in love with with the Navy and of course you know they say that it’s the uh being a helicopter pilot is the best
40:34
job uh um for for on on on a ship as a Navy but it’s the worst job uh for an
40:42
Air Force person because then you go to see but for me it was really really a lot of fun and the aircraft is
40:49
incredible and the jobs that we get to do every day and uh the first year I was at the operational Squadron I think I
40:55
was gone like N9 and a half months like my first three years were deployed
41:00
pretty much uh half the time I visited like something like 24 countries uh in
41:06
in in my first operational uh tour which was as a you know 25y old that was
41:13
perfect that’s what you wanted to do you wanted to deploy and sell the seven seas and and get the exite the excitement so
41:21
um I think that was pretty cool very cool and uh what was that like for you
41:27
as I mean you were coming in kind of like very early on and women qualifying
41:32
to or being being allowed to be um helicopter Pilots even in addition to to
41:38
just the pilots in general it was only about what 10 10 years or so since women were able to to join that way how did
41:46
you find that traveling to all these other countries where there were so many where they still didn’t have women as
41:52
operational Pilots even in Transport Aircraft what was the reception like yeah and actually they they had opened
41:57
uh for Pilots women but the Navy was still close so I arrived as a seeking
42:03
pilot on the East Coast almost in the first year that they were opening the ships uh for women so they were the the
42:11
the some ships only a few ships were were uh gender where women could sail
42:17
most of the fleet was still only for men it was only a few and uh let’s say that
42:23
I mean the Air Force I think was a bit ahead of its year on the gender integration the Navy was a little bit um
42:30
um uh it took a little bit longer so it was uh certainly interesting uh a lot of
42:37
the ships were fitted for but not with where you could not sail um and and you
42:42
know the Navies of the world we were uh Canada was uh was uh ahead of many many
42:49
other so I remember like multiple times having to land a helicopter cuz yeah I
42:55
have a small bladder I’m saying it public L um I had to go to the washroom get out of the seat go there I would
43:01
hand I would go in the hanger remove my helmet and then they would be like it’s
43:07
a girl and then they’ be like yes but she needs a washroom so uh then I would
43:13
follow them and I I always remember a Japanese ship so I’m following this um
43:19
this Japanese officer that’s taking me I thought was taking me to the heads or the washroom on the ship and I was like
43:26
oh my God they’re far and we’re walking and walking and then we’re on the bridge of the ship and he’s showing me to the
43:33
co of the ship like it’s a girl and I’m like okay my crew is in the
43:41
back I need to go back anyway that was uh uh it was it was it was interesting
43:48
to say the least some very um some uh some challenging time but some good time
43:54
uh so uh yeah you did get to the bathroom eventually I assume well they they they did stop at the heads cuz it
44:00
would have been a really long three hours yes yes I mean you know the seing
44:06
has a tube that most guys can use but it doesn’t work very well when uh you don’t
44:13
have the right equipment so um it was just one of those things that I had to
44:18
go when we would get fuel I would try to find a washroom yes many of the many of
44:24
the aircraft were not very female friendly in that aspect no no not at all do you have a a particular story
44:32
like that they well I’m sure it wouldn’t be like that but I mean maybe I don’t know um yeah no
44:39
I I would say if there was an operation um you know if was someone was to look at my my bio they’d say oh you
44:47
know two and a half months is the rimpact chief in Hawaii would be the most memorable and it’s it was cool but
44:52
it you know it’s two and a half months in Hawaii it was it was okay um two tours of alert one was September to
44:58
March the other was March to September so really a shift of days a shift of nights uh up there show up when the Sun
45:05
goes down and then leave when it comes up and then do an opposite a year later uh but I I think the operation that
45:10
really sticks out was Palladium Roto 4 um the air campaign in Koso started on
45:16
the 24th of March of 1999 and that was the day I was scheduled to fly from Trenton uh into VK into Zagreb and then
45:24
go down to S aval uh as part of the multinational signals group and we actually got pushed off till I think
45:29
about the 29th uh just because things were pretty busy in the airspace at the time and they didn’t want us going in uh
45:37
and it was pretty cool to be it was the first time I’d worked in a coalition environment it was a NATO Mission uh
45:44
Canada was running the M multinational signals group so we had uh Brits and uh
45:50
the Americans were at some of the oat stations we had Turks and Americans and
45:55
Italians working in AAL with us so it was really cool to see the differences
46:01
in the way we trained our technicians where we were kind of jacks of all masters of none and then you got in and
46:07
you dealt with Nations where his only job or or their only job was to to change the modom and they could only
46:14
diagnose the modem they couldn’t diagnose any of the equipment hooked to it where we could do the whole system uh
46:19
from from front to front to back top to bottom so it it was neat to gather that experience I got to travel around by
46:26
helicopter um I’m 50/50 on which is more fun um uh
46:32
got to travel to to some sites uh around um Bosnia when we were there but you
46:38
know we were we’re staying out of Serb territory obviously because the NATO was not uh the favorite in there uh parts of
46:45
the country like the drive from seval to VK would normally be about three three and a half hours uh but because it was
46:52
through Serb territory when we did the drive it was like 12 and a half and we had to go down through through Croatia
46:57
and then come up from the south to go in uh but that was probably the most rewarding uh there was a a g G7 G8 it
47:05
was a Balkan stability Summit um where the president the Prime Minister and and the UK prime minister and um others were
47:13
in and we were the the comm’s backbone uh for that conference so that was that was pretty cool to to be doing that for
47:20
some uh high price Talent uh when they came in and then to see because we
47:26
worked in s Avo and if if you know the history of the land it’s surrounded by mountains and it got got bombarded uh it
47:32
was odd the only building that was standing with no damage was the yellow Holiday Inn um and apparently they paid
47:39
off all the sides because that’s where the journalists stayed in the city so nobody uh took it out on that but we
47:45
would drive up what they what they affectionately called sniper alley uh every day as we were checking sites and
47:50
you could just see uh the destruction that had that had been that had rained down really on the city until the dayeon
47:57
Accord in ’94 and it was still nothing had been rebuilt so that that’s the one
48:02
that stuck with me with the best and I still run into people that I served with on that mission they’re they’re no
48:08
longer serving but we still uh share messages on social media and I had lunch with one a couple years ago when he was
48:15
