Hornets' nest on TV

"Jetstream", on the Discovery Channel gives a close-in picture of Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter pilots in training; it's an eight-part documentary, first episode on 10 pm ET, Tuesday, Jan. 8:

It's dangerous. It's scary. It's incredibly sexy. No wonder some little boys - and girls - dream of flying fighter planes when they grow up.

But do they have what it takes?

Jetstream, Paperny Films' new television series, aims to find out. Premiering Tuesday on the Discovery Channel, the eight-part documentary follows a handful of ambitious pilot trainees vying for a spot in Canada's most exclusive fight club.

"There's no shortage of people who dream of being air force fighter pilots, but there aren't that many who can actually cut the mustard," says Jetstream director Kelly McClughan. "There aren't that many who can cope with the physical demands, the mental demands, the emotional demands. It is incredible."

Filmed in 2006 at CFB Cold Lake, Jetstream chronicles the experiences of seven students - one woman, six men - who reckon with rigorous and exhausting training in the 410 Tactical Fighter Squadron. Their day-to-day activities include intense flying missions in the military's $35 million CF-18 Hornet, simulator flights and ground school. The workload is intense, the geometry is mind-numbing, and the day is never done.

"There's no going home and kicking back and watching football," says McClughan.

Of course, no matter how smart, or how dedicated the trainees, things still go wrong. And when they do, it can be devastating.

"They're already the best of the best. They're not used to failing, to stumbling," says McClughan. "If you start thinking about the game you just lost, and start obsessing, you're doomed."

What keeps the trainees motivated? A passion for flying.

"They love to fly, and when they don't they're the crankiest crowd. It's in their blood, it really is."

No more than 10 people undergo the CF-18 training each year, and given the demands of the course, not everyone will make it.

"Right off the top, we make it clear, this course is so gruelling, not everyone will survive," says McClughan.

It was one of Paperny's in-house editors, originally from Cold Lake, who dreamed up the series concept. The film company loved it - but convincing the military to give them access was a challenge. Eventually, they consented, confident it was a chance to showcase the elite fighter pilot program as a career option...

Despite the green light from officials, it took time for film crews to earn the trust of both the trainees and personnel at Cold Lake.

"The military is a tight community, and there is an inherent distrust of big-M media," says McClughan. "In the first couple of months, they didn't distinguish between us and anyone else. We were people with cameras there to stick our noses into their business.

"Gaining their confidence required a considerable amount of effort."

The goal of Jetstream is not only to educate viewers about the elite military flight training centre in Edmonton's backyard, but to give them a snapshot of just how tough it is becoming a real top gun pilot.

"They rage around in fast fighter jets, but it's not the stereotypical Hollywood," says McClughan. "The cool factor is definitely there, but what I want people to get out of this is how demanding this is. These are young people who are putting themselves in real danger every day for something that they believe is really important."