Snowbirds to be grounded after 2026 season as aging jets retired

The RCAF Snowbirds will be grounded after this season as its aging Tutor jets are retired and replaced. Wayne Mantyka reports.

The iconic Snowbirds will be grounded after this summer’s airshow season as Canada moves to retire the aging CT-114 Tutor jets that have served as the backbone of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s aerobatic team for more than five decades.

The federal government says the aircraft have reached the end of their operational life, with engineering challenges forcing an earlier-than-expected retirement despite previous efforts to extend their service.

Lt.-Gen. Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, commander of the RCAF, called the decision both significant and emotional.

“This is a significant moment and it is an emotional one because of the extraordinary connection that this team has built with Canadians over five and a half decades,” Speiser-Blanchet said.

The Snowbirds have been a Canadian aviation symbol for 55 years, performing at airshows and public events across the country and internationally.

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In 2020, Ottawa invested $30 million to help keep the Tutor jets flying for another decade. However, military officials say engineering and maintenance challenges have accelerated the timeline for retirement.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the aging fleet can no longer continue operating safely.

“The planes literally have come to the end of their lives,” Carney said. “They were unique in many respects. They didn’t have the parts and other things to safely fly, so the Snowbirds will continue and new planes are being commissioned.”

The replacement aircraft will not be jets. Instead, Canada plans to transition to the Pilatus PC-21, a turboprop aircraft already used by Australia’s air demonstration team. Once in service in Canada, the new planes will be designated the CT-157 Siskin II.

While the aircraft is slightly slower and lacks the distinctive roar of jet engines, officials say it will still be capable of delivering high-performance aerial displays for spectators.

Defence Minister David McGuinty said the transition will take time as aircraft production ramps up.

“We need to work with the manufacturer. We need to make sure that we receive them in graduated form,” he said. “It will take some time for them to roll off the production line, but we are moving as quickly as we possibly can.”

The federal government says the new air demonstration team will keep the Snowbirds name, and Moose Jaw will remain the squadron’s home base.