Go Bold #25: Stories from the Cockpit: Capt. Patrick Charette on flying the CP-140 Aurora and Exercise Sea Dragon 2022

Our guest today is Captain Patrick Charette, a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilot who is assigned to 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron, which is based at Canadian Forces Base Comox. Capt. Charette flies the CP-140 Aurora multi-mission aircraft, which is a variant of the Lockheed P-3 Orion.Our chat developed into three parts -- the first part is Capt. Charette's motivation to become a pilot and his motivation and approach to instructing other RCAF pilots.We then discuss what it is like to fly and employ the CP-140 Aurora in its primary Anti-Submarine Warfare role.The third part of our chat focuses on Exercise Sea Dragon 2022, a U.S.-led, premier multi-national exercise held at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Exercise Sea Dragon is designed to discuss and practice Anti-Submarine Warfare tactics. Canada was one of six participants in 2022, so you'll hear who participated and who came away with the coveted Dragon Belt award -- spoiler alert -- it was Canada.In addition to winning the Dragon Belt for the highest overall score, 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron also won the Kraken award for most consistent attacks.“Exercises such as Sea Dragon allow for realistic training while exchanging skills, tactics and increased understanding of multinational operations,” said Major-General Eric Kenny, Commander 1 Canadian Air Division. “The overarching goal of the exercise is to enhance the interoperability of our Long Range Patrol force in anti-submarine warfare efforts while also supporting our mutual desire to improve maritime security in collaboration with our partners and allies.”We thank Capt. Charette for his time and kindness in sharing his experiences of flying the CP-140 Aurora.Go Bold!