Honourable senators, “The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.” These are the words of Chuck Yeager, the pioneering test pilot who broke the sound barrier.

Flight has long been a symbol of freedom, adventure, exploration and possibility. In a world where we are constantly being knocked back by the harsh realities of life and war, the idea of taking flight — of flying away — gives us a sense of freedom. It allows us to imagine that we cannot only defy gravity, but also escape that feeling of being grounded under the weight of the world.

Since its beginning — actually, long before that, under the flags of others — our Royal Canadian Air Force, or RCAF, pilots have tested the limits and served Canadians and the world faithfully in times of peace and war. Albeit belatedly — but at my first opportunity — I stand today to pay tribute to our defenders in the sky, as April 1, 2024, marked 100 years of service for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The centennial milestone is an opportunity to celebrate and honour their historic role, because a nation’s story is built on its past and always on the backs of those willing to serve.

Human ingenuity brought us to the moon and back only a few short decades after the flights of the Wright brothers, Alexander Graham Bell and J.A.D. McCurdy. The RCAF has long harnessed that ingenuity to help defend democracy and freedom, and we owe much to the generation that showed the way.

They showed the way during the Second World War; in Korea; with our allies throughout the Cold War; in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall; in support of Canada’s land forces in the Middle East — especially in Afghanistan and Iraq — and in countless peacekeeping and peacemaking operations around the world. Their stellar work also helped lead to the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. In a world where the security landscape is dangerous and conflicts — old and new — are hot, we need to support our men and women in uniform evermore. They are entrusted with protecting our land, our people and everything we believe in, and they deserve the resources required for them to meet the call and to meet their mission.

As the government scrambles to play catch-up after decades of underfunding, we must insist that our political leaders actually follow through on their promises. A defence policy update is not enough with spending and acquisitions promised 10, 20 and 30 years out. We need a sense of urgency when it comes to equipping and supporting our military, not only during service but also afterwards.

Few of us will ever know the courage needed to face the hardships, and it is both unacceptable and embarrassing that we ask them to do so much with so little.

Despite this, the RCAF endures and soars, so despite the fact that the date has passed, please join me in marking this tremendous milestone, and say thank you to the Royal Canadian Air Force.