AIR International – June 2018

http://www.airinternational.com | 91

CANADA’S CF-18 DEMO JET MILITARY

manoeuvre, I speak with them to make sure
that my gates, both speed and altitude, are
met prior to the transition. The safety pilot
also provides my situation awareness to
anything that’s happening in the show box
or on the ground that I’m not aware of. The
safety pilot can also relay the most pertinent
information to me from the show boss over
our own radio channel.”
Notification of selection for the next
season’s demo pilot happens in the autumn
of each year. The pilot and the team attend
a conference staged by the international
council of air shows where they first find out
about all of the shows for the forthcoming
season. Over the winter months, Captain
Porteous started an intensive training
programme starting with instruction in a
simulator on how to fly the routine with last
year’s demo pilot, Captain Matthew Kutryk.
Like all new demo pilots, Captain Porteous
was able to design a display routine using
approved manoeuvres contained in the Royal
Canadian Air Force’s fighter demonstration
manual. He said: “We practise the routine in
the sim over and over using a building block
approach, starting at a high altitude, initially
2,000ft, and making our way down to the
terminal altitude of 300ft.
“I spend a lot time in the simulator
practising, making sure I have the routine
memorised and to work on its finesse aspects.
The flying portion of the work-up has its
own syllabus. This starts with being shown the
routine by last year’s demo pilot while flying
in the back seat of a two seat CF-18B. We
did a few of those rides before I flew the first
practice demo routine with Captain Kutryk
in the aft cockpit as safety monitor. We then
followed the same step-down approach taken
in the simulator, initially starting at 2,000ft.
Once I was safe at that level, I was cleared

solo and then made my way down to 1,000,

750, 500 and 300ft. Every four or five flights

throughout that process, Captain Kutryk

would fly in the back seat to clear me down to

the next level, ultimately 500ft. Then I cleared

myself down to 300ft, based on my own level

of comfort with flying the routine.”

During the flying work-up, Captain

Porteous flew twice a day, every day, for

almost 20 days, not at Cold Lake but from

19 Wing Comox, British Columbia. He rated

the work-up process very highly, citing the

differences between flying the demo and

normal flight operations on a gun squadron

and the need to safely transition: “Every time I

fly the routine, I notice something that can be

done better, so it’s nice to have the personal

challenge of trying to perfect it each time.”

Once the spring training session at Comox

was finished, Captain Porteous had to fly an

acceptance show for the commander of

the 1 CAD, Major General Christian Drouin,

who signed off the routine and command of

the demo team for the summer. A second

acceptance flight followed, this time for a

dedicated Federal Aviation Administration

representative in the United States. Both

flights ensure the routine is deemed safe as

an aerobatic performer by the Canadian and

US authorities.

This year’s routine is slightly different

from last year’s, and a shorter version will

be flown at displays in the UK to meet UK

regulations. Two CF-18s are due to attend

Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton’s Air Day and

the Royal International Air Tattoo 2018 at RAF

Fairford in July. Captain Porteous said the

team is incredibly honoured to be invited to

participate in the two UK shows, and hinted

at a surprise within the ground portion of his

display at Fairford that gives a nod to the Royal

Air Force in its 100th anniversary year. AI

Even with a bright paint scheme, CF-18A 188776 blends in well to the backdrop of a snowy Alberta.

Close-up shot of a partly painted side number.

OS Justin Spinello/4 Wing Imaging

An airman assigned to 1 Air Maintenance Squadron

paint team applies masking tape to the nose of the

demo jet during its painting in early March. OS Justin

Spinello/4 Wing Imaging

An airman assigned to 1 Air Maintenance Squadron

paint team removes covering from the right wing

while preparing CF-18 188776 for next stage of

painting. OS Justin Spinello/4 Wing Imaging