Captain Niels Olson didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a military pilot. In fact, while living next to CFB Chilliwack as a kid, he remembers watching soldiers train and thinking, “I’m never doing that.”

In Part 1, we cover his early life, joining under CEOTP, the long training pipeline, and his first exposure to maritime helicopter operations before even starting flight training. Then we'll get into a high-level look at what life is like at sea with the CH-124 Sea King operating on Royal Canadian Navy frigates.

This week, inside project SEEDCORN: P-8 training, RAF operations, and the future of Canada’s long range patrol fleet.

In Part 2, Matt and Dylan break down the P-8 Poseidon conversion process, RAF operations, and how SEEDCORN is preparing Canada for the future of long range patrol aviation.

They also share real-world operational experiences and what it’s like flying from the UK near global hotspots.

In this episode, Capt Matt Chretien and Capt Dylan Gilje-Allan share their journey from early flight training to operational flying on the CP-140 Aurora, leading to their selection for SEEDCORN and transition to the P-8 Poseidon.

They discuss flight training challenges, Aurora operations, deployments on Op NEON, and real-world intercepts in the Indo-Pacific.