Day in the Life of the RCAF: Cold Lake - Flying the CF-18 Hornet - Episode 6 

I want to see a Cargo-Fighter now! lol

What does a new jet smell like?!

"relevant"

@@maxnormand4581but it is relevant?! Most of our “enemies” like Iran still mostly fly 60s jets…

@@maxnormand4581 With the upgrades, the CF-18 is still relevant today. It's a tribute to the foresight of those selecting the aircraft that it was upgradeable with new avionics, radar, and other sensors to make it an effective fighting machine in the early 2000s. The F-16, which was the other choice when we bought the Hornets, has also proven its ability to be upgraded to maintain combat effectiveness over the decades. Today, though, the Hornet is old and tired, and we need the F-35 yesterday.

@@InfoTivoliFilms Like a Corolla!

The Canadian Air Force could probably walk all over their Iranian counterparts. We have evidence that they can fly *3* Tomcats... We have no evidence that they're trained any better than the Russian bozos who are 2 years into their "3-day operation".

Leon , Have you served ? Or do you just get your takes from RU-vid videos..Myself and my whole family served and I have lost many friends .. Show some respect for your country and the people that have not made it ..Our army was neglected for a very long time thanks to the government..I guess when the time comes back seat drivers like you better hope that we can protect this country .

you got no clue ,Canada has been involved in wars for a long time. you just like the Russian propaganda and promote it

Oh really? What branch of the military did you serve in?

Well said. Alot of old planes from cold War etc show up at airshow. Maybe not for modern combat but the F 18 like you said is not that aged of an aircraft.

What was it like to work on these beasts?!

Doesn't make a difference launching from an F-35 or an F-18. 😳...😳

I read a post somewhere that said an F35 paired with some older jets like these could be ideal as the older jets would be data linked missle and bomb platforms for the F35.

@@SA-cn4jc Statistically single engine fighters are more reliable. Once F-35 is at least to Full Operational Capability, the CF-18s will be retired.

Forklifts don't fall out of the sky either.

@@JohnHill-qo3hb Yes, Hornets fly out of the sky all the time. Ha ha.

You ROCK man! I fly The Chevy Malibu, with a kid's booster seat in the back.

@@telecomex Pulling G's!

🙌

Same!

You might be waiting a while

Canada is going to have CF-18s for a while.

nice to see you here

Matsimus out in the wild!!!!!

I agree about the F-15X. Then all the RCAF needs, is pilots.

The Arctic issue that everyone talks about is an overly hyped problem; it's basically a non-issue.

So it was an ex-Aussie jet then... didn't notice it when I watched the video.

its got new tech in it ,, it fires same missiles as the f35 f22

That’s great! Good luck with your flight training.

Rcaf pay is 💩

Yes, good luck too in your future aviation endeavours. The younger generation today is so lucky, as all professions & trades are wide open and there is a struggle to fill the vacancies that have or will materialize. In my youth, all I wanted to do was be a bush pilot, however, back in the years c.1975-2010, 'everybody and their grandmother' wanted to work in aviation, and hence, too many holders of a CPL were driving taxis, etc. It was sad, it was heartbreaking. Today, post-Covid, that has all changed. The issue these days is the exorbitant costs in obtaining a PPL, hours to qualify in completing a CPL, IFR, night and float ratings, narrows the list greatly to those able to save and/or obtain loans to complete courses and acquire hours (a rich father helps!). Back in c.1995, one could acquire all the aforementioned for approx. C$40k (but still only a very remote prospect of employment). Today?? Double the cost??! However, many small bush operators are hiring CP's with about 250 hours or even less. Nevertheless, again, good luck to all the young people today with the sky as limit in their vision & dreams...

The CF-18 is a generation of jet that *really* worries Russian and Chinese forces. The next generation of fighter (F-35, etc.) is icing on the cake. An F-35s cost to buy, and operating costs, ensure that it can't be the workhorse that an F-16 or CF-18 is.

It essentially uses the same missiles as the newer jets; it's just the frame that's old. Moreover, its turn rate is better than that of the Super ,The jet exceeded Canada's expectations and has no issues continuing to operate for another 20 years. Just because it's new doesn't mean it's better. as a Canadian i am proud of r military

@@brucecaron2776 I'm proud of the men and women in the military, but I'm not proud of the funding and equipment they are given.

