Biography

Captain Jody McKinnon - SB11

November 10, 2005

Captain Jody McKinnon, 36, from Almonte, Ontario, is in his first year with the Snowbirds and flies the number 11 jet. His responsibilities as a team coordinator include scheduling and air show coordination, performing media and photo flights, as well as narration and safety pilot duties during performances.

Captain McKinnon originally joined the Canadian Forces Reserves as a Guardsman with the Governor Generals Foot Guards and subsequently joined the Regular Force under the Officer Cadet Training Plan in 1990. After receiving his wings, Captain McKinnon was posted to Valcartier, Quebec, where he flew the CH-136 Kiowa at 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron.

In 1995, he flew the CH-146 Griffon as 430 Squadron transitioned to the new helicopter, and was deployed to Haiti and Kosovo. He was posted in 2000 to 427 Squadron in Petawawa, Ontario, where he flew Special Operations for three years. Captain McKinnon was transferred to 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, to instruct student pilots on the CT-156 Harvard in 2003 at the NATO Flying Training Centre.

He brings with him over 3,500 hours of military flying experience to the 2006 Canadian Forces Snowbirds.

More Biography