Free Republic

A Canadian Forces pilot who huddled for two hours in the cold and dark after he ejected from his CF-18 fighter jet wasn't seriously hurt when rescue crews found him at the crash site in northern Alberta. The Rescue Co-Ordination Centre at CFB Trenton, Ont., says a CF-18 fighter jet crashed overnight in Cold Lake, Alta. The jet is similiar to this one that Capt. Tim "Donor" Woods pilots during a practice and preview day for the Winds and Wheels show in St. Thomas, Ontario on Friday, June 19, 2009. Capt. Darren Blakie was on the final approach to Canadian...

Canadian soldiers deploying next month to Afghanistan will be relying on the United States for air cover after a proposal to send Canadian fighter-bombers to the region was scrapped at the last minute, the Post has learned.But the air force had to change plans because of the high cost of getting the six upgraded fighters from 4 Wing in CFB Cold Lake, Alta., to Afghanistan and the technical difficulties involved in basing high-tech aircraft halfway around the world. "It was a bridge too far," said one air force officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. "They just couldn't get the maintainers...