A Leading Innovation Hub
The Flight Deck
RCAF Innovation
NEW: Newsletter Issue 46
Who we are
Partnering for Excellence
Inspired by the open, collaborative and creatively designed working spaces, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has established "The Flight Deck” Innovation Lab at the Communitech Hub in Kitchener to push the limits of research and development.
Since November of 2016, we’ve helped the RCAF take their status to the next level by providing them with the tools and technology they need to turn excellent ideas into reality. Get in touch if you believe you have a disruptive idea with potential for growth and success.
What we do
Research and Development
We utilize the latest technology and software to explore and develop innovative solutions for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Industry
Engagement
We partner with start-ups, industry leaders, and academia in order to utilize the latest technologies and their capabilities.
Education Programs
We host basecamps to teach members of the RCAF the innovative mindset of agile, sprint and design thinking methodologies commonly practiced in the tech start-up industry.
Co-op
Program
Every 4 months, the Flight Deck recruits a new round of co-ops from the University of Waterloo. Business Developers, Full Stack Developers, and more. Interested? Apply on WaterlooWorks.
Co-Op Testimonials
Yash Patel
Full Stack Developer
I feel incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the Flight Deck team during my co-op term. It was an unforgettable experience that I will always cherish.
Collaborating with the Maintainer team to develop practical features was a phenomenal learning opportunity that helped me develop my programming skills in an industry setting.
Furthermore, having the chance to visit an RCAF base was an incredible privilege in and of itself. Interacting and learning from Air Force members provided me with invaluable client experience.
I highly recommend this co-op opportunity to anyone looking for an exceptional four months. Without a doubt, this was one of my favourite terms, and I wish the team all the best in their future endeavors.
Full Stack Developer
It has truly been one of a kind experience working with the Maintainer team. Having the opportunity to be around such talented individuals was an incredible learning moment for me and I got to learn a lot of new skills in my 4 months here.
The trip to Trenton was also incredibly special. It allowed me to see the other side of a tech job which is working directly with the client and learning about their needs. It helped me gain some really valuable experience talking to the team and asking questions. The trip also helped me to get to know the team better which made working together on features much easier as we were more comfortable with each other.
Overall, I've learned a lot from this co-op that I will be able to take forward and apply in many areas of my life. I'd like to thank everyone in the Maintainer and Flight Deck team for this amazing opportunity.
Full Stack Developer
Definitely an amazing experience! Throughout these 4 months, I learned a lot about teamwork and software development. No doubt working alongside Ali, Doug, Yash, and Kunal has been great and they all taught me something that I plan to use in my future co-op terms.
Whether it’s our stand-up meetings or our trip to Trenton, I always felt like part of a very supportive work environment. Working on the onboarding project allowed me to learn new technologies at a much faster pace due to the innovative “learn as you build” methodology that is encouraged early on. As my peers and I got more comfortable with the technologies we were slowly given more responsibility that allowed us to flourish and get invaluable experience as we built production-ready software!
Overall, I am thankful for this opportunity. My learning experience here gave me the chance to work on an important product that will directly help many people!
Sydney LeBlanc
Product Manager
Working at the Flight Deck for the past four months has been an amazing experience! I had a great time working with the Hangar team, learning about the RCAF, and understanding what being a product manager really entails.
Getting to visit Greenwood was such a unique opportunity! It was so rewarding interacting with users directly, and seeing how they use Dispatch each day. The Cormorant flight will forever be memorable, it was so cool getting to see the SAR techs in action!
I'm so glad I got to spend time in the office, because getting to work together in person made it so much easier to ask questions and form connections. I had so much fun and definitely learned a lot more.
I am so grateful for this coop experience and the skills I have gained. All the best for the future of the Flight Deck team!
