{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Pilot Project Podcast","title":"Fighters: The Red Knight Part 1: Cold War Skies – Darwin “Tex” Deagnon","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3591,"description":"What happens when a Canadian fighter pilot accidentally crosses the Iron Curtain? And what does it take to become one of the RCAF's legendary solo jet demonstration pilots?\nIn Part 1 of our conversation with former Royal Canadian Air Force pilot Darwin “Tex” Deagnon, we travel back to the early days of Canadian jet aviation, from his childhood in rural Saskatchewan to flying the F-86 Sabre on the front lines of the Cold War.\nTex shares memories of growing up in a soldiers' settlement community, taking his first flight with his father in a Piper Cub, and earning his wings at just 19. He recalls training alongside instructors with Korean War experience, his first solo flight in the Sabre, and arriving in France to fly with 430 Squadron at RCAF Station Grostenquin.\nWe explore the realities of NATO fighter operations in Cold War Europe, including a frightening encounter that took Tex's formation into East German airspace. He explains the challenges of fighter weapons instruction, the demands of air-to-air gunnery and ground attack, and how quickly lessons from the front lines could become obsolete.\nThen we turn to one of the defining chapters of his career: becoming Canada's Red Knight in 1965.\nTex takes us inside the world of solo jet aerobatics, describing the manoeuvres, altitudes, and concentration required to perform in front of thousands of spectators. He also reflects on the influence of his father, the recognition of the Red Knight program by Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, and the extraordinary pilots who helped build its legacy.\nAs Remembrance Day approaches, our conversation takes a more reflective turn. Tex remembers the Red Knights who lost their lives, discusses how pilots coped with loss, and shares his thoughts on the sacrifices of Canada's Cold War veterans and the challenges of understanding wartime experiences.\nIn Part 2, we'll follow Tex beyond the Red Knight, exploring his remarkable civilian flying career, adventures in the Canadian Arctic, and...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/WtK4-rQN7ZA9Wg3UwNskOTMoB0N7iBL9Y82iAbDH7e4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xNzI4/NTU0YmFmMzhkNmJm/ZTc4ODc4NGZiNGZl/MzMzNy5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}