CAHS - Flying with SAR Techs
CAHS MB Meeting: 30 April at the RAMWC
30 April, 2026
Ron Lapp - BIO
Ron Lapp worked at Transport Canada for 36 years. He started off in the Civil Aviation Planning Division in 1981, and in 1985 moved to the Airports Group where he worked in Airport Project Management, Airport Security and Protective Services, Airport Operations, Community Airports and Funded Programs. He retired from the Department in February, 2017.
Along with his Transport job, Ron established a freelance writing career on the side and managed to go flying in a number of military and civilian aircraft. In 1990 he flew with the Snowbirds, in 1992 in a CF-18 Hornet at Maple Flag in Cold Lake, in 1994 and in 1996 in a CT-114 Tutor, in 1997 in a CC-130 Hercules and a CC-115 Buffalo, and in 1998 in a CH-139 Jet Ranger. In July 2024, in conjunction with the 100th Anniversary of the RCAF, Ron was able to arrange a follow up flight in a 435 Squadron Hercules to experience another SAR training mission and to see how things had changed in the 25 years since he had last flown with them out of Winnipeg.In July 2022 Ron received an incredible honour when he was selected as an Honorary Snowbird. It came as a complete surprise and it is something that he is extremely proud of. Ron is a member of numerous aviation groups and organizations (and definitely the CAHS), and is a volunteer at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada in Winnipeg.
Along with his Transport job, Ron established a freelance writing career on the side and managed to go flying in a number of military and civilian aircraft. In 1990 he flew with the Snowbirds, in 1992 in a CF-18 Hornet at Maple Flag in Cold Lake, in 1994 and in 1996 in a CT-114 Tutor, in 1997 in a CC-130 Hercules and a CC-115 Buffalo, and in 1998 in a CH-139 Jet Ranger. In July 2024, in conjunction with the 100th Anniversary of the RCAF, Ron was able to arrange a follow up flight in a 435 Squadron Hercules to experience another SAR training mission and to see how things had changed in the 25 years since he had last flown with them out of Winnipeg.In July 2022 Ron received an incredible honour when he was selected as an Honorary Snowbird. It came as a complete surprise and it is something that he is extremely proud of. Ron is a member of numerous aviation groups and organizations (and definitely the CAHS), and is a volunteer at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada in Winnipeg.
I’m a paragraph. Drag me to add paragraph to your block, write your own text and edit me.
Ron Lapp - Presentation Description
Ron Lapp worked at Transport Canada for 36 years. As someone who loves aviation, he couldn’t have found a better or more enjoyable place to work. Ron’s interest in military and civilian aviation took him to many airshows, and inevitably the desire to get up in some of the military and civilian aircraft that he saw. His wish to do this led him to establish a freelance writing career on the side, and some tremendous flying experiences.In 1990 he flew with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, in 1992 in a CF-18 Hornet at Maple Flag, he had two CT-114 Tutor flights in 1994 and 1996, a flight in a CC-130 Hercules and CC-115 Buffalo in 1997, and a number of other military and civilian aircraft. Ron was incredibly honoured and humbled in July, 2022 when he was advised that he had been selected as an Honorary Snowbird. He attended the 50th Anniversary of the Team in Moose Jaw in October 2022, and is looking forward to attending the 55th Anniversary of the Team this October in Moose Jaw.Ron is a member of many aviation groups and organizations (and certainly the CAHS), and is currently a volunteer at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada. Ron's presentation will cover how he managed to establish his freelance writing career and some of his more memorable flight experiences, capped off with his most recent CC-130 Search and Rescue training mission with 435 Squadron here in Winnipeg in July 2024.