in town in Ottawa so really good friendships out of that as well that’s really nice and what did you find did
48:20
you find that um having having the Specialists for these one particular things like was that was that more
48:26
efficient or less efficient than than what uh the Canadian text would I think
48:32
they were less efficient we I can remember fault finding a a system with
48:37
an American and they they he was in TSLA and we were in s Evo and we’re telling him how to switch the fibre around and
48:44
and I’m telling them this and that and this and that and then it’s it’s like okay it’s your your A1 is is done you have to change that and he’s how can you
48:50
tell and you’re trying to explain it to him on a over a video teleconference and in that time the connections weren’t
48:56
that good but trying to explain to them you know you could see it because this and this and this and they’re like oh I
49:01
I never thought they would use a bunch of test equipment where we just changed cables around so I I think we were a lot
49:07
more efficient when it came to it we needed less people obviously uh but it was more puzzles puzzles were big in my
49:15
family uh still are and and I think maybe that’s what it appealed to me is is trying to solve the puzzle that s fun
49:23
so I you were say you hadn’t had U like operations or missions per se but maybe you can speak to um maybe joining the
49:31
snowbirds and what that’s been like uh this year sure and I mean that’s going to be my first opportunity to do
49:36
something operational this year with oper inspiration traveling the continent and uh you know trying to inspire people
49:43
uh to tell the history of the Air Force in the Centennial year and you know my mission up until now uh personally has
49:49
really focused on history in the history of the organization and I think this uh opportunity during the Centennial to to
49:56
draw on that is going to be a great chance to to connect the present with
50:02
the past you know before I joined the r Force um I flew Old Harvard like the one on display here in the museum uh then
50:09
obviously went through pilot training on the Contemporary Harvard and now I’m flying the tutor so in terms of training airplanes we’ve used over the last 80
50:15
years uh it’s nice to be able to speak to them all directly and uh you know I’m hoping that on the road with the team
50:22
there’ll be opportunities to speak to that history and to what it means in terms of uh those serve Canada and uh
50:28
and how we ended up where we
50:35
are be fun um for just for the snowb do you want to talk about a little bit um
50:41
what the what the role of the demonstrations teams have been over starting maybe even with the cisin and
50:48
moving on I mean like we can even go further back than the CIS right you put William Barker on the screen air displays have been um grabbing the
50:55
attention of Canadians since 199 uh in terms of formation aerobatics
51:00
and display teams have the benefit of reach they can go out and they can expose people to uh to military Aviation
51:07
to to members of the Armed Forces who wouldn’t otherwise uh have direct connections to them so they can fly over
51:13
and and they can um bring to your attention that this is an institution that exists and then we really um like
51:21
following that up with the on the ground connections talking to people giving them firsthand experiences of what it’s
51:26
like and what they might be able to pursue themselves and really just to kind of build that interest I remind
51:33
Canadians that the forces are there to S them that it is your Air Force um those
51:38
are the kind of roles that the the snowboards and the predecessor teams have done and uh I think it’s it’s a
51:44
pretty critical one especially in terms of an era where demand for pilots and for technicians is high and we need to
51:51
remind people that this is a is an Avenue that they can pursue
51:56
and what would you say there’s a lot of you know a lot of critics about the still using the tutor because it is I
52:02
mean we have we have a couple of them there they are artifacts at this point um what do you say to that versus some
52:09
of the other the other demonstration teams would you use kind of more powerful faster aircraft I mean you are
52:14
talking to an old airplane person so I’m not going to critique the tutor uh as as an airplane to fly it’s actually a lot
52:20
of fun um and it it does the RO well it it uh allows you know we were talking in
52:26
the back about how yesterday the team did its first nine flane practice and you know even for me it’s still
52:32
inspiring to watch that but part of what’s so appealing is that it’s in front of the crowd the whole time and um
52:39
other display teams don’t have the benefit of doing that because of the airplanes they use so the tutor brings
52:44
some very useful things to the table the uh elements of it that are not ideal uh
52:49
it uses a lot of fuel it doesn’t have a very fuel efficient engine and it has a relatively um older ejection seat uh but
52:57
other than that it fulfills the W very well and it was built in an era where airplanes you know didn’t have an x000
53:05
hour design life uh and so uh it can sold you on into the
53:11
future and you know one of the one of the characteristics of it is being side by side and how do you think that um
53:17
that compares to some of the others that are front and back I mean it uh it takes
53:22
a little getting used to coming from Mostly tandem kind of fun back seeded airplanes uh the The Sire figured out
53:30
how to make it work in 1967 they made they made modifications to the cockpit so Pilots can sit on the side they need
53:36
to to fly on one side of the formation but um other than that kind of technical
53:41
change to the airplane it uh and the fact that you need to sit on a particular side it doesn’t make a huge
53:47
difference okay so the last question on this will be uh what is the role of snowbird 10 just for those who don’t
53:53
know it’s a nine nine plane formation so uh on the the pilot side there are 11 numbered snowboards uh one is obviously
53:59
the lead uh one through nine the single digits as we call them are the display team Pilots that that put on the uh the
54:06
performance in the a that you see and then 10 and 11 uh are known either as coordinators or as advanced and safety
54:13
Pilots so um in the winter we’re doing a lot of the pre-coordination with the
54:19
sites we’re going to visit I think some people in the room have been talking to me on that front uh recently uh and when
54:24
we’re on the road then we have two two main roles we we kind of arrive ahead of the team and make sure everything is in
54:29
place so that when the nine plane gets there things happen efficiently and then during the show uh one of us is doing
54:36
the narration and the other is a is a safety pilot they’re on the radio watching what’s going on and they can
54:41
call things off or provide input if needed to let the single daters put on a safe
54:48
display so for Le and John um this question is uh kind of about like what
54:53
particular experiences have you had in your career that have led you to the high ranking positions that you currently
55:01
occupy well I think again it’s uh not being afraid of uh change and I think
55:09
that you know there’s nothing wrong for Pilots that want to stay Pilots forever I think we need a lot of those uh but I
55:15
always have I have a really short attention span so usually after three years I’m bored and uh it’s time to move
55:22
