Mike In The Front

In memory of our friend Steve Zago 431 Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Canadian Forces Snowbirds have been wowing the skies of airshows in North America since 1971. Exclusively flying the 1960s era Canadair CT-114 Tutor, the Snowbirds are known for their tight, nine jet formations, heart stopping solo crosses, and unforgettable maneuvers such as the Maple Split and Canada Burst. In spring 2026 it was announced that the Snowbirds would be on a definite pause until the early 2030s while the Royal Canadian Air Force prepares for the arrival of the replacement aircraft chosen for the Snowbirds, the Pilatus CT-157 Siskin II. The stage was set for a summer of heavy emotion and celebration as the Snowbirds say goodbye to their tried and trusted Tutors. Leading the team is Snowbird 1, Major Maciej Hatta, call sign “Match”. Match is a seasoned Tutor pilot, having flown as Snowbird 6 (2014-2015), Snowbird 3 (2016), and Snowbird 7 (2017) before being selected in 2025 as “The Boss” for the final Snowbirds Tutor season in 2026. Major Hatta also has experience as a test pilot, CT-155 Hawk instructor pilot, and CF-188 Hornet fighter pilot. Mike asks Major Hatta all of his burning Snowbirds questions about the Tutor, the Siskin II, and how nine jets execute a safe and exciting airshow performance. Let’s have a great show! SMOKE NOW! Learn more about the Snowbirds at: https://www.canada.ca/en/air-force/services/showcasing/snowbirds.html or on Instagram: @cfsnowbirds Follow Major Hatta on instagram: @match_eh YouTube: https://youtube.com/@match_eh?si=uPYeqBPRgJhvQgpu Photography by Kevin Prentice @kevinprentice.aviation Follow us on Instagram at @mikeinthefront Questions or comments about the podcast? Contact us at [email protected] Please consider leaving us a rating and/or review! Edited & Produced by Jason Rosewell Music intro by Tyler Wilson Artwork by Achilles Concepcion

Dr. Katie Mack is known best for being a theoretical astrophysicist who studies questions in cosmology (the study of the universe from beginning to end) at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. When she’s not studying dark matter and the origins of the universe, you can find Katie flying airplanes. Katie holds a private pilot license, instrument rating, and is a yellow bird pilot at the Canadian Aviation Museum in Windsor, Ontario.  In this episode, Mike and Katie discuss what inspired Katie to write two books about the universe, her journey in aviation, and how two women flew 70+ year old warbirds to Oshkosh 2026 in challenging conditions. Check out Katie’s books: ”The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)” Available now: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-end-of-everything-astrophysically-speaking-katie-mack/805a575879c098ff?ean=9781982103552&affiliate=1688 “How to Build a Universe (Theoretically Speaking)” Available March 9, 2027. Pre order: https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/How-to-Build-a-Universe/Katie-Mack/9781668033678 You can learn more about Katie, the universe and her books at astrokatie.com Instagram: @astrokatiemack Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/astrokatie.com Follow us on Instagram at @mikeinthefront Questions or comments about the podcast? Contact us at [email protected] Please consider leaving us a rating and/or review! Edited & Produced by Jason Rosewell Music intro by Tyler Wilson Artwork by Achilles Concepcion  

Mike Tryggvason was raised in a family passionate about aviation. As one of Canada’s first astronauts, Mike’s dad, Bjarni Tryggvason instilled a love of airplanes and aerobatics early in Mike’s life. Mike spent his early years in aviation working towards learning aerobatics, eventually becoming a competitor and airshow pilot in which he flew the Pitts S2A, Giles 202 and Extra 300 to name a few. Inspired by a magazine article featuring the beginnings of the Red Bull Air Race, Mike set his sights on becoming an Air Race pilot. For 2026, Mike begins his rookie year and has joined the roster of pilots for Air Race X. Built on the legacy of the Red Bull Air Race, Air Race X challenges both veteran and rookie pilots to their limits, pulling up to 12 times their body weight as they race around pylons and tight corners in the sleek Edge 540 aircraft. Thinking of pulling a few g’s yourself? Tune in to learn about Mike’s journey to competing on the world stage! Learn more about Air Race X: Website: airracex.com Instagram: @airrace_x_  YouTube: youtube.com/@airracex Follow Mike & his team: Instagram: @miketryg | @viking12racing Follow us on Instagram at @mikeinthefront Questions or comments about the podcast? Contact us at [email protected] Please consider leaving us a rating and/or review! Edited & Produced by Jason Rosewell Music intro by Tyler Wilson Artwork by Achilles Concepcion  

