Page 6 - Southport - Reaching New Heights - Summer 2017

Q+A
Q+A

with LCol Marc-Antoine Fecteau
Commandant of 3CFFTS

Click here to learn more about 3CFFTS
Q: Where were you born and raised? in our online edition at southport.ca
A: I was born in Sherbrooke, Que, and
lived in that region until I joined the military and moved to
Kingston for my university studies at the Royal Military College. ” In layman’s
Q: When did you join the military? terms, I am a
A: I joined the military almost 25 years ago, in July 1992. little bit like
Q: Can you describe your role as Commandant for 3CFFTS?
A: It is a little hard to be succinct, as it involves everything from leadership, principal.
personnel management, mentoring, discipline, administration of budgets, ensuring a school “
future success, liaison with outside agencies, etc. In addition, I am also a helicopter
flight instructor. In layman’s terms, I am a little bit like a school principal.
Q: What advantages does Southport have for 3CFFTS?
A: There is a long history of flight training here in Southport and Portage la Prairie. When CFB Portage la Prairie, one of the main flight
training bases, closed 25 years ago, Southport was created in part to ensure the viability of continued flight training in this location.
Without this continuous support, it would have been impossible to continue our operations here. The same can be said of the support
of the local population. Helicopter training has its own particular set of requirements. Most of the training needs to be done at low level
and we must very often land outside of the limits of the airport. Without the crucial support of the local farming community, we would
not be able to be so successful here in Southport.
Q: What has been the highlight of your career?
A: I can’t bring the list down to only one, but I can say that two of them
involve Southport. The first would definitely be when I received my pilot
wings here 17 years ago. The second highlight, I have the pleasure
being in the middle of living it: It is the privilege of commanding 3
CFFTS. Two others would be the year I spent on the Golan Heights as
a Blue helmet, and the last two years, where I had the pleasure of living
in Hamburg, Germany, to complete the German Staff College at the
“Fûhrungsakademie der Bundeswehr”.

Q: Which aircraft have you flown?
A: The aircraft that I have had the pleasure of flying operationally is
the CH-124 Sea King, which includes a little over 5 years of shipborne
Here in operations. Here in Southport, I have chosen to instruct on the CH-139
Southport, I have Jet Ranger. I have flown other aircrafts during training or exchanges, but
chosen to instruct never to the level of aircraft captain.
on the CH-139 Q: What are your hobbies?
Jet Ranger. A: The main ones would be traveling, alpine skiing, running, swimming,
motorcycling, skydiving, scuba diving and hiking. I would list flying in my
hobbies, but I still get paid for it so it wouldn’t be fair…