for a new job and the military is awesome for that so I kind of had the chance to to uh to change job and uh I
55:29
love flying but I love um leadership in people so for me it was kind of a a a
55:36
normal or more natural path to uh to go and and go that way and having different
55:42
opportunities uh through the career um and uh and and and you know again it’s
55:49
it’s not being afraid of trying something else and every job you learn something uh and and you you become just
55:57
better uh and and you just carry on I mean we don’t decide to be high ranking
56:03
uh you just survive long enough to make it there I guess and um so uh but it’s
56:10
also you know again that that you you know humility vulnerability uh being
56:15
open to learn and uh and and knowing that we don’t know everything and every
56:21
new job brings that new knowledge that is exciting and I get to lead people and
56:27
make changes uh I think that benefits uh the the the new generation which is why
56:33
I’m still here how about you John I got a cough
56:39
excuse me um I I don’t think I think it’s it’s along the same lines it’s it’s
56:45
about being comfortable being uncomfortable and it it’s uh the
56:50
willingness of of the my family to support me to go from place to place to
56:56
place to have different experiences uh but there was a key moment as I was promoted to master Corporal in 2001 and
57:04
uh miles Barham who was the uh the chief of the unit at the time and I think he was uh when we started not counting Air
57:12
Command Chiefs when we went back to Counting rcaf Chiefs of which I’m number six I think he was number one when we we
57:17
flipped back to it so Miles uh is a great leader in his in his own right uh but he pulled me into his office before
57:24
I left to go to KOMO and he gave me some advice cuz he saw something in me that I didn’t even know that I had in me but he
57:31
challenged me uh and he gave me some advice and that kind of set me on a path
57:37
uh to to where I am today but I never aspired to be in this job I I’m a firm
57:43
believer that uh Happiness is when your goals meet your reality and my goal was always to be the the swo of a a wing
57:50
test Unit A telecommunications unit on a wing and that that because that was my trade it
57:55
was the PIN in my trade to do that job and I got to do that in 2012 uh 2012 to
58:00
2014 I I did that in Cold Lake and like I was happy and and everything after
58:06
that has just been it’s always been fun but it’s it’s been more fun because it’s just about helping people and and that’s
58:12
the the role of the chief is the quality of life and quality of service for people in their families and I I guess I
58:18
excel at it because I I’ve been short times in jobs and I got to where I am
58:24
and I I love it and I continue to love it but I I reflect on the you know what miles told me and I I give some of that
58:31
H I go and talk to every Master Corporal course that we put through the RCF Academy in bordon and now we’re we’re
58:37
putting them through the school and Aldershot out in Nova Scotia as well and I I give them little tidbits out of I
58:42
don’t give them all the secret sauce I give them just enough to make them dangerous and you know I think it’s
58:48
important to uh look at ourselves early and declare success and then after that
58:53
just do things because we want to uh you know it’s not about um it’s not about
58:58
the destination I think it’s the journey to get there and we quite often forget
59:04
um The Journey because we want to get there like are we there yet yet and uh and we we forget to live in the moment
59:12
so but that’s wisdom and uh maturity
59:17
um so on that for you Ed do you have I know an idea past Snowbird 10 of where
59:24
you want your career to go and and the the the you know kind of map out the path I know some of it’s very much
59:30
outside of of one’s control but I mean uh I hate to sound like I’m riffing off
59:35
the last last answer but I’m very much living in the moment and I’ve only been with the team for four or five months uh
59:41
it’s quite quite new uh and I have a good sense of what the summer looks like with our published schedule but uh
59:48
beyond that uh someday I’d like to go back to my Graduate Studies like to continue you know down the maybe PhD
59:54
Road in history at some Point who knows when but uh in terms of immediate next steps after the snowbirds who knows at
1:00:01
this stage so you want to end up at dhh is that what you’re saying there’s dhh there’s RCF history inheritage there’s
1:00:07
lots of opportunities uh there’s Museum opportunities after my job is that what you’re
1:00:12
saying I’ll get him at RMC or cmr2 okay I mean this is the beauty of not knowing
1:00:17
the future right there are all sorts of interesting paths and uh you know being open to them is important I
1:00:23
think so John you touched on the support of your family and how integral that has
1:00:29
been to your Journeys can all of you speak to a little bit about what that’s been like the impact of your family the
1:00:34
impact of your service on your families I I’ve been super lucky um I met my
1:00:40
husband on the East Coast he was uh a seeking Navigator uh so we we got to
1:00:46
live our career uh close by um so that was awesome two lovely children who are
1:00:52
both now in the military so did a good job from a a four generation pieces they
1:00:57
both went to RMC got free degrees and now they’re on their merry way to to
1:01:03
whatever they their their heart desires but you know I wouldn’t be here if I did not have the support from the family
1:01:09
like my husband supported like there’s no tomorrow uh it’s a team approach um
1:01:14
he was there when I I mean he allowed me to be who I am right now because again being a mother and a spouse it’s always
1:01:22
challenging um so uh you know I lift my hat to him because because I am uh who I
1:01:27
am because of him and the kids have shown great patience uh not not easy uh
1:01:33
to move and everything else and I think you know again as um as as we go up we
1:01:39
look at you know time and the work life balance and good luck with that I if you find the the recipe please send it to me
1:01:46
but uh you know we we try to to do that but if you can’t have quantity then at
1:01:52
least focus on the quality and how to do this but um you know I have a great
1:01:58
family good and did you experience I guess any um kind of criticism for being
1:02:06
being a mother that was away a lot um not from your family but just from like generally is it well it’s always
1:02:13
interesting like my mom and my mother-in-law I mean they still you know again older generation but my mom would
1:02:20
get up and serve my husband uh the second plate that supper and I’m like hey wait a second you know like
1:02:26
um and my mother-in-law is like how can you deploy and leave the children I’m like but I mean that’s their father like
1:02:33
you know he’s as qualified as I am um to to stay with them but you also have to
1:02:38
be in a way realizing that if you’re not there you don’t get a vote okay so uh
1:02:44
you know like I guess like John I I my the family moved while I was away I was deployed and I came back to a new house
1:02:52
a new kitchen and where all the stuff was endured that I was like o I’m
1:02:57
twitching twitching and the colours but you know it was beautiful and I didn’t
1:03:02
change anything for six months and you know and I sat on my uh because you know
1:03:10
like if you’re not there you don’t get a vote and uh the person that is Left Behind has to have the authority and
1:03:18
