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Capt Ryan Kean has been announced as the pilot for the 2016 CF-18 Demonstration Team. DND Photo
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Capt Ryan Kean as the pilot for the 2016 CF-18 Demonstration Team.
Capt Kean will wow audiences around North America during the 2016 air show season, flying his specially painted CF-18 Hornet commemorating the 75th anniversary of the start of the pan-Canadian effort to train aircrew for the Second World War, including pilots, wireless operators, air gunners, and navigators through the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
Capt Kean will wow audiences around North America during the 2016 air show season, flying his specially painted CF-18 Hornet. RCAF Image
Quick Facts
- A native of London, Ont., Capt Kean joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2003 under the Regular Officer Training Plan. In 2005 he graduated with an earth and planetary science degree from the University of Western Ontario;
- In the spring of 2006 Capt Kean began his military flying career and just four years later, he fulfilled his ambition of becoming a fighter pilot when he completed his CF-18 training and was posted to 409 Tactical Fighter “Nighthawk” Squadron based at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alta. In July 2013, Capt Kean was posted to his current unit, 410 Tactical Fighter (Operational Training) “Cougar” Squadron, as an instructor pilot on the CF-18 and is currently the Squadrons Deputy Operations Officer;
- During his time at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Capt Kean has participated in multiple training missions and exercises all over Canada and the United States. He has also conducted operational missions both at home and overseas in support of NORAD and NATO missions. He has over 1,600 flying hours on high performance military aircraft, including 1,300 hours on the CF-18 Hornet;
- In late April, Capt Kean will take to the skies over Comox, B.C., where the team conducts its annual training before launching the 2016 air show season;
- The CF-18 Demonstration Team selects a theme for each year and 2016 will feature the 75th anniversary of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. By the end of the Second World War, the Plan had produced 131,553 aircrew, including pilots, wireless operators, air gunners, and navigators, that were critical to the war effort, and enabled the creation of wholly Canadian fighter squadrons. Further, tens of thousands of maintainers and support staff were recruited and trained by the RCAF to support the effort – without the contribution of these civilian men and women, the plan would have failed;
- The specially painted CF-18 Hornet will feature a unique commemorative paint job designed by veteran design director, Jim Belliveau, at 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alta. The Demo Hornet will be revealed in 2016 before the start of the air show season.
Capt Kean prepares to climb into his CF-188 Hornet prior to a training flight on Dec. 3, 2015. Jim Belliveau Photo
“During the Second World War, Canadians and communities across Canada came together to train aircrew from across the Commonwealth, with civilians operating aerodromes, serving as instructors, and fulfilling critical roles from repairing aircraft to packing parachutes,” said Maj-Gen David Wheeler, commander of 1 Canadian Air Division and the Canadian NORAD Region.
“Importantly, Canadians also welcomed and made trainees from around the world feel a part of their communities. Now, 75 years later, we’re pleased that Capt Kean, a natural selection for the 2016 CF-18 Demonstration Team with his proven abilities and experience, will commemorate those contributions with communities across the country and all over North America.”
“This is an exciting opportunity to showcase the skill and professionalism of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the CF-18 all over Canada and the United States,” said Capt Kean.
“Being selected as the CF-18 Demonstration Pilot allows me to fly the aircraft in a way that few pilots get to do. In addition to sharing this experience with the audiences at the shows throughout the season, I’ll have a team of highly motivated and professional technicians supporting me and sharing in the experience.”
