Canada has a world-class training program to prepare future pilots for its Air Force. Becoming a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilot requires a great deal of commitment and discipline, going through different flight training phases, both in the air and on the ground. It involves training in different locations across several time zones in adverse weather conditions for many hours, until eventually earning your wings. Those who have the abilities then advance to training on a range of aircraft, including the CF-188 Hornets. Shortage of Pilots National Defence – which includes the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Department of National Defence (DND) – is charged with the responsibility of protecting Canada’s sovereignty and its citizens. Part of this responsibility is defending North America and upholding international peace and stability as a participating member of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). To satisfy these commitments, the CAF needs modern equipment and a full complement of personnel. A Canadian Press article from September 2018 pointed out that the RCAF “is contending with a shortage of around 275 pilots and needs more mechanics, sensor operators and other trained personnel as well in the face of increasing demands to conduct and support domestic and international missions.” It is, therefore, no secret that the RCAF lacks the required number of trained pilots to meet its operational commitments. The same point was also brought out recently by the Auditor General of Canada in his 2018 Fall Reports to the Parliament of Canada, which states that “National Defence needs an effective fighter force, which means capable aircraft and personnel.” The report revealed that the RCAF had only 64 per cent of the trained CF-18 pilots during the last fiscal year. This shortage is a grave concern, not just for the CAF and Canadians but also for our Allies. A CF-18 Hornet, from 410 Tactical Fighter (Operational Training) Squadron, over Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR). The aircraft was flown by Captain Corey Liddle, student at 410 Squadron during his last training flight of Fighter Pilot course serial 40 (FPC-40). Photos by Cpl Jean-Francois Lauzé, 4 Wing imaging To meet its NORAD and NATO commitments simultaneously, Canada needs its full complement of aircraft and personnel to be available daily. To solve the latter, the Auditor General recommends, “National Defence should develop and implement recruitment and retention strategies for fighter force technicians and pilots that are designed to meet operational requirements and prepare for the transition to the replacement fleet.” This is a critical inadequacy in Canada’s National Defence. So, what is Canada’s current system to produce qualified pilots? Does it have the capacity to produce more pilots? And what exactly is being done today to help fill this shortage? Two Training Schools Qualifying as a trained RCAF pilot, a student must undergo training at two different training schools in Canada: 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (2CFFTS) and 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (3CFFTS). Independent contractors from the defence industry operate the facilities and services at these two schools. The NFTC Program At 2CFFTS at 15 Wing, CFB Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan and 4 Wing, CFB Cold Lake in Alberta, the training program is a collaborative endeavour between the RCAF and a leading training and simulation contractor, CAE Inc. Originated back in 2000 as a 21-year contract between the Government of Canada and Bombardier Aerospace Military Aviation Training (BA MAT), the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program was designed to provide Basic Flying Training (BFT), advanced jet, and Fighter Lead-In Training (FLIT) for future fighter pilots for the RCAF. In October 2015, CAE acquired BA...