Royal Canadian Air Force Captain Yuri Mokievsky, a pilot assigned to the 409th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta, sits in the cockpit of a CF-18 Hornet aircraft during RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) 16-3, at Eielson air Force Base, Alaska, Aug. 18, 2016. RF-A enables joint and international units to sharpen their combat skills by flying simulated combat sorties in a realistic threat environment.(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1 Class Cassandra Whitman)

Royal Canadian Air Force Captain Yuri Mokievsky, a pilot assigned to the 409th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta, prepares to take off from the flight line at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, during RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) 16-3, Aug. 18, 2016. The pilots will fly to the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, which provides more than 67,000 square miles of airspace, including one conventional bombing range and two tactical bombing ranges containing 510 different types of targets and 45 threat simulators, both manned and unmanned. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Cassandra Whitman)

Royal Canadian Air Force Avr. Laurie Dunbar, an avionics systems technician assigned to the 409th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta, communicates with Captain Yuri Mokievsky, a pilot assigned to the same unit, through hand signals during RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) 16-3, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Aug. 18, 2016. RF-A provides training for deployed maintenance and support personnel in sustainment of large-force deployed air operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Cassandra Whitman)

Royal Canadian Air Force Avr. Laurie Dunbar, an avionics systems technician assigned to the 409th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta, renders a salute to Captain Yuri Mokievsky, a pilot assigned to the same unit, before he takes off from the Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, flight line during RED FLAG-Alaska 16-3, Aug. 18, 2016. RF-A provides the most realistic simulated combat environment possible focusing on air combat at the tactical and operational levels. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Cassandra Whitman)

Royal Canadian Air Force Cpl. Zach McCann, an aviation systems technician assigned to the 409th Tactical Fighter Squadron out of Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta, unscrews a hatch on the side of a CF-18 Hornet aircraft during RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) 16-3, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska,Aug. 18, 2016. RF-A provides training for deployed maintenance and support personnel in sustainment of large-force air operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Isaac Johnson)

Royal Canadian Air Force Cpl. Zach McCann, an aviation systems technician assigned to the 409th Tactical Fighter Squadron out of Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta, walks around a CF-18 Hornet aircraft while Captain Chris Swartz, a pilot assigned to the same unit, prepares to take off from the Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska flight line during RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) 16-3,Aug. 18, 2016. RF-A provides unique opportunities to integrate various forces into joint, coalition and multilateral training from simulated forward operating bases. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Isaac Johnson)

Royal Canadian Air Force Cpl. Zach McCann, an aviation systems technician assigned to the 409th Tactical Fighter Squadron out of Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta, waits for Captain Chris Swartz, a pilot assigned to the same unit, to get ready for takeoff procedures during RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) 16-3, at Eielson air Force Base, Alaska, Aug. 18, 2016. RF-A participants fly to the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, which provides more than 67,000 square miles of airspace for a realistic training environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Isaac Johnson)

Royal Canadian Air Force Cpl. Zach McCann, an aviation systems technician assigned to the 409th Tactical Fighter Squadron out of Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta, communicates with a pilot in a CF-18 Hornet aircraft through hand signals during RED FLAG-Alaska 16-3, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Aug. 18, 2016. RF-A allows joint and international units to sharpen their combat skills by flying simulated combat sorties in a realistic threat environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Isaac Johnson)

Royal Canadian Air Force Avr. Laurie Dunbar, right, an avionics systems technician, unscrews a hatch on the side of a CF-18 Hornet aircraft for Captain Yuri Mokievsky, a pilot, to review before takeoff during RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) 16-3, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Aug. 18, 2016. Both are assigned to the 409th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta. RF-A provides training for deployed maintenance and support personnel in sustainment of large-force air operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Cassandra Whitman)