MacKay Took Search-and-Rescue Chopper to Fly Home from Fishing Trip

Like you've never used emergency aircraft to get home from a weekend with the boys.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay called up one of Newfoundland's three search-and-rescue helicopters to pick him up from a salmon fishing vacation last July, according to CTV. The trip in the Cormorant helicopter would have cost the country $16,000, and is believed to be the first time a minister requested that a search-and-rescue aircraft be used for his personal travels. The minister's office says MacKay took the flight to follow up on a long-held promise to check out the helicopters' capabilities, but the department has confirmed that there had not been any scheduled demonstrations until MacKay rang them up. Now, this isn't a huge waste of money, or time, but it certainly is of resources, as Newfoundland is one of the busiest areas in the country for search and rescue operations (thanks to a thing called the north Atlantic Ocean), and there are only three choppers based in Newfoundland. Picking up a cabinet minister from a fishing trip in one could have put other people's lives at risk. Thankfully, that wasn't the case, but Peter – come on, man. We like to think that you're better than that.