Mike, Sophie, and Jason are back for Part 2! In this episode Sophie answers listener aviation weather questions and also tells us what it really means when an aviation forecast includes the code “SHRA”. Tune in to learn more! Do you have a weather question? Reach out to us via email or Instagram and we can answer it for you. Follow Sophie on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/aviationwx.bsky.social For more in depth learning about aviation weather phenomena such as clear air turbulence, mountain wave, thunderstorms and more visit Avmet: avmet.navcanada.ca Learn more about a career in aviation weather with Nav Canada by visiting: navcanada.ca/careers Follow us on Instagram at @mikeinthefront Questions or comments about the podcast? Contact us at [email protected] Please consider leaving us a rating and/or review! Edited & Produced by Jason Rosewell Music intro by Tyler Wilson Artwork by Achilles Concepcion

Predicting and planning for the weather is a skill that is essential to aviation safety. Luckily for us, Nav Canada employs a team of weather experts who along with forecasters at Environment Canada, keep the skies safe when adverse weather is a concern. From forecasting to network planning, Nav Canada’s team works behind the scenes to ensure flights depart and arrive safely according to the current conditions. Meet Sophie, the self proclaimed weather geek who is part of the team that makes this happen. In this first of a two part series, Mike and Jason travel to Ottawa to learn more about what their friend Sophie does in her role as Manager of Network Aviation Weather at Nav Canada. Sophie’s passion for weather started as a kid after witnessing a tornado. That event of extreme weather inspired her to build a career around forecasting, producing aviation weather products, as well as network planning and helping to build the future of weather prediction for Nav Canada. Sophie also shares how she uses her knowledge and applies it to her own flight training as she undertakes training for her private pilot licence. Stay tuned for Sophie Part 2 where she answers our listener questions. Follow Sophie on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/aviationwx.bsky.social For more in depth learning about aviation weather phenomena such as clear air turbulence, mountain wave, thunderstorms and more visit Avmet: avmet.navcanada.ca Learn more about a career in aviation weather with Nav Canada by visiting: navcanada.ca/careers Follow us on Instagram at @mikeinthefront Questions or comments about the podcast? Contact us at [email protected] Please consider leaving us a rating and/or review! Edited & Produced by Jason Rosewell Music intro by Tyler Wilson Artwork by Achilles Concepcion

Mike sits down with Captain (Retired... sort of...) Leon Evans for a conversation about flying the legend that is the Avro Lancaster. As long time Chief Pilot at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum and training captain on one of only two remaining airworthy Lancasters in the world, Leon shares with us what it means to carry the Lanc's legacy, as well as the personal connections forged around it. Listen in as Leon tells us about how a group of Canadian's took a World War II bomber across the Atlantic Ocean to meet its UK counterpart almost 70 years after the war ended. This episode explores what it means to be a steward of aviation history in the modern world. Honest, reflective, and deeply human -- this is more than a conversation about the aircraft itself. It's about the stories that refuse to fade. In Memory of Captain Don Schofield 1941 - 2026. To learn more about the Lancaster and Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, visit warplane.com Follow us on Instagram at @mikeinthefront Questions or comments about the podcast? Contact us at [email protected] Please consider leaving us a rating and/or review! Edited & Produced by Jason Rosewell Music intro by Tyler Wilson Artwork by Achilles Concepcion

