We spoke to former Fighter Pilots at The Military Museum in Calgary to learn more about the Cold War

“It was a real rush to fly!”

This is what Ed McGillivray, retired Brigadier-General and Vice Chair of the Air Force Museum Society of Alberta, told us when he described what it felt like to fly the CF-104 Starfighter. During the hostile Cold War, McGillivray flew through the skies with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

“It was a challenging aircraft, but it was fast, it was fun, and you had to think fast — you did everything at 500 to 600 miles an hour,” McGillivray tells Daily Hive.

Ed McGillivray, retired Brigadier-General and Vice Chair of the Air Force Museum Society of Alberta (Derek Nguyen/Daily Hive)

“For an old spirit fighter pilot, speed was everything,” adds Bob Wade, Director of Exhibits and Displays and Deputy Chair of the Alberta Air Force Museums Society.

For veterans McGillivray and Wade, flying was a dream they both had from a young age.

McGillivray wanted to fly since he was four years old, joining the Royal Canadian Air Cadets as soon as he was old enough, eventually earning his wings in 1968. At 26, he trained on the Starfighter and headed overseas to Germany for five years.

He came back to Canada in 1977 to train on the F-18 and returned to Germany as a Commanding Officer for one of the squadrons clocking in 1,673 flight hours in the Starfighter, 700 in the F-18, and 2,000 more in training throughout his career.

“It was very hectic training, and the weather in Germany in the ‘70s was not very good,” explains McGillivray.

The CF-104 Starfighter in the Cold War Hangar (Derek Nguyen/Daily Hive)

“We had to be very careful when flying the aircraft because the Starfighter was strictly air-to-ground, so the roll was low-level, and we had to be very careful. The wings were short, making it a challenging aircraft to fly because it didn’t turn very well if you got into trouble — sadly, we lost quite a few guys due to the roll, low altitude, and the weather.”

Wade, a student of McGillivray’s, joined the NORAD Air Defence Squadron maintaining air defence for Western Canada from the west coast to Winnipeg and up to the North Pole.

“We were intercepting Russian bombers coming across the North Pole,” says Wade. “We never engaged or touched them. Instead, we just wanted to intercept them to let them know we’d get them if they ever did decide to release a cruise missile.”

Bob Wade, Director of Exhibits and Displays and Deputy Chair of the Alberta Air Force Museums Society (Derek Nguyen/Daily Hive)

“We were covering the high Arctic and back. In those days the high Arctic had no military infrastructure, so we operated out of Inuvik on a 5,900-foot runway, which was impossible for the Starfighter.”

Insert the F-18 Hornet, the baby brother to the F-18 Super Hornet — the showstopper from last year’s blockbuster hit Top Gun: Maverick.

“The F-18 was designed for the United States Navy and could land on aircraft carriers, so after that, we never had a problem with airplanes going off the end of the runway — those were exciting days,” exclaims Wade.

When asked what the real difference between flying the Starfighter and the F-18 was, Wade and McGillivray agreed that the F-18 was slower with a huge technological jump.

“The F-18 was air-to-air and a far superior aircraft, as far as manoeuvrability is concerned,” explains McGillivray. “It could carry more weapons, you could do more with it, you could turn better — it was a more modern aircraft — and it had larger wings, which made it far more forgiving if you got into trouble.”

The F-18 Hornet (Derek Nguyen/Daily Hive)

He adds, “It was easy to fly, but it had more tech, and running all of the systems — the avionics, the radars, and the weapons, as just one person by yourself was the challenging part.”

As for Wade, the F-18 was his forte. “It wasn’t as fast, but it didn’t need to be because we had missiles that went four times the speed of sound, so we could accomplish the same missions more effectively.”

Experience the museum’s immersive Cold War Hangar

As a founding member of the Air Force Museum of Alberta, McGillivray and two other chaps were commissioned to open the first air force exhibit in 2009, and they’ve continued to expand the exhibitions ever since.

Ticket holders can explore early flight development in the main museum area through artifacts, interactive displays, and films. You can also explore the legacy of the RCAF during the First and Second World Wars up until the present day.

The lobby at The Military Museums (Derek Nguyen/Daily Hive)

Given McGillivray and Bob’s personal experiences, The Cold War exhibit (displayed in an actual sprung shelter), is one that’s close to their hearts. Plus, a perk McGillivray is exceptionally proud of is that this exhibit is filled with real airplanes like the F-86 Sabre, CF-104 Starfighter, and the F-18 — all active with the RCAF at one time.

“An interesting thing to point out is that it took several man-hours to refurbish and polish the Sabre and the Starfighter to get them looking like they do today. They were in pretty tough shape when we got them. But they look like you could taxi them out and fly them now!”

Mission Possible: To tell Canada’s untold story of the Cold War

The Cold War exhibit, along with many others in the museum, is meant to be an immersive experience and serves as a reminder that being a fighter pilot also comes with many risks, a lot of passion, and sacrifices.

“My job as a fighter pilot was to fly at high speeds, very close to the trees. It was a very dangerous environment,” says Wade. “It was a lot of fun, but it was high risk, and we lost a lot of boys due to different things. When you come that close to dying twice and get the nerve to get into that third jet and continue to fly, that shows how much passion we had for the job.”

One of the museum’s many displays (Derek Nguyen/Daily Hive)

Volunteering for the Military Museums, Both McGillivray and Wade are extremely passionate about keeping the legacy of the RCAF’s Cold War Era alive.

“The contribution that the Air Force made during that period didn’t get much media attention,” explains Wade. “To us veterans, we lost many boys, accomplished many things, and we want to tell that story.”

McGillivray adds, “It was called the Cold War for a reason, because not a single shot was fired, which is good. We want to ensure that the Canadian public is aware of the impact the RCAF had on the Cold War and our contribution under NATO that was valuable to keeping the peace.”

“We want to make sure it’s not forgotten!”

The new Taras Polataiko: DEFIANCE exhibit inside the Founders’ Gallery (Derek Nguyen/Daily Hive)

Now that you’ve heard a bit of the full story, this is your sign to plan a day at The Military Museums in Calgary, and spend an unforgettable afternoon with McGillivray, Wade, and the other incredible veterans who volunteer their time to show people around and tell these lived realities firsthand.

You’ll also catch two new exhibits on your visit, Taras Polataiko: DEFIANCE, and Shell Shocked: The Long Road to Recovery. Both shows are running until September; you won’t want to miss them.

So what are you waiting for? Jump into Canada’s military history with an immersive trip to The Miltary Museums and learn something new on your next day out.