WRITER PROFILE
The son of a Royal Air Force veteran and airline employee, Peter Pigott was smitten by aviation at a very early age. He was fortunate enough to grow up in India and be educated in Canada and England. Joining the Department of Foreign Affairs, Peter was posted to New York, Hong Kong, Vienna and The Hague. Back home, he began putting his passion into words and is the author of thirteen books on Canadian aviation, including Wings Across Canada, Taming the Skies: A Celebration of Canadian Flight, On Canadian Wings, Wingwalkers, and most recently, Canada in Sudan.
Articles by this writer
The procurement of FWSAR aircraft has waxed and waned for over a decade.
Incoming Chief of the Defence Staff, General Tom Lawson, fielded questions after the Change of Command ceremony.
A look at the aviation component of Operation Unified Protector.
Peter Pigott interviews Major R.D. Morrin about the only designated air asset in the North – hardy Twin Otter pilots are uniquely motivated to fly.
Religious instruction in the Army and Air Corps is to educate the new recruits in the realities of Islam.
The old curse: “May you live interesting times,” might apply to LGen Deschamp’s tenure as Chief of Air Staff (CAS) – except he would see it as a challenge, not a curse.
Canada is pulling together in massive government response. Army, Navy, Air Force, the DART, CIDA, Foreign Affairs... all working feverishly to help Haitians in this hour of need.
In the role of armed escort aircraft for the Chinooks, Griffons help ensure the safety and effectiveness of the Canadian contingent.
An interview with Tony Ogilivy, vice president for SaabGripen International.
Peace is taking hold at last in Bosnia – transitioning with Canadian help.
Commanding EUFOR in Bosnia since December 2006, RAdm Witthauer of Germany has direct command over 2500 troops stationed there. There is tremendous opportunity for development at many levels in the Balkans, and EUFOR is helping the people stay on track with their aim of lasting peace and in progressing towards integration in the European Union.
Without the support of these workhorse logistical vehicles, even the most brilliantly planned manœuvre grinds to a halt and the battle is lost. Trucks are said to be the backbone of any military. Invaluable to battlefield situations, they are taken for granted in peacetime, with little money spent on their procurement or modernization. It’s time for a few major upgrades.
The F-35 JSF programme migrated from the development phase to actual aircraft production on June 20, 2006. The four major subassemblies for the first aircraft were joined at Lockheed Martin facilities in Fort Worth, Texas – and manufacturing of parts for the second aircraft got underway. A total of 15 flight-test aircraft are to be built with the first scheduled lift off by November 2006.
Poor governance, weak institutions, insurgency, regional warlords and poverty – Afghanistan has all of these, in abundance. Deep in sometimes hostile territory, these forts housing the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) are perhaps Afghanistan’s best hope for the future…
The Canadian Forces’ efforts have turned to replacing the aging and increasingly unavailable fleets of CC-130 Hercules and CC-115 Buffalos. What has happened to the ''fast-tracked'' FWSAR requirement?
Chief Test Pilot, Gianluca Evangelisti, and Test Pilot, Agostino Frediani, have been with the C-27J Spartan program from the start. Both talked to FrontLine’s Peter Pigott at the Alenia Caselle facility about the aircraft.
The latest model is the C-130J, and it represents a nearly complete reinvention of the Hercules.
There is a growing demand for military transport aircraft. The world’s Air Forces will take delivery of 922 new transports valued at US$53 billion. FrontLine reviews three aircraft that could handle the CF requirements: Lockheed C-130J, Boeing C-17, and the Airbus A400M.
There is a growing demand for military transport aircraft. The world's Air Forces will take delivery of 922 new transports valued at US$53 billion. FrontLine reviews three aircrafts that could handle the CF requirements: Lockheed C-130J, Boeing C-17, and the Airbus A400M.
With development costs for modern fighters rising, commonality and outsourcing to multiple allies has become the norm.
Lockheed Martin and Alenia conceived an updated variant of the G222.
The C-295 as a cost-effective means of securing borders and protecting resources. The basic design has been improved to make it a multi-role aircraft, such as for transport of freight, medevac and paratroops.
There is widespread consensus that NATO must change, that it must modernize and transform into a rapidly deployable force able to operate anywhere at a moment’s notice.
