By Skies Magazine | October 24, 2023 Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 28 seconds.
In Episode 25 of the Pilot Project Podcast, Rich MacDougall — advance and safety pilot with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds for the 2020, 2022, and 2023 airshow seasons — shares details of his role with the team, what the tryout process is like, and what it feels like to eject from the CT-114 Tutor.
MacDougall has flown NORAD and air refuelling missions around the globe as a tanker commander on the CC-130H Hercules. In 2019, after instructing on the CT-156 Harvard II, he decided to give his lifelong dream a shot and became a member of the Snowbirds, flying as Snowbird 11 during Op Inspiration in 2020.
However, in May 2020, tragedy struck as MacDougall took off from Kamloops, B.C. A bird strike occurred and an ejection became necessary, resulting in severe injuries for MacDougall and the death of his dear friend, Jenn Casey. In this episode, MacDougall talks about his experiences that day, his injuries and recovery, his return to the Snowbirds in 2022, and much more.
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