From Rio to Inuvik

The Royal Canadian Air Force 2012 CF-18 Demonstration Team recently concluded this year’s show schedule at the Fleet Week Air Show in San Francisco, Calif. The RCAF made a deliberate effort to connect with broader national and international audiences this year, so the team began and ended its airshow circuit outside of Canada. The season was marked by a series of firsts; among them, Captain Patrick “Paco” Gobeil earned the distinction of being the most extensively travelled demonstration pilot in the team’s history. He flew an estimated 85,000 kilometres between April and October. 

Southern Reach

The team blazed an extraordinary trail across the Western hemisphere this summer. Upon completion of annual training in Comox, B.C., the team deployed on the RCAF’s diplomatic venture, Operation Southern Reach, from May 5 to 26. The operation saw almost the entire Demo Team – 11 of the 13 members, including both ground crews – forming the nucleus of a modest detachment of personnel and aircraft that travelled to Brazil, Chile and Jamaica. The aim of the deployment was to increase the RCAF’s professional bonds with partner air forces and provide them with a unique opportunity to experience and learn about Canada’s air force. The detachment included two additional CF-18s along with the Demo Hornet, a CC-130J Hercules transport and CC-130(T) Hercules air-to-air-refuelling support. During the deployment, the team performed at shows in Pirassununga, Brazil, on May 12 and 13, and at Kingston, Jamaica, on May 23. 

The trip from Comox to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, took several days to complete and was highlighted by an in-formation equator crossing – the first ever for Canada’s CF-18 – on May 8, led by Capt Gobeil in the True North Demo Hornet. He was flanked by Capt Denis “Cheech” Beaulieu of 425 Squadron, Bagotville, Que., in another CF-18.

While in Brazil, the CF-18 Demo Team performed its first show at the Brazilian Air Force Smoke Squadron’s 60th anniversary celebrations in Pirassununga. Despite the less-than-perfect weather (each morning started with a heavy downpour of rain), tens of thousands of spectators came out over the weekend and showed overwhelming enthusiasm. In Chile, the team met with their air force counterparts in an exchange that gave Paco and the other CF-18 pilots the opportunity to fly an exercise with the Chilean pilots in their F-16s. In Jamaica, Paco performed over the Kingston waterfront to the delight and astonishment of the thousands of people who assembled on the shoreline to get their first-ever glimpse of a fighter jet. Some were even a little bit frightened by all of the noise from above.

“Most Jamaicans have never seen anything like this before,” said Capt Bruce Ehmann, the team’s safety pilot and show narrator. “It was amazing to be able to perform here, to share that experience with them and to witness the crowd’s varied reactions. What a great show!”

Demonstrating the RCAF’s capabilities to our partner air forces was a distinct priority this year – as evidenced by Op Southern Reach – but it is perennially important in Canada. Immediately upon returning home, the team wasted no time in launching its national show schedule, starting with Waterloo, Ont., from June 1-3, followed by more Ontario shows at CFB Borden and Hamilton, and then in Quebec at Mont-Laurier near Montreal, followed by a mid-week show in Paco’s hometown of Ville de la Baie. This particular venue was special for several reasons, not the least of which was its twilight show – an infrequently scheduled event performed just before dusk – where the full effect of the jet’s afterburners were evident to all. The brilliant orange and pink glow clearly could be seen from the CF-18’s engines in the low-lit evening skies over the town’s waterfront, with the beautiful Saguenay fjord as a backdrop. The show’s location gave Paco and his East Crew a tremendous opportunity to perform for their family and friends, as well as colleagues from nearby 3 Wing Bagotville.

Northern Reach 

After a brief break, the team embarked on the first-ever Operation Northern Reach from July 12-18, bringing the RCAF’s fighter element to Canada’s Northern communities. With its vivid – and most appropriate – paint scheme reflecting the 2012 True North, Strong and Free theme, the Demo Hornet dazzled audiences at airshows in Yellowknife and Inuvik, NT, and performed flybys over many of the North’s smaller communities, such as Norman Wells, Fort Simpson, Wrigley, and Tulita, NT. 

“I particularly enjoyed the flypast I did for the remote communities of Wekweti, Gameti and Whati, north of Yellowknife,” said Capt Gobeil. “They are in the middle of vast country with no major cities nearby. After 15 to 20 minutes of flying, a few buildings with a small gathering of people would start forming on the horizon. It was special to fly over these communities knowing that the vast majority of the people there had never seen an Air Force asset flying so close and just for them. With no major roads leading to those communities, it made me realize how important the Air Force has been for the development of their infrastructure.”

After participating at the show in Inuvik on July 17, the team continued with a dozen more shows across Canada, including one at Lethbridge, Alta., followed by Saskatoon, Sask., Val d’Or, Que., and Summerside on Prince Edward Island. 

Another significant first was achieved in September when the team concurrently participated in two air shows over Labour Day weekend. Paco delivered his full CF-18 tactical demonstration at two separate venues in North America in a single continuous flight. Operating within a mere two-hour window each day, and with the assistance of a CC-130(T) Hercules tanker, he was able to represent the Canadian Forces (CF) in both Toronto and Cleveland, Ohio.

The Secret to Success

There is no question that the success the team saw that weekend – and indeed over the entire summer – could not have been achieved without the dedicated efforts of the team’s East and West maintenance crews. The Demo Hornet, often referred to simply as “781,” was a finely-tuned aerobatic machine, and one that encountered very few maintenance issues throughout the season, despite the unusually long transits, the varying climates encountered and especially the repeated stresses and high-G demands meted out by her pilot week after week. 