they you know he did great so um and I will stick with that story good for you this is public online
1:03:27
yeah I’m not sure he’s listening it’s probably for the best
1:03:33
John how about you um I I’d say three things like you know it’s almost 35
1:03:40
years now that Teresa’s been putting up with me um and I must be doing something
1:03:47
right uh but there’s like three points in my career that jump out that there was really an impact on the family uh
1:03:53
the first one would be uh February March of
1:03:59
1995 uh we I did a tour of alert September to March uh of 94 I came out
1:04:04
in March of 94 we got posted from Alder grve British Columbia to Trenton we lived in a little town called conon uh
1:04:11
just outside Trenton um about a half an hour away from the base and uh on
1:04:17
Valentine’s Day of 1995 Teresa was out visiting uh her family in BC and I
1:04:22
called and I said I’m going back to alert in a month uh and so here was
1:04:27
Teresa with a three-year-old and a 5-year-old uh in a province that she hadn’t lived in before but but in a town
1:04:34
that she knew nobody and it was not a military Community we were like I say half an hour from the base this is Prem
1:04:41
mfrc uh so really um awkward space uh to
1:04:46
be in and I was getting a phone call every five days home this was preil prev VTC um you know so that there’s that
1:04:53
impact uh the next one I would fast forward to to 2010 so little bit of context our young our oldest two kids uh
1:05:02
started school in Trenton we got posted to comok for four years and we went back to Trenton and they graduated with kids
1:05:08
that they started school with Emily the youngest started school in kokx and went
1:05:14
to Trenton and then in 2010 uh we moved her to Ottawa and pulled her out of those friend groups and had to start
1:05:20
over and that was very difficult uh for her uh and so there was a real negative impact there and then the last one would
1:05:26
be on Teresa as a professional she was in that went back to school graduated the same graduated from high school the
1:05:32
same year as our son uh which was quite an achievement on top of everything that else she had been doing uh but became an
1:05:39
educational assistant and I got posted uh well let’s see the job I’m in
1:05:45
now I’ve been in 28 months so when I
1:05:50
crossed the 25mon period it was the longest job I’d had since 2008 without to move so every time we moved she had
1:05:58
to start over lose seniority uh the last three moves prior to this one she said
1:06:04
I’ve had enough I’m going to retire uh was the salary went down a couple of dollars an hour between BC to to
1:06:12
Saskatchewan to Manitoba and it was it was difficult for her as on her to maintain her professional life as as my
1:06:19
life excelled and I went up uh and she followed my success and and the whole
1:06:25
family uh has succeeded in spite of my career like they’ve they’ve all done
1:06:31
well uh in spite of my career so that’s you know and that’ll be when I retire
1:06:37
and do my DWD that’ll probably be the most emotional part of the speech you’re doing really well you know
1:06:44
it’s funny that the the flower of the military kids it’s a dendon okay because
1:06:49
they grow everywhere and uh that is quite the image of what we do to our
1:06:55
family every time we move you know we onlyin what’s that word in English uh we
1:07:01
remove the roots or something uproots from one place to another and then they get to a new community new um new new
1:07:10
school new friends and you know and they they they start again and they bloom and
1:07:15
it’s such a a great flower for the representation of of military uh children and and the spouse are
1:07:22
incredible uh that you know again when you look at the strength behind the uniform is the families because we would
1:07:29
not be able to be who we are without their support
1:07:35
absolutely and so I already spoke to family a little bit in the opening and
1:07:40
uh I’ve definitely seen through colleagues and friends the the challenge of maintaining spousal employment and
1:07:46
the the impact that can have on quality of life and affording housing and I’ve been incredibly lucky on that front so
1:07:52
uh Tom works for a national consulting firm and has clients all over um when we moved to musall in 2019 uh his firm
1:07:59
allowed him to work remotely 100% of the time before it was cool um and uh so the
1:08:06
pandemic didn’t really change his working life no of the move the biggest impact I think he describes is that uh
1:08:12
everyone else has gotten better at using zoom and remote tools and it’s made his life easier from that perspective but um
1:08:18
we’ve both been able to pursue our professional kind of Journeys in parallel and and I’m extremely grateful
1:08:23
for that um and I know it’s not the norm for most military families I think
1:08:31
uh moving from Toronto to Moose J I would say that’s probably shock probably a shock well and it’s continued to pay
1:08:39
benefits because uh I’m going to get to travel around to fait this summer and uh someone who works remotely has the benefit of tagging along for some of
1:08:45
that too that is true that is the big challenge is picking where he does or doesn’t want to visit in the
1:08:52
schedule that’s nice to have choices um all right so we’ve got about 15
1:08:57
minutes left um so looking back over your career and um I think Ed you can
1:09:05
you can talk to speak to your experience with the reserves in this as well um how would you describe your experience in
1:09:12
the military in the Air Force more specifically like have there been moments where you sat back and thought
1:09:17
like okay maybe I will bail um or has it just been generally quite positive I
1:09:24
think mine has been very very uh incredibly positive like I join uh with
1:09:30
the idea of bailing after 5 years and uh I I just you know that door closed and
1:09:37
then it was opportunities to Opportunities and then I was at like you know 20 years of service and then I was
1:09:42
that you know and then it was the co of the Squadron then it was you know a wing Commander then it was an opportunity
1:09:48
then it was a onear then it was and it was always a a new a new opportunities
1:09:54
uh and I I never quit uh honestly I just forgot so um you know it’s it’s not
1:10:00
always been easy uh I mean we’re going through culture Evolution and the role of women and the integration like you
1:10:07
know we move from integration uh to inclusion uh integration was having to
1:10:13
you know almost high do you you were as a women to be one of the the gang where
1:10:18
now we can come to work and and be fully who we are you know I don’t have to hide the fact that yes I’m a woman yes I’m
1:10:25
I’m a mother yes I’m a spouse and that’s okay uh it’s it’s not always been like that so that has been uh a relief uh of
1:10:33
not having to hide and change who you are to belong so that has been great and
1:10:38
we keep on working for that but uh for sure uh it’s been it’s been a
1:10:44
blast John would you say the same yeah I looking back I don’t think I could do
1:10:50
anything else but this I think I I probably I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I as I’ve enjoyed uh my career
1:10:59
if I could do it all over again absolutely I’d do it all over again um I I was a real supporter when when our son
1:11:06
decided that he wanted to go in and I was just hoping that he would have the same experiences in the same Adventures
1:11:12
that that I did um but I didn’t join it was the same way I I joined as a job and
