Captain Richard MacDougall

Snowbird 11, Advance and Safety Pilot

Captain Richard MacDougall grew up in Dieppe, New Brunswick, and joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 2006 while attending the Université de Moncton under the Regular Officer Training Program.

Capt MacDougall’s aviation career began at 681 Tantramar Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron. As a member of the Air Cadet program, he completed his glider license in Debert, Nova Scotia, and a private pilot’s license at the Moncton Flight College.

After receiving his wings in 2011, Capt MacDougall was posted to 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he flew the CC-130H Hercules. While posted to 435 Squadron, he conducted NORAD and Air Refuelling missions around the globe as Tanker Commander and Instructor Pilot.

In 2017, Capt MacDougall was posted to 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School to instruct on the CT-156 Harvard II aircraft.

Capt MacDougall joined the Snowbirds in 2019 flying as Snowbird 11 during Op INSPIRATION in 2020. After a lengthy recovery, Capt MacDougall rejoined the team again for the 2022 airshow season. He is looking forward to the 2025 season and will act as Advance and Safety Pilot. He brings over 2,800 military flying hours to the team.