With the crews spending so much time on the road, logistical planning this year was a major factor. “Our success was a team effort,” said Capt Gobeil. “It was a difficult year for our crew chiefs and maintainers due to the large distances we had to travel. The logistics behind Ops Southern Reach and Northern Reach were a real challenge since the team had never gone that far before.” 

“Maintenance on the road can be a bit of a challenge,” explained MCpl Sarah Nantel, West Crew Chief. “For starters, it is impossible to bring a spare of every part on the aircraft because we travel with a trailer. We were very lucky this year; but in the past, if anything broke, the jet would have had to stay behind and wait for a mobile repair party to arrive and bring the required part and tools.”

With this in mind, extra care was required when selecting the equipment to bring on not just one, but two, deployments. Space was seriously restricted and the number of equipment pallets that could be flown on board the supporting airlift was limited. 

One advantage of working on the maintenance team was that the crews had intimate knowledge of the aircraft’s deployment and recent maintenance history, which made the job a bit easier.

“Compared to working at the unit, we only had to concern ourselves with one or two planes at a time, one of which is always the same, being the Demo Hornet,” explained Sgt Stéphane Rhéaume, East Crew Chief. “After some time, we got to know all of its little quirks and peculiarities.”

Sgt Rhéaume’s crew also had the advantage of coming from the same squadron as the demo pilot and aircraft. They returned to the unit in between shows, making it possible to straighten out all the required paperwork and conduct certain inspection or maintenance tasks that might have come due.

“I was lucky to have both of these crews on the team; each crew member is professional and takes great pride in what they do,” said Paco. “Ultimately, it allowed me to do my job without any worries, and I always knew the jet was in the best condition it could be.”

Having the demo jet in optimum condition made this summer exceptionally productive, as not a single show was missed for maintenance issues. Amazing, too, was that the weather was not a limiting factor, either. “I don’t do low shows!” Paco often joked, but it is a claim that is well-earned, considering the remarkable rate of high shows* he was able to fly: a total of 37 high shows and only seven low shows, four of which were flown at Pirassununga, Brazil and Waterloo, Ont., the first two show sites. 

Connecting with Canadians

Ultimately, the mission of the CF-18 Demo Team is to demonstrate the professionalism, skills and teamwork of the RCAF and to educate Canadians – and sometimes Americans, too – about our air force. To do this, the demo team tries to participate in as many community events as its busy schedule will permit. 

“It was important for us to make ourselves available to the maximum extent possible at every event,” said Paco. This year, the team visited schools, and hosted youth groups like the Boys and Girls Club and various Cadet organizations on the ramp, giving kids and their parents and group leaders the chance to see and ask questions about the Demo Hornet. Paco also paid a visit to some special kids at the local hospital while the team was in Gatineau, Que. 

Another important aspect to the demo team’s public relations activities is the Community Personality flight program. Through diverse community leaders, along with media, television/film and sports personalities, this outreach initiative enables the RCAF to share the team’s mission and the experience of high performance flight with the greater public, and especially with specific communities. 

With the Canadian Football League (CFL) celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Grey Cup this year, 2012 was a great time to advance the CF’s longstanding relationship with the league. Andrew Harris of the BC Lions, Eric Fraser and Jon Cornish of the Calgary Stampeders, as well as CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon all became honorary team members for a day when they accepted invitations to take a ride in a CF-18 this summer. Canadian film and television star Adam Beach was another honorary member; he joined the team for a ride in Abbotsford, B.C., in August. Other passengers were Frédéric Plante, co-host of the popular show, Le 5 à 7, on Réseau des Sports, and Mikey McBryan of History Television’s popular show, Ice Pilots NWT. Mikey’s ride will be featured on an upcoming episode of the show. 

The team has enjoyed many accomplishments over this past summer; however, when asked about what he thought was the biggest accomplishment of the season, Paco replied, “The team itself! I think everyone felt like they were part of it, and they had the power to help make it even better. We treated every air show as if it was our first, and put on the best show we could.” 

Indeed, the team’s esprit-de-corps was another highlight of this season. Having travelled so much and so far together seemed to make the group even tighter-knit than in past seasons. “This experience allowed me to meet many people, who I now see as very good friends,” said Sgt Rhéaume. 

In the end though, what the CF-18 Demo Team offers is an up-close view of some of the best capabilities the RCAF has to offer: a highly skilled pilot in an effective aircraft maintained by exceptional technicians. At just about every location, the team met so many terrific people who talked about how they loved to see Paco perform his aerobatic show; their appreciation was unmistakeable as they watched. But what they really are witnessing is the product of years of training and experience. Each and every member of the team – from the pilot performing to the maintainers who get and keep him up in the air, to the coordinators supporting on the ground – is a product of the remarkable training and opportunities provided by the CF. Hopefully, that is the lasting impression Canadians take away with them and hold onto long after the season is over. 

* The CF-18 high show or “full show” is performed when the cloud base is at a minimum of 5,000 feet above ground level with a minimum visibility of three miles, allowing the pilot to perform manoeuvres such as the vertical climb. The CF-18 low show’s cloud base minimum is 1,500 feet, which limits the aerobatic manoeuvres that can be performed safely.