Captain Denis Bandet

Captain Denis Bandet

Snowbird #6

Regina, Saskatchewan

Call sign: Yuri

It didn’t come easy for Denis Bandet. While some other students at Riffel High School in Regina were focused and career-oriented, the self-described “late bloomer” took a little longer to find his way.

A serial under-achiever, Bandet didn’t know what he wanted to do until much later. That combined with the security of knowing he could work for his father’s construction business after high school kept him from focusing himself on a concrete goal.

Buoyed by the impact of the images of the Gulf War on television Bandet started thinking about what he could do to contribute to society and his country.

"As you’re getting older you start to realize, ‘Where’s my place in the world. How can I contribute to what’s going on?’" he said, "[The Gulf War] was kind of awe-inspiring, it was on the news every night, and there was a spark there that drew my eye towards the military."

When he was working with his Dad on a project near the Regina Airport he looked to the sky and decided it was time to try something he had wanted to ever since he first set foot in a commercial jetliner on a family trip to Mexico as a kid.

"I just wanted to see what it was like, you can’t exclude something out of your life if you haven’t tried it, so I thought I’d try flying," he said of his exposure flight with the Regina Fyling Club.

After that experience, he was hooked and took the next year to obtain his private pilot’s license, while continuing to work for his Dad.

"I learned what hard work is – physical labour, an appreciation for good work ethic, and learning that it’s up to you if you want to succeed," he said.

It was then that he finally felt ready to join the military.

"I wanted something that was for me, that I wanted to pursue and that I could grab hold of and run with," he said.

There was just one problem: the military wasn’t accepting new pilots.

So with one option crossed off — at least for the time being — Bandet went the commercial route, enrolling in a two year flight training program at Mount Royal in Calgary. But he had some sobering work ahead of him before he could enrol in the first place.

"I had been out of high school for a while, and in order to get into that program, I wasn’t a stellar student in high school so I had to go back and upgrade a lot of my education before even getting enrolled," he said.

When he finally got in, this was where he learned what he had failed to in high school: working toward a goal and prioritizing his time.

"Once I became focused and knew what I wanted I didn’t find it like work – it was something that I wanted to do," he said adding, "If I failed at it then it was all on my shoulders, there was no one to blame."

Once he finished his education, the military was looking again. But before he ever set foot in an airplane, he was shipped to St. Jean, Quebec for basic training – a real eye-opener. Bandet said he wasn’t used to grown adults yelling orders at him at 5 a.m.

"There were days where I questioned whether I made the right decision,” he said of the experience. Though overall he said it was a positive one.

After that he was trained at 15 Wing in Moose Jaw, where he eventually met his wife… with a less-than-conventional approach.

“He lied to me and told me he was the hot dog sales guy outside,” said his wife Janice of their weekend encounter in downtown Moose Jaw. In a town full of seemingly nomadic air force pilots, it doesn’t exactly make you unique, nor does it give any indication you’re willing to settle down.

Not long after Bandet headed to Cold Lake, Alberta where he became qualified to fly Canada’s front line fighter-jet: the CF-18 Hornet.

“You’re just used to taking off and landing, and maybe some basic formation and now you’re learning how to fight with an airplane and it doesn’t come easy,” Bandet said.

Once he was given the keys, he opted for an “adventure” and headed to Bagotville, Quebec. It didn’t take much to convince Janice to go with him. In fact, he said her French became better than his, even though he had already taken French classes.

Three years later and he was back in Cold Lake until the opportunity to try out for the Snowbirds came up. He knew a few of the guys on the team, and knew he was ready – much more confident and competent than he had been when the Snowbirds took him flying while he was still early in his training at 15 Wing.

The tryouts are an intensive process.

“I went in there with an open mind and said I’m just going to try my best and if it’s not good enough well, I can live with that as long as I tried my best,” he said.

Bandet, along with four others – three formation pilots and one safety pilot – were also chosen for this year’s squad.

Flying aside, Bandet says he loves the “PR” side of the job.

“I always take time to go talk to the shy kid who you knew had a question but didn’t want to ask you, so I really like doing that,” he said.

In his forties, he admits the air force is a “young person’s game,” but for him, it’s more about the destination, and less about how you got there.

“You’re never too old to change direction on what you want to do. If you’re focused and you want to do something in life, then go after it. Its not going to come to you, you have to go get it,” he said.

If he could go back and do anything differently he wishes he had been focused at a younger age because as he puts it, “Where I’m at now is exactly where I want to be and I wish it would just freeze in time.”