http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #365 AUGUST 2018 // 41
In the cockpit
Capt Porteous began his aviation career with
the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. He received his
gliding licence at 16 and a private pilot’s licence
a year later. During a four-year bachelor’s
degree at the University of Victoria – studying
History and Classics – Capt Porteous spent two
of those years under the Regular Officer Training
Plan (ROTP). His military training began at
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, on the Grob G
120A, before he flew the CT-156 Harvard II
at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
Having completed the basic flight training
course, he was selected to fly the CT-155
Hawk for lead-in fighter training, and then
moved on to the Hornet for his fighter
pilot course. Following graduation, Capt
Porteous was posted to 425 Tactical Fighter
Squadron at 3 Wing Bagotville. After a year
on 425 he became part of the team that
re-established 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron
in 2015, ten years after it had disbanded.
Today, Capt Porteous has around 1,000
hours in military aircraft, roughly 600 of those
in the Hornet. In 2015-16 he was deployed
for Operation Impact, Canada’s contribution to
the global coalition against so-called Islamic
State in Iraq and Syria. He participated
in 16 combat missions in the Hornet.Above: The latest CF-18 Demonstration Team pilot,
Capt Stefan Porteous. He began his fl ying career
with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. RCAF/ARC
Left: CF-188 serials 188776 and 188731 perform
a spectacular break over 4 Wing Cold Lake in
Alberta. While serial 188776 is this year’s demo
jet, 188731 wears colours celebrating the heritage
of 401 Tactical Fighter Squadron, reactivated as
a second operational Hornet squadron at 4 Wing,
CFB Cold Lake, in 2015. RCAF/ARC, Mike Reyno
Below: Meeting some of his young fans after a
performance in April – the favourite part of Capt
Stefan Porteous’s job on the CF-18 Demonstration
Team. RCAF/ARCCF-188 serial 188776 in fl ight close to 4 Wing Cold Lake in Alberta. The lower surfaces of the Hornet’s
fl aps carry the bilingual legend ‘60 YEARS/60 ANS’ to mark the anniversary of NORAD. RCAF/ARC