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Search and Rescue at cfb trenton may be about to get Barenaked.

Ed Robertson, one of two lead singer-guitarists in the multi-award-winning pop band Barenaked Ladies said yesterday that he's been asked to serve as honorary colonel of 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron.

"I'm a pilot myself, so I jump at any chance to be around military aircraft," a visibly excited Robertson said at the base's Mountain View detachment.

Maj. Shawn Duffy said the paperwork to make Robertson an honorary officer has not been completed, but that the musician is "the frontrunning candidate."

And Robertson was doing plenty of running yesterday.

His potential role with the squadron may be honorary, but Robertson - a regular vacationer in Hastings County

- was determined to earn it. Arriving in Trenton Sunday, he began training with the squadron and yesterday passed most components of the gruelling physical test required of new search and rescue (SAR) technicians.

He was recorded throughout by a crew from his television show, Ed's Up!, the show on Outdoor Life Network Canada is now in its third season. The Trenton show will air no earlier than November.

The musician wasn't required to try every test, Duffy said, but he performed well in everything he tried, from 28 laps in the pool to the shuttle run.

Robertson was proud of his success, but said it isn't the first time the Canadian Forces have made him sweat.

"Every time I do one of these things for the show they say, 'You're going to have to pass our physical training test. I'm saying, 'I just passed these guys' test - can't you just use theirs?'

"Now I've passed the naval, the army, the air force, and the search and rescue technician physical tests," he said.

"Not bad for a 37-year-old musician."

Yesterday afternoon, Robertson was strapped to Master Cpl. Stephane d'Aragon, a tandem master parachutist with the Canadian Forces' Sky-Hawks team.

Together they jumped out of a CC-130 Hercules aircraft at an altitude of 10,000 feet. Starting out in freefall, they opened the chute to drift onto the grass next to Mountain View's runway.

Along the way, they hit a top speed of 235 km/h.

Robertson was beaming well before he hit the ground.

"I'm on fire right now," he exulted moments after landing. "It was absolutely amazing."

He said the show has allowed him to do many exciting things - working with people from alligator biologists to firefighters - but the SkyHawks jump "is right up there" with the best.

"That was my first freefall and it's a whole different ball game."

Robertson first tried skydiving about 15 years ago, when he made a civilian static-line jump - using a cable to trigger his chute as he left the plane.

He said he'd have asked to do it even if it wasn't on the military's agenda for the day.

"It's something I've wanted to do all my life ... I was thrilled.

"I'd do it right this second if I could."

The squadron's Duffy, meanwhile, said Robertson's road to being a colonel could take a few more months. In the meantime, the squadron has scheduled an investiture ceremony for January 2009.

He said the squadron was looking for someone to be a public ambassador, and wanted someone who could relate to younger generations. Robertson is a perfect fit, Duffy said.

"We shortlisted three or four people and his name kept filtering to the top," said Duffy.

Not only was Robertson keen to help promote the squadron and try the training, he said, but even when the cameras aren't rolling, "he's quite a character. He's a people person.

"He's got that connection with the public."

And now Robertson has done some training, Duffy said,"whenever he goes flying with us it'll be old hat for him."

Duffy said the public tends to think more about coast guard and police agencies as though doing most SAR work; it's hoped Robertson can raise the profile of military SAR crews.

He said he's ready, partly because the unit does so much work with civilians. - Belleville Intelligencer