1:11:17
it turned into a career because I just found my nich and I I ran with it and just loved the challenge um of getting
1:11:26
into different situations different Technologies and uh you know the future
1:11:32
took care of itself because I was having so much fun in the day that the the future took care of itself that’s a nice
1:11:38
way to look at it for sure i’ how about you I mean I look back on the relatively
1:11:44
short journey and uh things have generally gone very much the way I want them to but if I if I look down the time
1:11:49
Arrow kind of as I lived it uh there are all these decision points in your Air Force career um where things can go the
1:11:56
way you want or not the way you want and at the end of phase two of pilot training or basic Flight Training there’s that big streaming to
1:12:02
helicopters or multi-engine airplanes or the the fighter stream and uh a lot of
1:12:08
people come in with very specific desires and they don’t always get what they want um and you know my own Journey
1:12:15
continued on to the the fighter stream and at the end of that I didn’t want to be a fighter pilot I wanted to be an instructor and that could have gone
1:12:21
either way and then the snowboard application Tri out process is very similar that there’s no guarantees in
1:12:27
that um so thinking through it as I lived it all of those were very stressful despite
1:12:33
having experience despite being older um I didn’t know what the future was going to be like and um it has all worked out
1:12:40
very well like I said in hindsight but um that stress is real when you’re going through it and I think everyone who goes
1:12:45
through the pilot uh the military pilot training Journey has to square with the
1:12:50
fact that those things can go the way you want they may not go the way you want but even if it’s an unexpected
1:12:56
route I think people generally have a very fruitful career a very good time they experience things that they may not
1:13:02
have planned on but they end up enjoying in the end and I think that Ed as a secret here is that you know when a door
1:13:09
closes another one opens and you can look at life as oh my God I didn’t get what I wanted or what did I get and how
1:13:17
do I make this a great opportunity and I think that’s that’s how successful people are successful by staying
1:13:25
positive and giving it a shot and that not closing opportunities because you didn’t get what you wanted you know
1:13:32
sometimes we don’t even know what we want we think we know what we want but at the end it works out great in a
1:13:38
different way so not closing doors and keeping open-minded is the key to
1:13:44
success yeah I agree I think that’s you know that can apply to everything everything all the time um so I’d like
1:13:52
to move a little bit toward um what I was calling the projections section of the questions um so we talked about a
1:13:58
little bit about this in the back room just saying the Canadian military is struggling with Recruitment and Retention and you know the aviation
1:14:06
industry is in general as well and what are your thoughts on getting more folks interested in serving with the Air
1:14:12
Force if I had all the answers to that I would be very successful now I think uh you know again it’s uh reconnected with
1:14:19
Canadians uh covid did not really help us we had a bit of a cultural uh crisis
1:14:24
where people didn’t see the calf as potentially a place that they wanted to be uh I think that the calf is a great
1:14:31
place for Youth and not so Youth and everyone to give it a shot again we used to join the military looking at I’m
1:14:38
going to spend 25 years it’s not about 25 years if you want to go give it a try
1:14:44
uh and and spend five years we’ll take you for five years and you know the same thing might happen to you where you will
1:14:49
fall in love and at the end we’ll have you for 25 years but you know we never say no to people
1:14:55
um you know mothers grandmothers um like give it a try it’s not about it’s not a
1:15:01
youth game okay um so I think also in a way the calf uh you know we were talking
1:15:06
about how we we did training we are changing what the calf um we need to
1:15:12
honestly we need to attract uh Canadians and we need to make sure they want to join us so it’s a change an evolution in
1:15:20
culture how do we C how we train how we support our members but you know more than 100
1:15:25
occupation so there is a job for everyone of you out there there’s a job
1:15:31
for your nephews and nieces and children and and and and everything so uh you
1:15:37
know go on on our website uh we have a lot to offer and uh you won’t regret
1:15:45
it what are your thoughts John I I think you know 2024 and the H hundredth gives
1:15:50
us an awesome opportunity to re-engage with the Canadians and and look back at at names like Barker and and those that
1:15:58
came before us and remember them but it’s this great opportunity to inspire the next generation of Canadians if you
1:16:03
look at the future of the RCF um in the last 18 months we’ve had
1:16:10
44 billion dollar worth committed to capital projects that are bringing new
1:16:15
platforms like the F-35 platforms we’ve never had before like the mq9 Bravo just these great new technologies that’ll
1:16:22
take us from a third and fourth generation Air Force to a fifth J Air Force and I think the opportunities that
1:16:28
that people will see themselves at maybe to come and work in this Cutting Edge technology whereas you know some of the
1:16:35
Technologies we have now they’re they’re getting to the end of life and and this may inspire people to come join the same
1:16:42
as when you know we brought the the last big modernization I think was late 80s early 90s when we got f8s and and other
1:16:50
aircraft in so maybe this will have the same uh effect on recruiting when people see I can I can be a tech or a pilot uh
1:16:58
of an mq9 Bravo or or an F35 and you know I I think this is an opportunity
1:17:04
that we can’t miss out on and we’ve got a team that’s that’s setting us up well to to connect with Canadians and and
1:17:10
have some great activities to get out there and spread the message get into schools and Inspire Youth and and you
1:17:16
know even getting stuff on at the Museum here I know that uh there’s some tools coming that hopefully will help Inspire
1:17:21
Youth and and connecting with our Cadet programs as well and the cadet programs aren’t about build building the next
1:17:28
generation of military it’s it’s about building great citizens of Canada if we
1:17:34
happen to inspire them to take the path in the military like I did hey that’s great but I think we need to to
1:17:40
reconnect with our Cadet programs and their Cadets are great um one to show
1:17:45
them what a career in aviation could be it could be on the civilian side could be on the military side uh but also to
1:17:51
just get people to get into the program because it makes really great
1:17:58
Canadians nice one of them is Ed former Cadet I think the first point that was
1:18:04
made in terms of um people having multiple careers is very important you know the younger Generations are
1:18:09
probably going to have two three four careers in their lifetime and being able to come into the organization later in
1:18:14
life is one of those things I think people might take for granted particularly in the pilot trade um
1:18:20
Canada is unusual in that you can join later in life most other major air forces have a cutle date and if you’re
