Aspiring pilots and aviation enthusiasts may pick up some tips, tricks and inside experiences from former CP140 Aurora pilot, Captain Bryan Morrison, who has just launched his new “The Pilot Project Podcast.”
“Whether those are kids in Air Cadets or people in the general public, I want to help you learn about what it’s like to fly in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and what you can do to succeed,” Morrison says in the first episode, which came out November 15.
In this “trailer” episode, Morrison briefly introduces himself and the goals of the podcast. As a child, he attended airshows with his family and, at 14 years old, he joined Air Cadets. “One of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” he says. He went on to join the RCAF in 2006 through the Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP) program, attending the University of Western Ontario to earn a degree in commercial aviation management, as well as earning a commercial multi IFR license.
After completing pilot training in Moose Jaw and Portage la Prairie, Morrison was posted in 2012 to 14 Wing Greenwood’s 405 (Long Range Patrol) Squadron to fly the Aurora. He upgraded to crew commander and accumulated 1,400 flying hours during his time in Greenwood, before being posted to 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (3 CFFTS) in Portage la Prairie as a pilot instructor. Through his experiences in military and civilian aviation, he has over 2,000 flying hours.
With this podcast, Morrison is hoping to reach aspiring pilots, including those currently in the military pilot training system. He wants listeners to learn how to succeed in the training program, as well as learn about the different RCAF aircraft from experienced pilots.
Morrison took this on as a hobby – a passion project – and is running the podcast as a one-person show.
“I’ve put a lot of time, heart and soul into it,” he says. He started working on the project about a year ago, even though he didn’t know anything about podcasting. He is self-taught, mostly through YouTube and Reddit, and figured out what equipment he would need.
“I got a lot of help from kind people on Reddit. In fact, the mics I started out with were donated to me by a Redditor, and that’s what got me started.”
He has also purchased mics, mic booms, shock mounts, pop filters, editing software and so on.
“I am out of pocket a fair bit, but I’ve really enjoyed it.”
His first interview was recorded in May 2022, and Morrison has since hosted seven or eight interviews with pilots of various RCAF aircraft. Each interview takes about two hours to conduct, but the editing process to get it down to an interesting 40-minute episode can take 10 to 20 hours – less time as he gets better at it!
“It’s a lot of work, but I really enjoy it,” Morrison says. “Honestly, it has been a great creative outlet, especially after my PTSD diagnosis.”
He feels the podcast is a great opportunity to spread awareness of mental health in aviation and help break any stigma. Although he is not currently flying, he enjoys being able to still share “pilot talk” with his guests and listeners.
The trailer episode came out November 15, and the plan is to release a new episode every three weeks. Over the first few episodes, the podcast will release a five-part series on the flight training system. Morrison will chat with another pilot familiar with Greenwood, Captain Dawn Macauley, a former Cormorant pilot at 413 (Transport and Rescue) Squadron, who became the Phase 1 Grob Flight Commander at 3 CFFTS. Macauley will surely have lots of interesting information and tips to share with future RCAF pilots.
Find out more at podpilotproject.transistor.fm, which offers links to all of the podcast platforms, or subscribe to the podcast on your favourite streaming service. Follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @podpilotproject for updates.
By: Second Lieutenant Meagan Duncan
