Book Review: Tutor Tales
Author: Major (ret) Dan McWilliams (RMC 1980)
Available: https://www.amazon.ca/Tutor-Tales-Dreamer-Instructor-Pilot/dp/B0DMFGYMRF
ISBN-13 – 979-8344000282
298 pages
Price: $32.00
Review by 12570 Mike Kennedy
The iconic Canadair CT 114 Tutor is best known as the aircraft flown by the RCAF Snowbirds demonstration team, but for 35 years up until the time it was retired from operational service in 2000, the Tutor’s primary function was to serve as a training platform for thousands of aspiring military pilots. In Tutor Tales, my classmate 12584 Major (ret) Dan McWilliams recounts his experiences flying the aircraft during the early years of his career, first as a student pilot and subsequently as a newly minted instructor.
From a young age Dan dreamt of following in the footsteps of his father Bill, an RCAF fighter pilot. His fate was sealed on a warm spring day in 1973 when he was permitted to accompany his father on a familiarization flight in a T-33 training jet near Baden, West Germany. From that point on, Dan’s sole ambition in life would be to become a military pilot.
In August 1976, Dan was officially sworn into the Canadian Forces as an Officer Cadet. On August 22nd he reported to RMC to begin recruit training as a member of Wolfe Squadron. Having grown up in military communities, it did not take Dan long to recognize the artificial environment at the College for what it really was. Nevertheless, he persevered through the four years at RMC, intent on achieving pilot wings.
Dans’ first taste of military flying came in 1978 during primary flight training on the venerable Beechcraft Musketeer. His father had explained to him that the objective of the course was to assess students’ aptitude and identify those who had the potential to successfully complete pilot training on the much more advanced Tutor. Determined to succeed, Dan buckled down and passed the course without any difficulty, earning praise from one of his instructors for being one of the best students he had ever had.
Next stop in pilot training was during the summer of 1979, where Dan received instruction in land and sea survival. Graduation came in the spring of 1980, and in September of that year he reported to Moose Jaw to begin the 11 – month course leading to pilot wings; this would provide the first opportunity Dan would have to actually fly the legendary Tutor.
The stories related in Tutor Tales make it clear that the road to earning pilot wings is a long and grueling path. Candidates must meet exacting standards, and they can be removed from the course at any time if their instructors deem their abilities to be subpar. A major rite of passage for Dan was his first solo flight in the Tutor, the same aircraft he would eventually fly for the next several years of his career.
In August 1981, Dan became one of 16 members of course 8004 who successfully attained their pilot wings on the Tutor. Seven others earned their wings on helicopters in Portage la Prairie. Dan earned the added distinction of sharing the “City of Moose Jaw Trophy” for best flying performance with his fellow student Pierre Blais, a 1980 graduate of Royal Roads.
Dan’s first posting was to flight instructor school, after which he would return to Moose Jaw to instruct pilot candidates on the Tutor. This proved to be a challenging and rewarding assignment, as it provided Dan with the opportunity to help promising pilot candidates fulfill their true potential. At times, the job also required him to make the difficult decision to fail students who lacked the required aptitude for flying proficiency. Tutor Tales recalls one flight Dan made with a student who, in a moment of panic, nearly killed both of them. Shortly thereafter, the student went before a progress review which soon ended his dream of earning pilot’s wings.
There were also moments of tragedy. One such instance came in 1982, when Dan’s friend and RMC classmate Claude Cormier was killed in a crash while taking two students on a familiarization flight.. Situations like these served to underline the fact that military pilots must constantly live with the danger that is part of their profession.
At one point, Dan served as Course Director for a course run in 1983, an assignment that he describes as being an immensely rewarding experience. Later, he would later be selected to become a fighter pilot and would eventually fly the CF 18 on several operational tours until his retirement from uniformed service in 1996, with 3,500 hours of flight time under his belt.
Throughout this book, several important themes emerge. One is the importance of the role that Dan’s father Bill played as a role model and mentor, not only for Dan himself, but also for many other RCAF pilots. Bill McWilliams first inspired his son to pursue a career in military aviation, and throughout Dan’s formative years his father proved to be an unfailing source of guidance and support. It was therefore only fitting that when McWilliams Sr. reached compulsory release age in November 1984, he made his last military flight accompanied by his son – in a Tutor, of course.
A second theme is that while Dan’s initial posting as a flight instructor was not something that he ideally wanted, in the long run it served him well. The experience forced Dan to take his flying skills to a whole new level, and this in turn provided the kind of preparation that enabled him to later excel as a fighter pilot.