1:18:25
not trained as a pilot by age 26 29 varies by country it’s just not an
1:18:30
option and so we have this unique opportunity in Canada to to encourage people to join the Air Force
1:18:37
specifically in a pilot context later in life than they could elsewhere and uh I think that’s something people should
1:18:42
appreciate and hopefully take advantage of to uh to join as a viable second or
1:18:47
third career if that’s something they want to do uh I’m amazed how often I meet people and they say oh I wish I
1:18:53
could do what you do I wish I could be a pilot and my typical line is that it’s never too late um so that would be my
1:19:00
takeaway what is the cut off just instantly what is what is the cut off age in in Canada for pilot training I
1:19:07
think it’s like 40 48 because you need to be able to get train and get a return
1:19:12
on investment before you turn 60 but it’s it’s quite late wow that is
1:19:18
yeah great I hear some potential recruits mumbling out there yes indeed I mean again remember that you know the
1:19:25
Can Armed Force is a place where you can join we will train you uh we will give you relatively good compensation and
1:19:32
benefit and give you the chance to make the a a world of a difference amongst Canadians and on the uh on on the world
1:19:40
which is you know uh which is a pretty cool thing to do really good at this recruiting I get
1:19:47
paid on uh quantities of recruits after so anyone who’s interested after me uh
1:19:52
just come and see me I got business cards there’s definitely a cut involved there
1:19:58
10% um all right so I think maybe the last question we got about five minutes left um what do you think the uh rcaf
1:20:07
looks like 2 25 years from now is the impact of new technologies
1:20:13
John you alluded to to some of them but then others like drones and Ai and how does that change the the character of
1:20:19
air power M forward well you think at the end of the day uh I think platform forms are are going to be completely
1:20:27
different but at the core of the rcaf is its people and they’re always going to
1:20:33
be exceptional people because that’s the tra the tradition that we have and
1:20:38
that’s who joins and how we train them and the respect and the teamwork so I
1:20:44
think again uh the people are going to be the best in the world and hopefully the platforms too but I’m I’m I think my
1:20:51
line of operation is about about people and they’re the core of everything we
1:20:57
do yeah I I agree you know we the the commander and I we get out into town
1:21:03
halls and and we can say what the the air force of 2035 looks like because we
1:21:08
know what platforms we’re going to have because we we’ve bought them in the last 18 months so we know what the platforms
1:21:15
are going to be like and we know what the people are going to be like because we know we’re going to have a diverse
1:21:21
inclusive respectful Workforce uh that’s represent ative of Canadians that’s
1:21:26
professional um we’re we’re building we’re more focus on on leader character
1:21:33
uh which is a huge step forward uh for the institution especially when it comes
1:21:39
down to respect and inclusion uh speaking now more about the importance of character which I I don’t think well
1:21:45
we obviously we know we weren’t in the right spot with respect to that for for a period of time but we’re we’re getting
1:21:51
better at it and and general bergon has alluded to the fact that we’re in a we’re getting to a better place there I
1:21:58
I think the technology AI will enable our aviators to to make decisions
1:22:05
quicker um you know we’re seeing that with some of the projects that we have rolling out now uh I I think teaming you
1:22:12
know the F35 is probably the last aircraft we’ll buy that uh flies in a four pack that there’s four pilots
1:22:18
flying those aircraft I I think you’ll see that in the as we move to a sixth generation Air Force uh but we got to
1:22:25
get good at being a fifth gen first and we have to get back to what’s important uh with respect to uh strong at home
1:22:32
secure in North America engaged in the world and as long as we don’t lose those pillars uh and we bring in uh great
1:22:39
Canadians that want to serve uh whether that’s for five years or 35 years I I think we’ll be in a good
1:22:45
place you need to add I mean I’m more of a historian than a futurist so thinking about 25 years in the future I think 25
1:22:52
years in the past and you you know in ter as of parallels in the mid 90s uh we
1:22:58
had just retired the F5 and stood down 419 Squadron sounds kind of like something has just happened now uh we
1:23:05
stood down the functional groups instead of one CAD in that kind of era we’ve just stood up three CAD is the space
1:23:11
division um we were going through culture change in the late 90s you know the the Somalia commission had reported
1:23:17
and we were kind of building on that just as we’re working with the Arbour report now and um uh you know if I think
1:23:25
forward I imagine in 25 years there will be some organizational change we might have a slightly different uniform
1:23:31
there’s probably be some kind of a cultural change effort undergoing uh underway and there’ll be some platform
1:23:37
change along the way so I think kind of end this where we started is going to come down to having the
1:23:42
people having enough of them having the right people um and what they’re going to be doing day-to-day is probably not going to be all that different from what
1:23:48
we do now all right so I realized actually I did a bad moderator thing and uh I’m
1:23:55
missing the questions from the audience so sorry I had a lot of my own um so on
1:24:01
that note maybe we’ll just uh we’ll take maybe 10 minutes and get some questions from the audience if there’s any uh or I
1:24:07
think online there’s somebody moderating that as well oh you’re gonna have to throw that Jared I think Jared’s good um
1:24:15
so that that box is a microphone um so if anybody has any questions Jared will throw it at
1:24:21
you it’s very it’s very soft I think there’s one over there
1:24:27
Jared run run for your life oh no he’s got a microphone okay no there’s somebody else traveling I’m just curious
1:24:34
as to uh what all the initials after your uh ranks what they refer
1:24:41
to CMM CSM and all this yeah the CMM is
1:24:46
commander of merary uh Merit the MSC is meritorious service cross which is uh an
1:24:53
award and the CD is the Canadian decoration so it’s kind of medals uh
1:24:58
with services or experience yeah and mmm is a member of
1:25:03
the order of military Merit just a different rank than uh than the generals and then the Canadian Forces
1:25:11
decoration uh yes so the same with me for the CD and then ad Toc is uh stands for a to Camp so uh the the general book
1:25:18
about uh work life balance I like to keep busy so in addition to flying with the snowbirds and do some history on the
1:25:24
side I’m an aid to Camp to the lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan thank you and CD is for 12
1:25:30
years of service right yeah anybody else someone in the middle
1:25:36
there launch the projectile that’s pretty cool wasn’t kidding good job I don’t know any thank
1:25:45
you very much uh I before I ask my question I want to say uh that uh I’m
1:25:50
not in the service but uh it makes me confident and proud I didn’t convince you to join is that
1:25:56
what you’re were saying I’m a little old
1:26:01
ah been retired for eight years but anyway no my question uh is really this
1:26:07