Felecia McKay n Richelle McKay. Rich not.

Oooh a zinger. Well done. I bet you were waiting to unleash that one.

@@markanderson3870 lol - you're hurt by RU-vid comments.

@@GMoneyMacFresh Nah, I just like making fun of lame jokes. CF-18s are well regarded by other militaries, just not gripers from Canada.

There’s plenty of older airframes in frontline service with other air forces. Well maintained and constantly upgraded, with well trained pilots, the CF-18 is still a potent weapon system.

I had to look that up... that is one thick read!

Most of NATO is flying 1980s and '90s tech. Except where the USAF is flying B-52s designed in the late '40s and built in the '50s. The mechanics probably know what they're doing, and when to retire a fatigued airframe.

Then it's a good thing it's been a dependable plane, well-sorted for the last 3 decades, and basically has no problems. 🙃

Maybe the A and C don't mean the same thing when it's a Canadian-built plane. 🤷‍♂ Or maybe it doesn't matter, considering how many upgrades they've had since they were built.

They're spending a significant amount on our military; .New warships, submarines, fighter jets, missile defense systems, upgraded ground radars, and the construction of new military bases-none of these are built overnight. it takes time

The planes had a 7.5g governor when they were new. I would think it's good news for the long-term state of the plane when the pilots can't over-G it in the first place.

@@danielcamacho1913 I'm sure that helped but they are grandpa's doing a young man's job. And how does Canada get away with having an air force that is smaller than our aggressor fleet? They spend nearly nothing on "collective defense".

Demo CF-18s are a full 9g jet. Same jets USMC is flying, just not off of carriers anymore. Same AESA radar blah blah blah.

yeah its 2024 and there's tech to solve those concerns you think you have

The fat-ass "Super Hornet" is overrated. It's a *marginal* improvement over the F-18C. Doesn't have the radar or the range of the F-14 it replaced. The controls are still governed to 7.5g. The best missile it can use is the AIM-120 that the CF-18 already uses. The main reason to buy the so-called Super Hornet is if you need to replace fatigued air frames, and the original F-18 is out of production.

Wad Trudeau in power 10 years ago? No it was Harper. And aircraft/airframe can last a long time and be safe. It's the electronics/avionics that go out of date.

We found a clown 🤡

@@CurtHegel Technically, yes - but the Liberals were the ones who derailed the F-35 buy, and when Justin got into power he famously said we'd 'never' buy the F-35. He delayed things by asking for a competition, and came to the unavoidable conclusion that the F-35 was the best option. That was something the RCAF had figured out years prior. Politicians messing with military procurement to get votes is NOT okay.

the uneducated always spew political horse pucks sad

I'd rather fly a jet with two engines than just one

Canada ordered 88 F-35A Block 4 (coming 2026) 16 P-8A Poseidons and Mq-9B Reapers along with hellfire rockets and like 10 tankers and tankers and 4 helis!

F15s would be pointless. What makes the F18 so good is the versatility.

@@rixxy9204 The F-15 is every bit as versatile, and I can't imagine why you'd think otherwise. It has been in continuous production since the 1970s because there's always a customer who wants it.

@@danielcamacho1913 it really isn't.

So you're arguing that we should buy more F35s and do nothing with them except train, let Russia topple Ukraine so they get stronger, and wait for them to move north over the arctic, rather than directly bringing the fight to an aggressor (Russia) by helping Ukraine fight them off? What exactly is your logic? Do you study history? That's called appeasement, and it almost lost WW2 to Germany because nobody supported Poland etc, and just let Germany expand unchecked thinking 'its not against us, we'll just build up our defense so it doesn't affect us'.

Trudeau gives billions away to any special group he thinks can buy him votes... you really think Ukraine isn't a more important cause than votes for Trudeau? Give me a fn break.

AESA radars are very effective as is weaponry that maybe 5 countries in the world has access to.

You are a loser … freedom has a price … you should be thanking these folks for the liberties that you take for granted

lol... you know nothing. They have been in combat and I know several of the pilots that flew them into combat. I sense your expertise comes from YT vids and airshows.

absolutely clueless try research before proving your a zero!

Shouldn't you be wearing a helmet?