A final theme that Dan highlights is the value of the foundation that his experiences at RMC provided. While at the College there were many aspects of the system he found to be overly oppressive, but with the wisdom of age, Dan now acknowledges that RMC that gave him a sense of discipline and mental fortitude that would later be invaluable in terms of helping him to successfully cope with the rigors of pilot training.
Overall, Tutor Tales is a fascinating and well written book that takes the reader directly into the cockpit, and provides an in-depth overview of the blood, sweat, and tears that are involved in earning RCAF pilot wings. The book is a must read for anyone with an interest in military aviation, and who has a desire to learn more about that rare and elite breed of warriors who, like Bill McWillaims and his son, are trained to take the fight to the enemy and win.
Publisher : Sutherland House Books
Publication date : Oct. 8 2024
Language : English
Print length : 174 pages
ISBN-10 : 1990823955
ISBN-13 : 978-1990823954
Price $32.95 via Amazon
The past several years have been a time of unprecedented challenge for our country. Six years ago at this time, Canada found itself rapidly caught up in the wake of the global pandemic that effectively paralyzed the economy and eventually cost 61,000 Canadians their lives. More recently, in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, Canada has been unwillingly dragged into a trade war with the same country that was once our closest friend and ally. As we look to the future, it is filled with uncertainty, and we can only hpe that better days will soon lie ahead.
It is fortunate indeed that in the midst of these difficult times Canada still has some wise and stalwart individuals who can serve as beacons of hope for the rest of us. One of them is 10966 Michel Maisonneuve, a retired Lieutenant General and public servant who has now made it his mission to tell his fellow Canadians some cold hard truths that they urgently need to hear. In his new book In Defence of Canada: Reflections of a Patriot he presents his take on the evils that presently afflict our country and offers a practical and sensible vision for what needs to be done to guide Canada back to its rightful place on the world stage.
Maisonneuve’s own credentials as a patriot are impeccable. Born 70 years ago into humble circumstances in St. Jerome, Quebec, he entered the Royal Military College in Kingston as a young man and graduated four years later as the top cadet in his class. It was the first step in what would eventually become a stellar military career that saw him rise to the rank of Lieutenant General and serve in locations all over the world. After hanging up his uniform in 2007 he served for another ten years as Academic Director of the military college in St. Jean, Quebec, where he played an important role in building that establishment into a highly respected educational institution.
Maisonneuve’s book offers his views on a wide variety of issues that affect contemporary Canadian society, including radical agendas; the current preoccupation with diversity, equity, and inclusion; climate change; the economy; and immigration. Not surprisingly, a good portion of the book is devoted to a discussion of the many issues facing the future of the Canadian military. He documents at length the tragic decline of Canada’s once-proud armed forces as a direct result of the indifference of several generations of political leadership, and laments some of the superficial attempts that have been made to attract more young people to military service, such as the recent decisions to effectively abandon proper dress and grooming standards.
At the same time, however, Maisonneuve also expresses confidence in the current generation of CF leadership. He offers a number of solid recommendations as to what needs to be done, and suggests that with appropriate support from the next government, it should be possible to breathe new life into our armed services and reinvigorate them to a point where they will once again be seen as a credible fighting force.
In the final chapter of his book, Maisonneuve maps out a path for moving Canada forward. He uses as a foundation the leadership lessons he learned over the course of his career starting as a young troop leader, highlighting the importance of things like communication, teamwork, professionalism, and helping people to have fun with what they do. He also offers his perspectives on some of the larger issues now facing the nation, such as the need to achieve energy self-sufficiency, build respectable military capabilities, and break down barriers to interprovincial trade. Finally, he emphasizes the need to get back to basics, specifically by focusing on the core values of leadership and service, fundamental things that defined our country in bygone eras, but that all too many Canadians in this day and age appear to have lost sight of.
In 1904, Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier famously predicted that the 20th century would belong to Canada. Thankfully, Laurier did not live long enough to bear witness to many of the events of recent years. Nonetheless, as we look ahead to the rest of the 21st century, there is still hope for this country, and there is still the opportunity to reclaim the greatness we once had, but somehow managed to lose. Like the true patriot he is, Michel Maisonneuve passionately believes in Canada and what it stands for, and his book offers a vision for transforming our nation into something we can all be proud of. For anyone in this country who considers himself or herself to be a patriot, this book is must-read.