is about a 100 Years of uh rcaf history and I’m curious to get your comments
1:26:13
about to what extent you feel that the history of the rcaf has affected your lives how much does it come into what
1:26:19
you do and how much of looking back and feeling like of 100 Year
1:26:26
organization by the way my wife’s father was at P Perry in 1943 was a
1:26:31
pilot anyway awesome well sometimes I feel like I’m a 100 years old uh no I’m
1:26:37
just kidding um it’s it’s nice catch you know I I
1:26:43
think that we have to look at um for me uh it’s it’s all the people that came
1:26:49
before me and open the doors that were closed and as a women who joined the
1:26:55
military in ‘ 87 uh they were great women that came before me because let’s
1:27:00
be honest you know yes there was uh women in World War I they were in B Wars but you know in in the 70s women were
1:27:08
allowed to serve but as soon as they got married or got pregnant they they were they they had to leave you know there
1:27:14
was a maximum of 5,000 women and then that was it and then you know the occupation slowly started uh opening and
1:27:22
then uh they open to combat uh occupation and then we started sailing
1:27:29
but those uh those first women it was extremely difficult what they did and um
1:27:37
and and and many of them did not uh stay because it was just horrible uh let’s
1:27:43
let’s be honest okay um and and I think I’m I’m here uh because of those
1:27:49
courageous and dedicated women that open the door so that I could be here and and
1:27:54
my my job I guess is to continue to progress as we go forward so that my
1:28:00
daughter who’s about to graduate from Military College doesn’t have to go through the same thing as as I did I
1:28:07
mean she’s going to have some challenges for sure but then the Baton will be passed to her to make a difference as we
1:28:12
go forward so that’s the way I see it from more of a a women and the integration and where we go from
1:28:18
integration to inclusion uh which is f fascinating for me uh but uh
1:28:25
yeah um before I let the historian go um the young exper yeah that the one thing
1:28:33
about about being a chief is is you’re you know kind of the steward of the history and and the traditions and the
1:28:39
the one good thing about the Traditions is Traditions can change as we grow as an institution but when we look back at
1:28:45
the history I I think it’s really important that we get out and and speak and and keep the history alive uh and so
1:28:52
the last couple years I’ve gone to Remembrance Day in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto and have gone to
1:28:57
speak at a school ahead of time and talk about Barker uh because Barker is
1:29:03
interred at uh at Mount Pleasant in Toronto and his funeral was the largest and probably still holds the record for
1:29:09
the largest funeral in the city of Toronto because not many people know that when he was done uh in the Air
1:29:16
Force he became the first president of the Toronto Maple Leafs and that’s the story behind why the RCF colours the
1:29:23
retired colours are actually in the Air Canada Center in Toronto is the link between the RCF and the Toronto Maple
1:29:29
Leafs yeah okay for the Habs fans I get it maybe we bet on the wrong horse uh you’ve won more than we have but uh but
1:29:36
but getting out and telling the stories and making sure that that history doesn’t die uh as we uh as we move on so
1:29:44
I think these engagements to get out and and to continue to tell the story to keep it alive will hopefully Inspire
1:29:51
somebody there’ll be a spark there that they want to go out and and do what Barker did but in newer
1:29:58
aircraft right Ed give us the rundown well Barker but Barker could not
1:30:04
fly it was just a great shot that’s true yes yes I mean I think of eron’s
1:30:10
comments in the beginning about how much concrete went into building the runways for the BCP aerodromes and I walk into
1:30:16
work every day into one of those hangers that was built and you know you can’t help but feel the history of what’s
1:30:21
happened since that structure was built in 194 1 um but in terms of telling the
1:30:26
stories of Canadians who’ve served uh I think artifacts are really important and
1:30:32
I think museums like this have a critical role to play but uh there’s also the living part of history and I
1:30:38
think getting out there with with vintage airplanes and uh particularly if serving members can fly them to tell
1:30:43
those stories to link the past and the present and to to not just honour those those that came before but to to use
1:30:49
them as a good example for those of us who serve and for those who want to serve I think it’s important to use
1:30:55
these tools we have history isn’t just a Dusty Book on a shelf it can really be brought to life um as a way to inspire
1:31:01
people and and make the future a better
1:31:07
place Arian do you want to do the the zoom question or oh we got one all lined up already
1:31:12
okay hi um I no that you have a CF 100 up there in the center reason why I’m
1:31:18
asking my question I was looking at the baged Ville Air Show uh page they they
1:31:24
have a poster showing all the aircraft that are be flying there like they got like a CFA snowbirds and then they also
1:31:31
include a g cf100 are they teasing us with some sort
1:31:37
of U upcoming surprise that a you know anything about that I don’t know what
1:31:43
aircraft are flying in bagotville um but I can certainly get
1:31:49
the answer to Aaron here at the Museum uh but yeah I’m not sure I know
1:31:55
we’ve got vintage aircraft flying at a bunch of air shows but I don’t know if if that’s one of them and I haven’t seen
1:32:02
the list for for baville but we can certainly find out if they’re just trying to increase ticket sales by
1:32:07
showing that picture I don’t well it’s got a little bit of discussion buz’s all about
1:32:18
it there’s one over here you’ve got one there all right cool the mic hard to see with the eyes
1:32:25
uh first of all I I’d like to thank you guys for your service uh talking about
1:32:31
platforms General uh right on we won’t say anything further it was
1:32:40
an awesome aircraft I mean you know it it it served Canada very well and uh I
1:32:47
uh it was it was a lot of fun and the Brits are still fling so okay uh my
1:32:54
question is um I uh have the privilege of being a member of the uh organization
1:33:01
that adds a life member of Canadian Harbor Aircraft Association I get to play with the old stuff
1:33:07
too um do you think that the uh
1:33:13
ability to be agile in all the trades is going to
1:33:19
continue in the rcaf because the budgets are tight
1:33:25
oh you know I think it’s cyclical uh and budgets goes and and and comes and uh it
1:33:33
might be a bit tough right now but I think it’s going to it’s going to change and the Air Force is celebrating a 100
1:33:40
years uh and it’s going to continue to do great so I’m not worried about budget
1:33:46
um I think again it’s the people that make a difference and we will lead our
1:33:52
way to suc I I think that the point I’ll add is is
1:33:58
we know what the air force of 2035 looks like in the way of equipment but we don’t know what it looks like in the way
1:34:03
of the structure of our people and one of the things that the commander has asked us to do is a force structure
1:34:09
review because if if you look at the trade structure that we operate under today not just the Air Force but the
1:34:15
calf it’s a cold war structure based in the 80s it’s it’s the occupation there’s been some mild changes that the air