Rashid and Mike share a lot in common in terms of their journey through the Canadian aviation industry. Initially working on a Beech 1900, they cut their teeth together as they battled adverse weather across Canada. Rashid’s journey, however, started in Pakistan where he learned to fly. Listen in to Rashid’s story of how he made the leap to come to Canada and started from the bottom on the east coast as a flight instructor and dispatcher and worked his way up to eventually flying the Boeing 777 and becoming a mainline captain. Rashid tells us about the experiences that made him the aviator and professional he is today and how he gives back what he’s learned to the aviation industry. Find Rashid on Instagram: @pilotrashid and @therashidnazir. Follow us on Instagram at @mikeinthefront Questions or comments about the podcast? Contact us at [email protected] Please consider leaving us a rating and/or review! Edited & Produced by Jason Rosewell Music intro by Tyler Wilson Artwork by Achilles Concepcion

Dave Hadfield comes from an iconic family when it comes to Canadian aviation. With eight pilots and counting in the family, Dave enjoyed a successful career as an airline pilot retiring on the Boeing 777. When not making ocean crossings, Dave has also become an experienced warbird pilot, flying several variations of DeHavilland Moths, the Westland Lysander, P-40 Warhawk, Hawker Hurricane, P-51 Mustang, and (Mike's all time favourite aircraft) the Supermarine Spitfire. Listen in as Mike picks Dave's brain on what it's like to fly the WWII era fighters, learn how the Spitfire handles, and how Dave and his team safely demonstrate these aircraft to the public. Learn more about Dave by visiting his website: Hadfield.ca YouTube: youtube.com/@davehadfield5906 Stay tuned after the credits for a snippet "On Track" from the album Climbing Away, written by Dave Hadfield available on Bandcamp. Episode 10 is dedicated to the memory of the crew of Jazz flight 646, Captain Antoine Forest and First Officer Mackenzie Gunther. Follow us on Instagram at @mikeinthefront Questions or comments about the podcast? Contact us at [email protected] Please consider leaving us a rating and/or review! Edited & Produced by Jason Rosewell Music intro by Tyler Wilson Artwork by Achilles Concepcion  

Captain Damar Walker started out like any other prospective airline captain in aviation. With a goal and dream in mind he started flight training in hopes of one day flying jets. Now, after a challenging and rewarding pathway through the Royal Canadian Air Force flying the C-130J Hercules, Captain Walker commands the Airbus A319, A320, & A321 for a living. In this episode, we learn what challenges Damar encountered in his career, how he manages his flight deck, and how he gives back to his community through volunteerism. Find Damar on instagram @dlx_pilot To find out more about the Urban Pilot's Network reach out to Damar at [email protected] or urbanpilots.net  Follow us on Instagram at @mikeinthefront Questions or comments about the podcast? Contact us at [email protected] Please consider leaving us a rating and/or review! Edited & Produced by Jason Rosewell Music intro by Tyler Wilson Artwork by Achilles Concepcion

Do you dream about flying? Ever wanted to become a pilot? “How do I become a pilot?” is a question professional pilots get all the time. Whether you want to become a professional pilot or just fly for fun, getting your Private Pilot Licence (PPL) is where most start! In this episode, Mike and his good friend Melissa talk about how to go about getting your flight training started, finding the right flight school and instructor, the steps your training will take, equipment you might need and other advice to make you successful. Some notes from the show: • The Familiarization (Fam) Flight is also commonly called the Discovery Flight • A PPL student is trained to be a visual flight rules (VFR) pilot. This means they have to have reference to the ground at all times, not the horizon. Although when learning to fly, the horizon is used as your reference point for the attitude of the aircraft. • Minimum flight hours required to hold a PPL is 45 hours which shall include a minimum of 17 hours dual, 3 hours dual cross country, 5 hours instrument, 17 hours solo, of which 5 hours must be solo cross country. • On average, most students will take an average of 60-80 hours or more to complete their flight training. This is due to weather delays, instructor or aircraft availability, frequency of flight lessons, commitment to training etc. • 40 hours of ground school must be completed before writing the Transport Canada written exam • A Category III medical is required to hold a PPL • To acquire a PPL, the candidate must be at least 17 years of age. This means they must be 17 to hold the license, but can fly solo at 14 years old. Contact your local flight school for more information about learning to fly! Follow us on Instagram at @mikeinthefront Questions or comments about the podcast? Contact us at [email protected] Please consider leaving us a rating and/or review! Edited & Produced by Jason Rosewell Music intro by Tyler Wilson Artwork by Achilles Concepcion