1:34:21
maintenance trades have split and come together in a split um but pretty soon we’re going to have uh no platforms left
1:34:28
that we need a flight engineer on so so what do we do with that occupation so that that’s what we have to figure out
1:34:34
what we want to be when we grow up in 2035 as to what the trade structure needs to be for the platforms we’re
1:34:40
going to operate so we will always have agile uh professional aviators that
1:34:46
they’ll get the job done no matter what it’s just we have to look of of whether you know 29 managed a occupations are
1:34:54
the right uh configuration for the new Air Force or the air force of the
1:35:01
future and I would just add on to the people point that it’s not just people individually it’s people operating as a
1:35:06
team and and everyone brings their own strengths to that team if they join later in life they may bring broad
1:35:12
experience and you know individuals as a team can accomplish way more and that’s
1:35:18
going to be one of the ways we get through adverse periods as we always have been a few
1:35:25
uh all right hi um so we have two quick things from our online audience uh the
1:35:30
first Aon your husband saying um given that the cuto off age is 48 are you okay with him
1:35:37
joining and the answer is yes le le gets a cut I gota go with it
1:35:44
um but actually so Richard online is asking have you seen a significant evolution of tools and metrics used to
1:35:50
assess staff within the rcaf in terms of performance
1:35:56
well we just uh change how we uh evaluate people uh looking again as as
1:36:03
inclusive leadership okay because we’re we’re recognizing uh we used to um
1:36:09
looked at competency and we forgot about character and now we’re kind of switching a little bit as looking at
1:36:15
okay character is the base and we will teach you competency and how do we
1:36:21
reward inclusive leadership okay um because at the end of the day
1:36:26
it’s not about getting the job done it’s how you get the job done and the the
1:36:32
team aspect of this and uh so we just change our evaluation and for me
1:36:39
personally I think that’s going to be a big change on the leaders of tomorrow because it’s important to lead again
1:36:46
with empathy compassion uh vulnerability humility uh
1:36:52
towards success uh especially when you lead a team okay there’s no I in team so
1:36:57
let’s make sure that we don’t reward individualists uh and and getting the job done at at at whatever cost okay
1:37:04
that teamwork piece is important and uh so we’re we’re switching how we evaluate
1:37:10
to look at inclusive leaders and we actually recognize uh inclusive leaders
1:37:16
and we give them the command opportunities from an officer and an ncms so we reward what we want to see
1:37:23
and by by having more inclusive leaders you know the the young troops or The Not So Young troops are going to look at
1:37:29
their leaders and will try to emulate what they’re seeing and we’re going to change what the calf and the leadership
1:37:34
of the calf looks like in in the future and I think that’s going to be a big change and a good change uh because
1:37:41
again uh operational uh success uh is what we’re uh trying to achieve and that
1:37:47
diversity is important okay to getting that uh strength so um yeah
1:37:54
I I think the only thing I would I that that’s great on the people’s side uh and I can’t add anything to that I’d just
1:38:01
say from the operational side if we look at metrics um you know our our air maintenance Branch can look at the
1:38:08
number of qualified technicians and make predu uh predictions on whether we’re going to hit our yearly flying rate on
1:38:15
specific fleets in the out years uh for years to come so we can see where we need to uh to adjust uh to make sure
1:38:23
that you know we have the right amount of technicians to hit targets or we can see where fleets are not going to meet
1:38:29
the targets because they don’t have the right amount of technicians so we can either train more or reallocate to make
1:38:34
sure that that thing is there so it’s we’re doing data analytics but as we as
1:38:40
we move forward with digitalization I think there’s going to be more numbers at our fingertips it’s just the matter
1:38:46
that we have to interpret them the right way so we’re learning to pull the right data that actually means something
1:38:52
instead of pulling data just for the sake of pulling
1:38:57
data did you have anything you wanted to add or um I mean from a calwide standpoint the inclusive kind of
1:39:03
character assessments are I think critical um and and key from a very
1:39:08
Niche pilot training perspective um one point I’ll make is that there’s some things that haven’t changed a lot and uh
1:39:14
if you look at the the phases of tests that student Pilots do their clear test their inent test their formation test um
1:39:22
those actually haven’t changed basically since the BCP there’s been some mild tweaking but if you trace the syllabus
1:39:27
going back over time that’s one area where the way you build a pilot has not changed a great deal the platforms have
1:39:34
changed but the process fundamentally structurally is very very similar
1:39:39
so so I think maybe we’ll take one more question and then everyone will proceed to the lobby and and enjoy the catering
1:39:47
there’s one up in the center there in the gentleman’s there can you he doesn’t
1:39:52
have the box anymore more
1:39:59
[Music] but thank you good evening and thank you
1:40:07
everybody that was a lovely presentation thank you for having all of us my name is jofo and I work with University of
1:40:13
waterl in the business development Ro for the co-op program so listening to
1:40:18
the presentation and the history something we keep thinking about in um the co-op is how to facilitate job
1:40:25
development for the students and the Next Generation so my question really is around work development and
1:40:31
opportunities for the Next Generation to maybe work on uh Co-op terms or join you
1:40:39
know fulltime but I think more around just that experiential learning and building a bridge to connect the both
1:40:45
walls are you thinking in this direction and there any ways that we can support that thank
1:40:51
you well again and you know the the the the regular forces doesn’t have to be a
1:40:56
life commitment okay it can be a shorttime commitment um The Reserve
1:41:02
where uh the youth can can become uh you know reservice where they they work uh
1:41:08
evenings and weekends and and and different uh kind of opportunities uh on
1:41:13
the on the side of of D and we have like summer um and and you know uh Co-op
1:41:19
program uh that we try to facilitate because that is a good way I mean again you don’t have to wear the uniform to be
1:41:26
part of the defense team okay there is many public servants that work as part of the team because again Success is Not
1:41:33
only in uniform um you know contractors and and Academia we will not survive
1:41:39
without Academia so it’s a full team so if there’s any interest uh there’s lots
1:41:45
of job and lots of challenges for the entire uh piece is there so please uh
1:41:50
get in touch and uh we’ll be more than happy to um to um I don’t say the word
1:41:56
use because that’s kind of a but to uh to um utilize utilize thank
1:42:02
you your talent all right well thank you so much
1:42:07
everyone I would invite you to join us all in the lobby for a little reception and thank our guests you all for coming